1st opening after using TFP last summer and need help

[cheshirenc]

This is the first year opening after discovering this site and TFP last year. Pulled off the cover yesterday and the water is green but I can see through to the bottom this year. we turned the pump on and circulated for an hour and these are my test results.

FC .5
CC 0
pH 8.0 (I hate this hard for me to see the different colors but looks more pink)
TA 40
CH 120
CYA 40 (another test I have trouble seeing)
temp 62
salt 1500 (according to generator panel)

I am also using the taylor testing kit recommended here.

according to pool school calculations if I'm doing them correctly I need to add bleach for chlorine, muriatic acid for pH, Baking Soda for TA, Calcium Chloride for CH. Which should I add first? and of course salt.

Thank you for this site and the calculators.

 

[smforte]

Lower PH first w acid then add bleach to raise FC Soda to raise TA..use Pool Math to see how much.

 

[JasonLion]

After that you can move on to getting some chlorine in there, and start working on raising the salt level (but don't raise salt all the way up in one go).

 

[pooldv]

Good job on the signature, location and test kit. Sounds like you are on your way toward understanding your pool. And here are some links to read all about it some more.

This covers the basics on water chemistry, ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
This covers the levels you need to maintain your saltwater pool, Water Balance for SWCGs

Your CYA will need to come up to 60-80. Aim for 60 if you aren't sure about the test. Add granular CYA in a sock in your skimmer, per PoolMath. It takes a week for the CYA to fully dissolve and read on the test. You do not want to overshoot CYA. The only way to reduce CYA is to drain some water and refill.

Salt level needs to come up also, bring it up to about 3200 first, allow 24-48 hours for salt to fully dissolve before testing. Salt is another one that you do not want to overshoot. The only way to remove salt is to partial drain and refill.

Add at least 2ppm bleach daily until you get your SWCG up and running.

 

[duraleigh]

Oops! Unless I am missing something, this pool needs to go through the SLAM process......it has green water.

Chesirenc (Welcome to the forum. ), do not adjust your CYA just yet.

read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School

Then, read "SLAM" in the "How To" section up in Pool School. You need to get your water crystal clear first and then establish your maintenance levels.

 

[Richard320]

This is the first year opening after discovering this site and TFP last year. Pulled off the cover yesterday and the water is green but I can see through to the bottom this year. we turned the pump on and circulated for an hour and these are my test results.

FC .5
CC 0
pH 8.0 (I hate this hard for me to see the different colors but looks more pink)
TA 40
CH 120
CYA 40 (another test I have trouble seeing)
temp 62
salt 1500 (according to generator panel)

I am also using the taylor testing kit recommended here.

according to pool school calculations if I'm doing them correctly I need to add bleach for chlorine, muriatic acid for pH, Baking Soda for TA, Calcium Chloride for CH. Which should I add first? and of course salt.

Thank you for this site and the calculators.

I think I'd add baking soda to get to about 70 first. Give it half an hour to mix good. Brushing helps. Then recheck pH and adjust it. And then you are ready to SLAM it. Take it to shock level - 16FC for your CYA - and keep it there. Ignore everything but FC & CC during the SLAM. When you have completed the SLAM, let FC drop below 10 and recheck everything again. Fine tune the pH again, add CYA. You don't need to worry about CH with a fiberglass pool. I suppose if you already own some CH increaser, you can use it. I wouldn't waste the money, myself. And finally, when everything is steady, add salt. Check out Diamond Day, post 5

 

[pooldv]

Yep, sorry didn't notice that green water reference. And it was in the second sentence dang it!

Slam it, get it clear and the commence the rest of that.

 

[cheshirenc]

Thank you for all your responses. This year is different than every other year we have opened. Usually the water is swamp green and a mess and I didn't know this site and was using pool store stuff to clear it up.

This year there is green in the pool but really only on the sides and bottom. The water is clear when I pull out a jar to test and the water "looks" generally clear until I brush the sides and bottom. Of course now that pollen has let loose everywhere it looks worse today than yesterday but so does the entire yard.

I've started the slam process.

 

[cheshirenc]

... add salt. Check out Diamond Day, post 5

This might work great. My DD received a finfun mermaid tail for her birthday and CANNOT wait to use it.

SlAM worked well but I'm curious about some of my results. I kept the FC at 16 since my CYA was low. When opened the pool there was green on the sides and floor of the pool but water was clear. Of course when I brushed the sides of the pool and bottom the pool water looked green but was clear when pulling out a jar for testing. The pollen being released made it loose even worse after day 2. When testing I would have to keep adding bleach to keep up with FC of 16 but when I tested for CC it would test as zero or .5 only once I had a 1. wouldn't the CC results be higher with green on the sides and bottom? The reagents (replacement ones) were purchased in October 2014 and store in dark dry cool place.

 

[Richard320]

You won't always see CC when you're killing algae. Sometimes the UV rays from the sun eliminate it. That's why there are three criteria to end the SLAM.

 

[cheshirenc]

Thank you , that explains why when I had a CC reading of .5 or 1.0 I had taken the sample at dusk or later.

I'm on hold now. I'm out of the R871 reagent and local stores don't carry it. I've ordered it but waiting on USPS to deliver.