Well, made trip to pool store to get water tested::::::Hardness:1,,total chlorine:3.5,,ph:7.2,,alkalinity:11,,cya:low,,,,,,,,,Told me to add 4 lbs of stabilizer&20 lbs of alk. increase,,,then need to add 33.75 lbs of calcium hardness.....I started my pump up yest. evening and added 2 lbs of shock ..took water sample this morning....So far I have got 3 lbs of stabilizer going in & 10lbs of baking soda...water is clear....going to start bbb method...I haven't added any bleach..wanted to get water balance right first.....new to the bleach,,have always uses 3" tab's in clorinater..How's this sounding????they did a computer analysis figuring 13,500 gal...I havent got a new test kit,,,was looking this morning at one but they didn't want to sell it to me said that was for comercial,said I woudn't use some of it..wanted $40 for it..I quess I will just order the T-100,,Thank's all input greatly used!!!Thank's again
Balancing water,new bath!!!
- Thread starter kplaster
- Start date
1. YOu do not need any hardness increaser. Don't buy it ot return it if you can.
2. With little or no CYA, the chlorine will be consumed in your pool quite rapidly. I don't know when you put the 3 lbs of stabilizer in, but I think your chlorine will be gone soon. You need to test and keep the chlorine above 3ppm daily.
3. The Hardness number (which you don't care about in a vinyl pool) is in error. So is the alkalinity test result. Do not add any more increaser until you can find out what your alk really is.
4. You can control that pool if you do your own testing and learn what the test results mean. I wouldn't put anything else in the pool until you can get some valid tests.
2. With little or no CYA, the chlorine will be consumed in your pool quite rapidly. I don't know when you put the 3 lbs of stabilizer in, but I think your chlorine will be gone soon. You need to test and keep the chlorine above 3ppm daily.
3. The Hardness number (which you don't care about in a vinyl pool) is in error. So is the alkalinity test result. Do not add any more increaser until you can find out what your alk really is.
4. You can control that pool if you do your own testing and learn what the test results mean. I wouldn't put anything else in the pool until you can get some valid tests.
Thank's for the advice!!I thought 20 lbs of alk. + was alittle too much..I usually had about 5-6 lbs of soda the first of the year...Water look's good,just got done cleaning it again..I got somestrip's..I usually use them with my other test kit.I drive a truck so it's hard for me to check it everday....It was a acu-check kit but I can't get all the reagent's for it..All they have now is for PH &clorine level...I'm going to order me a new kit...Now my ? is how much bleach should I start of with??my reading is that 6%will increase it .06 ppm is that correct..I just checked my alk...we are up were it need's to be at!!!I'm thinking about 1/2 gal tonight!!!!
we have the same sized pool...13,500 gallons. One gallon of 6% bleach will raise the FC by 6ppm in 10,000 gals...so one gallon should raise your FC by about 4ppm, give or take.
I just checked total clorine showingabout 3 ppm ,,free clorine1 ppm,,,,,I'm heaading to wally world to get bleach!!!!Should a just stick to a 1/2 gal. tonight and I will recheck Tommorrow..I'm sorry for all the question 's on the bleach deal..Never done it this way and want to prove my wife wrong!!!!!I can save some money by the bbb method....I've alway's used the baking soda..Can you believe a pool place told me about the sodaback when I had the pool put in!!!
that would be fine if your CYA is really low...adding 1/2 gal tonight, should raise your FC by about 2ppm...just make sure the pump is running when you add it
lol...all my DW cares about is that the water is clear...how I get it there, she could care less....guess I should consider myself lucky...good luck
lol...all my DW cares about is that the water is clear...how I get it there, she could care less....guess I should consider myself lucky...good luck
Thank's dman" I just got back....going to add tonight...got some reagent just to check my ph,clorine till I get the new test kit!!!!...Cost of stuff getting really high...$80 for bucket of tab's that I paid $70 last year...Paid $2.63for 2.48 gal of bleach....My co-worker started bbb last year and said no shocking,no algeside neither...and pool was cyrstal clear all the time....I'm a old 3" tab person,,He has been bragging all last summer so I figure I will try...Thank's again
still looking good!!!I'm afraid to add anything else till I get my new test kit.....Still check in the mornings with what I have now!!!!!To cold to jump in now,,,I just put the cover on it
t-100 results:::::fc=5.5,cc=0,tc=5.5,ph=7.2,t/a=160,ch=5,cya=25,temp=82/////water is clear!!!//pool caculater advice is to had 90 oz. of borax,27 oz of stabalizer..does that sound right????Love the new kit,just got to get use to it...Well worth the money!!pump been off since wed...started back at noon today..
Jason,thank's you think a pound of stabalizer will be enough your a little more!!!got to go get some tonight!!!
also on the bleach,,I haven't added any since wed...Since ch is 5 already should I just hold off til it comes down a little..I have been putting in about a 1/2 gal since last weekend....about 4 day's of it.....
It's ok to hold off on the FC until it gets down around 3ppm (which may likely be tomorrow or Monday) but then bring it right back up to around 5ppm or so. It's the single most important thing to protect and sanitize your water.
Keeping it around 3-5ppm should be your target all summer.
As Jason said, leave your pH alone.
You can try a single lb of stabilizer (if you can get a container that small) and then test in about a week and see where you are.....it might be enough.
You are rapidly getting your pool in nice shape......just about time to take that first chilly swim.!! :lol: :lol:
Keeping it around 3-5ppm should be your target all summer.
As Jason said, leave your pH alone.
You can try a single lb of stabilizer (if you can get a container that small) and then test in about a week and see where you are.....it might be enough.
You are rapidly getting your pool in nice shape......just about time to take that first chilly swim.!! :lol: :lol:
THank's ,,has of the swim I got in today..feel'in good..It was 68-70 temp..last weekend...Kept the solar cover on all week...82 temp today....Cover's are well worth the money,just a pain in the rear taking off & on..I pull mine onto the deck&drape over the side..then pull back onto pool.....
test result's today!!!fc:8.5,cc:0,tc:8.5,ph:7.3,t/a:130,ch:5,cya:30,temp:80,,,,water clear..had alot of rain ,,I've let go today's no bleach...### are holding!!!!I believe we are looking good so far!!
looks really good...TA is slightly high, but nothing to be worried about...enjoy your clear pool 
Yep that's what happen when I listened to the pool shop..I'm just glad I didn't add the 20 lbs he told me to..I added 10 lbs to it .It has dropped a little from last week.It was 160 last week..Wehave had alot of rain this past week.....I'm a little concerned about the total chlorine..Maybe I need to hold out a couple of day's till it come's down a little..I have been checking every morning been staying over 5 ppm...Darkest yellow on the scale!!!Added maybe a gallon since last week!!!..I love the t-100 ..very easy to use!!!!
I let my pool go this past week with no bleach to get my clorine back down..Been keeping a check on it all week...Finally down to about 2.5...So started back with a 1/2 gal tonight...Really looking good..I haven't had it this clear in along time& the best thing I haven't done much to it except use my t-100 kit to stay on top of it..I wish I had known about the BBB method earlier...I got in this afternoon after a long day in the yard...SO RELAXING!!!Keeping the cover on ..Water temp staying about 82...Thank's everyone...Have a good long weekend!!!
Just thought I would run this by!!!Checked water todayMy fc was 2.5,cc was 1.....I have been adding about 1/4 of a gal everynight last week..Cut back on dossage because my total clorine was up around 5.5 last week.But have not had any cc showing...But today I showed some I quess because my fc dropped.My ph is still 7.2 ,Ta is down to 90 now.I have been keeping cover on it.Water Temp up to 92 today..Will be taking cover off this week.I know I will loose more clorine now with cover off....Really have enjoyed it so far...I went back with a 1/2 gal of bleach tonight..Water alway's clear when you pull the cover off..I really love the new method just getting use to what work's..
It's fun to reread the entire thread and to see how far you've progressed. Very nice work!!
Enjoy your troublefree pool and your knowledge of how to keep it there :lol: :lol:
Enjoy your troublefree pool and your knowledge of how to keep it there :lol: :lol: