Please tell me if I am right or wrong here...please.

Jul 18, 2010
50
Central Illinois
Just started up my pool tonight.

My first goal is to add the MA until I get my akalinity where it needs to be...correct...or wrong?

My second goal then once I get my alkalinity right is to raise my ph where it belongs?

Then I can shock?

I just put the sock in with 1lb of stabalizer in it...I assume I will need more?

My pool size is 18 foot....my gallons is 8500.

Ohh one more thing...my alkalinity is currently off the charts

Thanks in advance
 
Some numbers as to where your pool currently stands would be nice. Chlorine is your first priority in combination with CYA. TA you work on over time by adding MA which lowers your PH. Don't go below 7.2 We have no idea if you need to shock or not.
 
Okay 2 hours ago I added 1 gallon muriatic acid. Below are my numbers.

ph 6.8
FC 0 (If I understand this right no shock until I get my Ph and alkalinity fixed?)
CYA is zero...just put the sock and stabalizer in tonight
TA...so dark blue it is off the charts...all I have for now is my test strips until I can get the good kit ordered.

2hp cartridge filter
18 ft pool
8500 gallons


I will be making my info my signature soon.
 
I'll let others weigh in on what to do in the face of the pH that is too low. To help them get you back on track, clarify if your gallons are 8500 per first post or 3500 per most recent post. I assume 8500, but wanted to clarify.
 
If your TA is really off it will take awhile to work on it. Your ph is pretty low - dont lower it anymore.

You will want some chlorine in the water as soon as possible. If you wait a week while you get up on the education you'll be posting questions on the algae board. No one wants that. 1/3 jug of Chlorox (60 oz) will at the least buy you a couple days to get comfortable with the whole thing.

All the other stuff you can work on over time.

Throw in some chlorine, read up on pool school a bit, come back with specific questions.

People are going to suggest getting a good test kit so you really know what's going on. They are a bit pricey - but will pay for themselves in the first season. If you avoid just one desperate trip to a pool store you will have paid for it.
 
TA is the last thing you try to adjust.

Get pH into range first 7.2 is OK, leave it alone for now.

Then CYA and FC at the same time. Based on the CYA that you added, add chlorine to get FC to the target. Test regularly, daily, same time, and before FC gets to the minimum, add chlorine to get it back to the top of the range.

Keep records of your tests and you will learn how your pool uses chlorine. You will be able to predict if you need to add daily or every other day, any close to how much. For now, test often.
 

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As for the TA and pH, as you test the pool daily, you will see the pH rise over time. When it gets to 7.8 or 8.0, use MA to drop it back to 7.2.

Don't go lower than 7.2 until you are sure of your pool volume. Record your results, first time, test TA, then calc MA to add to get pool to 7.4 from 7.8. Add MA, circulate an hour and retest, were you correct? Next time vary the pool volume if needed to get closer to correct. After you are pretty sure, then you can go lower to 7.0 maybe but you don't want to mess up pool equipment by going too low so learn first. Test TA each time since if TA goes down by 20% the acid you need goes down also, you risk low pH if you don't retest TA after a big acid addition like you just did.

You can change TA fast or slow. Slow is just pushing pH down to 7.2 and letting it rise again. Fast involves aeration and more acid, less time.
 
I don't know if you need to shock or not. Is the pool green? Cloudy?

After 3 days I'd probably bring it to shock level at night and then let fall naturally, testing to see how fast that happens.
 
Start keeping notes of what you add, Super Shock is what? 73% cal-hypo per a search (I don't know as I don't use that brand name)

Forget about TA until maybe next week. Really.

pH is perfect, 7.2 is great for shocking.

What is your target CYA? what you calculated for what you added?
 
Totally agree with anona - leave the TA alone. It just doesn't matter this week.

Dont freak out. Keep it all in perspective - it's just water. There are a lot of terms to learn, but once you're there it's pretty easy.

I'm gonna leave the advice to anona - just to avoid confusion. You're in good hands.
 
I added 1 lb (16 ounces) of stabilizer...per the pool calculator that should get me to 15 cya...I will add another lb as soon as it is dissolved.

I also added three pucks to the feeder.

I will take a water sample with me tomorrow and take in to the pool store after work.
 
If you have another stocking, go on and put the next lb in. No need to be slow about it. It will take a while for it go be effective so do it all now. Squeeze the sock from time to time to get it going too, just don't let solids escape if you can help it.

You are good for now, pH is in range, FC is somewhere above 5, CYA will be on its way to 30 when you get another sock or bit of pantyhose in the pool with the next lb.

You never answered the question about what the water looked like. Is it clear or cloudy or green or grey or white or what??? Is there any silty stuff on the floor of the pool, any color to that if there is any? Is the side of the pool slimy? Three days with no chlorine may not be growing much algae or maybe it is.

Probably is slimy on the sides and floor so brush it well. When you brush, chlorine will probably go down some as you are killing off some organics that are just starting.

If the water is clear, no color or clouds, and nothing on the floor that looks like algae, then it may be that nothing is alive in there. Be sure by doing an overnight chlorine decline test. Start at shock level for FC, be sure it is all circulated so you know what it was. Test FC before you go to bed, add and test until you know it is where you need to be. Then early in the morning test again before the sun hits the pool.

You want to see that in the dark the FC does not drop more than 1.0 ppm from whatever it actually was when what you added last was all circulated. With the sun gone, only organics will use up the chlorine.

When the pool passes that test, maybe tonight, maybe in a few nights, then you go on to the next part. That is; is CC < 0.5? [edit] If so, then, if the water is clear, then you are done shocking. There may be some cloudiness that needs to be cleared by the filter, but some white is OK. You will keep the FC at the top of the normal range for your CYA until it is clear and sparkling. All this time the filter is running 24/7 to clear the water.

I think you ought to test the FC before you go to bed.
 
anonapersona said:
That is; is CC >0.5?

Anona means CC less than or equal to 0.5, with the other tests met she discusses (less than 1FC loss overnight and water clear other than dead algae that may need to be filtered), you are done shocking.

If CC is greater than 0.5 you need to keep shocking.
 

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