I have owned my house for 5 years with a 24` above ground pool with 13500 gallons. First two years we great but expensive to run the pool with chemicals my local pool store recommended. I was unable to tend to the pool the last two years due to work travel issues and the water turned almost black with all the leaves decomposing in the pool. I have found this forum over the winter and have learned a lot.
I opened the pool two weeks ago, drained 2/3 of the water, refilled and just now have gotten most of the leaves out. I put 3 bottles of 128 oz of 6% bleach in two days ago and this evening my FC was 0 again. The pool went from black to a cloudy green. I added a sock of 3lb of stabilizer in front of my return and added another 3 bottles of bleach tonight, waited about 1 hour and performed a test with my new TF-100 kit. I am going to convert the pool to a SWG sometime this season once I get everything balanced, but right now I am using straight bleach (giving the BBB method a shot this year). I have a few questions.
First the numbers
Temp around 60 degrees Fahrenheit
FC 12.5
CC 1
Total Chlorine 13.5
PH 7.5
TA 190
CH 200
CYA 9 (was under the 20 mark on the test kit so I am basing this off my pool stores test)
Borates 0
Now on to the questions
1) Should i concentrate on removing the algae first then balance or try to do it all at once? Once I start balancing, what order should I perform the balancing?
2)The TA is a bit high (especially for a SWG pool) what is the best method for tackling this, muriatic acid to lower PH and TA and aerate or is there a better way? Or should I just ignore it?
3) I have a DE bump filter with the dreadlock looking things a 1HP pump. My gauge started at 20 this season and there only is a small flow of water out into the pool from the return. I have never been able to get the pressure right on this filter and have fought with it since I bought the house. Is this normal or is there something wrong with the filter?
Note: I didn't realize the power was on when I hooked everything up so my pump ran for about 30-60 minutes before I added DE. With my algae problem should I take the filter apart again and re-clean everything with filter cleaner?
4) What is the best way with the TF-100 kit to get a CYA reading below 20?
5) Is the speed-stir worth looking into?
6) Any other advice for a newbie to the BBB method (besides reading the pool school, I have done that like 10 times)
Thanks in advance for any help
Scott
I opened the pool two weeks ago, drained 2/3 of the water, refilled and just now have gotten most of the leaves out. I put 3 bottles of 128 oz of 6% bleach in two days ago and this evening my FC was 0 again. The pool went from black to a cloudy green. I added a sock of 3lb of stabilizer in front of my return and added another 3 bottles of bleach tonight, waited about 1 hour and performed a test with my new TF-100 kit. I am going to convert the pool to a SWG sometime this season once I get everything balanced, but right now I am using straight bleach (giving the BBB method a shot this year). I have a few questions.
First the numbers
Temp around 60 degrees Fahrenheit
FC 12.5
CC 1
Total Chlorine 13.5
PH 7.5
TA 190
CH 200
CYA 9 (was under the 20 mark on the test kit so I am basing this off my pool stores test)
Borates 0
Now on to the questions
1) Should i concentrate on removing the algae first then balance or try to do it all at once? Once I start balancing, what order should I perform the balancing?
2)The TA is a bit high (especially for a SWG pool) what is the best method for tackling this, muriatic acid to lower PH and TA and aerate or is there a better way? Or should I just ignore it?
3) I have a DE bump filter with the dreadlock looking things a 1HP pump. My gauge started at 20 this season and there only is a small flow of water out into the pool from the return. I have never been able to get the pressure right on this filter and have fought with it since I bought the house. Is this normal or is there something wrong with the filter?
Note: I didn't realize the power was on when I hooked everything up so my pump ran for about 30-60 minutes before I added DE. With my algae problem should I take the filter apart again and re-clean everything with filter cleaner?
4) What is the best way with the TF-100 kit to get a CYA reading below 20?
5) Is the speed-stir worth looking into?
6) Any other advice for a newbie to the BBB method (besides reading the pool school, I have done that like 10 times)
Thanks in advance for any help
Scott