Proper place to add chemicals

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C

cmbutterbaugh

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May 15, 2010
79
Dayton, Ohio
What is the proper way to add chemicals to the pool?

Do I add in the skimmer (I know not to do that with acid) or in front of the return jet?

When I added dichlor last night, I tried to dissolve it in a bucket of water but it didn't really dissolve. It just sunk to the bottom of the bucket. Is this normal? Do I just swirl it around and pour it in and not worry about it actually dissolving?

Do I pore it in the skimmer or in front of the return jet? I have the same questions with borax(as that did not totally dissolve in the bucket, either) and liquid chlorine.

Thanks!
 
See if the answer you need is in the Pool School article "Recommended Pool Chemicals."

When I add dichlor I put it in a clear jar with a cap and tilt it and gently spin it to get it to dissolve. It will dissolve if you give it time and stir it up gently (5 - 10 min or so for 1/4 cup powder to dissolve in a gatorade bottle filled with pool water is what I do). I then very slowly add it to the pool -- either get in and slowly pour it in and then walk around a bit, or if it is too cold or I don't want to get wet I will pour it very slowly into the return flow - seems to work.
 
In front of the return jet at the deepest end of the pool is good.

Some things just don't dissolve in the bucket all that well. Dichlor and borax can both be broadcast over the water and stirred well by brushing. I usually dissolve dichlor as best as possible in a five gallon bucket of water but I usually don't get it all.

If you ever add calcium, this should always be broadcast in the water, rather than by mixing in a bucket because it generates heat. It's also worth mentioning that dissolving more than one chemical in a bucket at a time is not a good idea for safety reasons.
 
Ok, I am now making mistakes in my efforts to do right! It is NOT dichlor but HTH Stabilizer/Conditioner which, when I checked again is actually CYA. So, in my panic of thinking that I have been adding way too much the past 2 nights, I went ahead and checked the CYA level 2 days into my initial 4 TFP day start-up procedure for above ground pools. The CYA doesn't even read by the tube. I filled it up and the dot never disappeared so I know it is less than 30ppm. So, to make a long story short, I am a putz and need to chill. But, will CYA actually dissolve? How exactly should I add it? Just scatter in front of the return jet or into the skimmer?

Also, does anyone have any idea how often i should be adding Muriatic acid to bring my pH down to 7.2 (trying to get my TA down from 290) I have added yesterday late afternoon and this am. It is only down to 7.3 from 7.4.
 
The CYA will dissolve but your best bet is to vacuum it up and let it dissolve in the filter. Just don't clean the filter for a week.

In lowering TA, I'd aerate and wait till the pH got up to 7.8 or so before adding MA to bring it down to 7.0 - 7.2.
 
I will preface this with a HUGE THANK YOU! I have so many questions being a new pool owner. I will do whatever you say because you obviously know AGP--that being said, I hope you do not get bothered when I ask why? I am a why gal. Just like to know why I am doing things. So, "WHY" let the pH go up to 7.8 and then bring it down? And that means I can stop worrying about the high TA for now?

Oh and the CYA did dissolve overnight. When I add it should I just mix it in the bucket and let it sit for a while to give it a chance to dissolve and then dump it in front of the return ?

Thanks for Your Help (not to mention the patience)
 
Since you're a "why" gal, here you go. You can add acid every time the pH gets up by a point or two but if you wait till it gets up from 7.0 to 7.8 it makes bigger steps in the TA reduction and keeps you from handling acid several times a day.

Also, the vacuuming the CYA up was because it's a weak acid and you don't want it sitting on your liner for a long period of time. If it's already dissolved, no problem.
Here's a few chems and the preferred method of addition.
Chlorine, pour it straight from the jug or another container straight in front of a return with the pump on.
Dry chems, except cyanuric acid (Baking Soda, Borax, ph Down, Calcium, etc) dissolve in a bucket of pool water and pour in front of a return with the pump running.
Muratic Acid, pour straight from a container in front of a return with the pump running.
Cyanuric Acid, Fill a sock or stocking with it and suspend it in front of a return. Alternately you can slowly pour it in the skimmer and let it dissolve in the filter. Just keep in mind that you don't want to clean the filter for a week after doing that if at all possible.

While there are other ways of adding some of the chems, this is my prefered method.
 

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This am my chlorine was 5.0 and my pH was 7.6 (having slowly crawled up from 7.4 last week). My TA is still 280. I have been aerating by shooting the return upward to break the water's surface. I know that splashing around in the pool can help aerate, too, but it has been too cold to swim here the past few days. Should I just wait until the pH gets up to 7.8 naturally before I use muriatic acid to bring it down (in hopes of lowering the the TA) or should I use Borax to raise it?

I realize it can be a slow process to bring the TA down.

Thanks :)
 
I read that piece which is why I was trying to bring it down to 7.0 and aerate. I then received the above advice by "Bama Rambler" who wrote if I let the pH come up to about 7.8 and then use muriatic acid to bring it down to 7.0 and aerate, the TA would come down in bigger increments. Tonight my pH is up to 7.7. So how often should I add acid to bring it down...once a day...am and pm?
 
The pH rises more quickly when it is at a lower pH (see this chart) so adding acid more frequently when the pH rises from 7.0 to 7.2 or 7.4, for example, will lower the TA more quickly, though it obviously is more work since it requires more frequent acid additions. Yes, having the pH rise to 7.8 means you'll add more acid to get back to 7.0 and that the TA moves more because of that, but it also takes a lot longer to go from 7.0 to 7.8 than it does from 7.0 to 7.2 or 7.4. It's really up to you how to do it.

The amount the TA gets lowered is only a function of how much acid you add so if you find that going between 7.0 and 7.2 with more frequent acid additions doesn't results in your adding more acid in a day than using the 7.0 to 7.8 approach, then the more frequent additions aren't worth it even though theory says it should result in more acid per day and therefore a faster lowering of TA.
 
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