Test Results! Need help with water balance

[Guest]

New pool owner, living by the MN/WI border, and have spent the last few weeks shocking with liquid chlorine, adding algaecide, skimming for leave's and debris, vacuuming, and finally have the water looking clear. The pool guy that has been helping me has kinda left me hanging now for a couple weeks , and I need to know what I need to do next. :?

I added 5 gallons of liquid chlorine and a 32 fl. oz. of algaecide just over a week ago. Just got the water tested today at a different pool company, who actually answers the phone , and these are the results.

Total Chlorine = 0.0
Free Chlorine = 0.0
pH = 7.6
Total alkalinity = 70
Calcium Hardness = 225
Stabilizer = 0
Iron = 0
Chlorine Shock = 0

They sold me $220 worth of ProTeam Multi Magic Shock (25lbs, $140), ProTeam UV Shield - enhancer(8lbs, $50), ProTeam Alkalinity Up - Balancer(10lbs, $17.50), and I also got a new Polaris debris bag for another $50 cuz the old one has holes.

That leads to me to another question about the Polaris (i believe its the 180), its been neglected and left outside for a year or two, but just tested the thing out and it appears to be working, minus the bag w/holes. I noticed though at the connection to the inlet fitting, air seems to be bubbling out constantly. Is that normal? Also the snake hose is missing the foam at the end, is that necessary?

I haven't done anything yet, especially after reading some of the info on this site. Maybe I don't need all this stuff. Any advice would be much appreciated. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm hoping to get this pool "swimmable" asap, party coming up soon!

Thanks!!

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

Chlorine needs to be added daily!

You need to raise your CYA/stabilizer/UV Shield level or you will lose all of your chlorine to sunlight each day.

I would leave your TA level alone for now. It is alright at 70.

ProTeam Multi Magic Shock contains what we call dichlor. Dichlor raises the FC level, raises the CYA level, and lowers your PH. That combination of effects is not usually what you actually want, which is why we don't normally recommend using dichlor.

There are far less expensive places to purchase pool chemicals.

 

[Guest]

Okay great thanks! Did some more reading, so I'm thinking of returning all the ProTeam stuff, and I noticed that according the BBB theory, its recommended that I just use liquid chlorine or chlorine bleach, baking soda, and borax. The new pool store I went to told me that liquid chlorine and bleach is rough on the liner and can where on it faster. Is this true? I've been using liquid chlorine up till now.

My liner is original to the pool so 20-30 years old and has a couple patches. The guy who was helping me said it could probably last me another year or two, so I didn't want to shorten that with harsher chemicals.

Any other recommendations? After adding more chlorine and borax, you think that should be good then? Looks like I can just follow the pool calculator to know how much of each. So lets say I finally get it balanced, how often should I be adding everything to keep it balanced, so what amounts/day, week, month, etc for each?

Chlorine - daily
Baking soda - ?
Borax - ?
Anything else - ?

 

[Richard320]

They sold me $220 worth of ProTeam Multi Magic Shock (25lbs, $140), ProTeam UV Shield - enhancer(8lbs, $50), ProTeam Alkalinity Up - Balancer(10lbs, $17.50), and I also got a new Polaris debris bag for another $50 cuz the old one has holes.

Oh man, I'm in the wrong business....

What you really need first is a proper test kit. I use the TF100XL. And a speedstir, which is also available where you buy the TF100.

With a proper test kit, Pool Calculator, and this site, you will have a pool the envy of the neighborhood in weeks, if not days.

 

[JasonLion]

If added properly bleach/liquid chlorine is just fine. You want to pour slowly in front of a return jet while the pump is running and then leave the pump running for at least an hour after adding chlorine. As long as you do that it won't have any negative effects on the liner.

Chlorine is the only thing that needs to be added regularly. Everything else is on an as needed basis. Right now your need CYA/stabilizer/cyanuric acid/UV Shield (many names one chemical). PH and TA are fine where they are.