I am so excited to find you!! The economy has hit hard at my house and pool chemicals are not in the budget this summer! We are ready to treat the water for the first time but we want to use BBB. My test kit is not intact so I am flying blind until I get a new one. The water has turned terribly green over these last few days and I am not sure where to start. Do I add bleach first? I will pick up another test kit when I go to town, but I really wanted to pick up something to get started on treating the green. Again, since money is a factor, I didn't want to start treating with the wrong chemical. I just figured starting with bleach would be a safe bet. I would appreciate any help. I have read what type of test kits you recommend, but I am not sure if I can find one in my small town. I usually just get one from wal mart. Is that terrible? Thanks in advance for helping me out!
opening green pool with BBB
- Thread starter melmommy
- Start date
Save your money on the walmart kit- order one of the recommended kits online. The TF100 is the best bang for the buck, followed by the Taylor K2006. Most pool stores do not carry the good kits in their store, so order it online.
What kind of pool is it? Can you put the specs/equipment info in your signature...go to User Control Panel, then Profile, then Edit Signature.
Bleach is the cheapest way. But in order to get started, you need to know your basic levels. Is there a pool store or somewhere that can test the water for you?
We need to know:
FC
CC
PH
TA
CH
CYA
Is the filter/pump system up and running? It has to be to start treating with chemicals and an accurate testing of the water.
We can help you get this straight, you have come to the right place
What kind of pool is it? Can you put the specs/equipment info in your signature...go to User Control Panel, then Profile, then Edit Signature.
Bleach is the cheapest way. But in order to get started, you need to know your basic levels. Is there a pool store or somewhere that can test the water for you?
We need to know:
FC
CC
PH
TA
CH
CYA
Is the filter/pump system up and running? It has to be to start treating with chemicals and an accurate testing of the water.
We can help you get this straight, you have come to the right place
I added the specs best I could to my signature. There is a pool store in town, but it is hard to get a sample there. We live way out and I teach until 3:30. I guess there is no way to get the sample in the a.m. and take it to the store after school? I always understood it had to be a fresh sample. Anyways, I will find a way! So there is nothing I should do to the green water until I get the levels? It is turning greener by the hour!! The pumps have been running all winter. We added chorine tabs to the skimmer (sometimes) and the water was clear until about a week ago. It is really heating up down here in South Arkansas and I guess the algae took over. I will post my levels as soon as I get them. Thanks so much for posting so fast. The pool is our sanctuary in the summer. I just can't spend a fortune on chemicals this year.
Is it 8 ft deep in the deepend? How deep is the shallow? Any idea of your exact gallons?
The sample does have to be fresh...at least for accurate PH and FC readings (but I suspect your FC is 0 considering the greenies...)
If we know your gallons, we can calculate a minimum of 10ppm of FC from bleach - to get you started. You can safely add up to 10FC to get started, even though we don't know your CYA level.
BBB is a cheap as it comes, you won't spend a fortune I promise. I know the good kits seem like a lot of money, but believe me, it will save you money in the long run; and the kits last several years.
The sample does have to be fresh...at least for accurate PH and FC readings (but I suspect your FC is 0 considering the greenies...)
If we know your gallons, we can calculate a minimum of 10ppm of FC from bleach - to get you started. You can safely add up to 10FC to get started, even though we don't know your CYA level.
BBB is a cheap as it comes, you won't spend a fortune I promise.
I know the good kits seem like a lot of money, but believe me, it will save you money in the long run; and the kits last several years.when we had water tested, they had 26,700 as the pool volume. I am guessing the went by pool size. My husband says it is 8ft in deep end and 3ft in the shallow. I found the contract from when we had the pool built, and it never tells the depth or pool volume. It is just a basic pool, nothing fancy. We do have a diving board if that helps with the deep end depth. Sorry I am not more help! I just swim in it! I have been a slave to the pool store. I just did (and bought) what they told me to! Can't wait to get this started!!
If you have a good kit (TF-100 or Taylor K-2006), your pool will be a cinch to clear and enjoy. But really, the rate limiting factor is your ability to obtain accurate test results. Without them, little else matters.
That volume sounds reasonable to me.
I'd say 3 large jugs of 6% Wallyworld brand Great Value bleach, will get you to 10. Do that each evening until you can get a better test kit, but I'd get one rather quick if I were you.
I'd say 3 large jugs of 6% Wallyworld brand Great Value bleach, will get you to 10. Do that each evening until you can get a better test kit, but I'd get one rather quick if I were you.
Are the short edges of the pool straight or are they rounded off?
26,700 gallons would be if the short edges are straight, the corners are square, and the sides go straight down. A vinyl liner pool with a deep end invariably has sloped sides lower down in the deep end, so it will have have less volume than the straight calculation shows. My guess is your volume is around 20,000 gallons.
26,700 gallons would be if the short edges are straight, the corners are square, and the sides go straight down. A vinyl liner pool with a deep end invariably has sloped sides lower down in the deep end, so it will have have less volume than the straight calculation shows. My guess is your volume is around 20,000 gallons.
If Jason's description matches your pool meaning smaller gallon's wise, try 2.3 large jugs instead of 3...
You guys are awesome! My plan is to get water tested until I get my own kit. I guess $78 is the best price? As to the shape of pool, the corners are rounded and I do remember sloped sides. So, I guess I really don't know the pool volume. I will add the bleach tonight! Wish us luck! :-D
Then lets assume say 20,000-22,000 and use 2.5 jugs each evening.
The TF100 is a great kit and will last you several years. I've had mine going on three seasons and have only had to purchase more FC and CYA testing solution.
The test kit will save you hundreds at the pool store, trust me, been there, done that!
Good luck!
The TF100 is a great kit and will last you several years. I've had mine going on three seasons and have only had to purchase more FC and CYA testing solution.
The test kit will save you hundreds at the pool store, trust me, been there, done that!
Good luck!
Pool water is not green anymore!!! We were able to test ph last night with the old kit and it read very high so we used some of last year ph reducer. While I was posting with you last night, I went ahead and got my daughter to buy some shock packets at Wal Mart. We put in 3 packets last night. When we got up this morning the water didn't have a hint of green. It is very cloudy. Tested ph and it is low. According to the test we do have a little FC (around 4). If I understand things correctly, the algae is probably still there, so I plan on shocking again tonight. I hope to get water tested tomorrow to give better levels. Since I don't know the CYA, I know the sun could be eating any chlorine I put in at night. I guess the level could be just fine. Won't know until it is tested. I will buy bleach from now on. I just wanted to give ya'll an update on the green water. No green to be seen! That's good news right??
Yes it is. Keep in mind high FC readings make the PH test read a false-high - so you should never try to adjust the PH while shocking. Always adjust the PH before shocking, and then wait until the FC drops below 10 before trying to adjust it. Adding the PH reducer is what dropped it too low, it would have been fine to leave it alone, just for future reference.
You're doing great...
Make sure you brush the pool really well - the shock packets sold at Walmart are Cal-hypo and you don't want that stuff to fall to the bottom and dissolve on the liner, it can harm the liner.
You're doing great...
Make sure you brush the pool really well - the shock packets sold at Walmart are Cal-hypo and you don't want that stuff to fall to the bottom and dissolve on the liner, it can harm the liner.
I'm back!! Just got water tested at pool store. I have ordered the TF100 so I shouldn't have to go back. Yeah! We changed the sand in the filter this weekend so we should be ready to go. The water is cloudy. Here are my numbers.
FC 0.0
CC 0.0
TA 0
pH 7.3
CH 97
CYA 6
How bad is it?? Hoping for good news! Can't wait to hear from you!
FC 0.0
CC 0.0
TA 0
pH 7.3
CH 97
CYA 6
How bad is it?? Hoping for good news! Can't wait to hear from you!
Can you confirm the TA? Is it truly zero?
If TA is indeed zero, you should raise it to about 40 using baking soda. Do this before adding other chems.
If TA is indeed zero, you should raise it to about 40 using baking soda. Do this before adding other chems.
The TA is really 0. so we should add baking soda. Any idea of how much to put in? I will try to use the pool calculator and see if I can figure it out. Should I keep trying to shock the water so much? Thanks for replying! I have been checking often to see who was working on my problem. Thanks so much! I will continue to post my progress! Wish me luck!! 
If we go with 20,000 gallons, then the pool calculator shows 12 lb baking soda to raise TA from 0 to 40.
You'll also want to bring up your CYA, which would have to come from a pool store or pool department in a big-box store. It's usually called "stabilizer" or "conditioner" but look at the ingredients, it should say 90% to 100% "cyanuric acid."
--paulr
You'll also want to bring up your CYA, which would have to come from a pool store or pool department in a big-box store. It's usually called "stabilizer" or "conditioner" but look at the ingredients, it should say 90% to 100% "cyanuric acid."
--paulr
Tomorrow, after adding baking soda and circulating for at least an hour, retest and post the results so we can help.
Yep, as Paul mentioned, you are going to need some CYA. Lots of folks on here like the Wallyworld CYA.
They say it is more powdery and dissolves faster, also good price.
You are going to need about 8 pounds to get to 50-ish.
Yep, as Paul mentioned, you are going to need some CYA. Lots of folks on here like the Wallyworld CYA.
They say it is more powdery and dissolves faster, also good price.
You are going to need about 8 pounds to get to 50-ish.
I have put in the baking soda. I also bought stabilizer and bleach. When should I add these?
I just added the 8lbs of CYA. Planning on 3 jugs of 6% bleach this evening. If I understand correctly, my CYA level determines my shock level. If it takes several days for my CYA adjustment to register, how do I know the shock level? My FC is still at 0. Water still cloudy. I am embarrassed to say, but I think I added too much baking soda. My TA was at 0 and I added 24 lbs of baking soda. I think I was only supposed to add 12. I misread and feel terrible. Can't take it out so I have to keep going. My TF100 is not in yet, so I am going from a new HTH kit from Walmart. The TA test turns pink at 110. Not really red. PH was about 7.4. This was 1 hour after adding baking soda and before I added the CYA. Now just waiting on info about bleach. Thanks for your help. Hopefully I didn't mess up too bad!! Don't give up on me yet!