Opened pool water is wack.

[Pool-creetin]

Ok this is the first time i used a winterizer kit from the lps. This year i am reaping the results. Brand new liner faded, water ph at 6.8,-cya at or near 0-alk at or near 0. calcium at or near 0.
What would cause this in a winterizing kit? LPS said heavy snow and rains this winter and spring helped it. Dunno, But at closing all i usually do is add baking soda to get alk at desired range, and peladow calcium clhoride to raise ca. (Ice melter) Then shock and put the cover on. Never had i had a liner fade in the 12 years i have owned a pool. I am quite angry i went against better judgement and did the stupid kit that came free with the new pool. Agh
The liner floor is really faded. Could this be alk and ca percip? AKA scale? Or the low ph faded the liner?

 

[duraleigh]

A massive dose of FC (without CYA) or perhaps too much FC over a long period time probably faded your liner but that is certainly water under the bridge.

The extended low pH usually shortens the life of a liner and causes premature brittleness but I have not seen fading reported as a consequence.

Cut your losses.....get your own test kit and arm yourself with the knowledge to keep your pool within acceptable parameters. You probably already know (based on your 100 posts) that this forum is ALL about self-testing and understanding what to do with your own reliable results.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Was there granular chlorine in the kit? If it wasn't fully dissolved and it settled on the floor it could have caused fading. Examine the floor for brittleness and keep an eye on your water levels in the event you develop a leak.

Bummer, sorry...

 

[Pool-creetin]

Thanks, And yes it did come with granular clhorine. I suspet that as well. There was a couple bags of addative and a gallon of winterizer.
I have added 18 lbs of baking soda, and about 3 lbs of soda ash and the ph is still low. Mixng up another lb of soda ash.

 

[Pool-creetin]

BTW i will order a kit from here. Which one fits my needs. I may go bbb this year and dump the clhorinator. Thats the funny thing. Tests show 0 cya, but i used tabs last year along with using some cya when i opened the pool last year. I should not have zero unless the ph is scewing the tests. I wont add that till ph is in normal range.

 

[renohuskerdu]

Was there granular chlorine in the kit? If it wasn't fully dissolved and it settled on the floor it could have caused fading. ...(

That is the good advise!

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

The TF 100 available from TFtestkits.net is your best choice. You can continue to use the chlorinator if you like - just start out with a lower CYA of 20 and then stop using the tabs when the CYA reaches 50, then switch to liquid. The tablets are acidic so you will want your TA at least 120 and monitor the PH so it doesn't get too low.

 

[Pool-creetin]

Thanks!! I appreciate the help!
Retested. Alk at 89 after adding 20 lbs of baking soda, PH 7.0 (Ahh getting better after 7 lbs of soda ash.) Will get some borate (Borax) today. CYA is measuring now at 70 so i guess its all liquid clhorine from now on. Funny that it would not measure at all yesterday. Really glad i waited to add any!!!!!
Adding about 8 lbs of baking soda, and some borax since i am out of soda ash now. , and a bottle of metal free to remove copper and iron before i shock this eve. Copper is 3.0ppm and iron at 1.2 ppm.
FC is 0 TC is 0 and combined is 0. I dunno how my water is sparkly clear. I wont complain!!!!
Liner is still flexable, Just the fading looks to be the major concern. The lps owner i deal with offered to get me a new liner free when its time to replace, I just have to pay for install. A little brighter on that note. The liner i have is the thickest one avail so it should last a couple more years i hope. This pool store has been in business for 35+ years so i think they will be around when my liner needs replacing.

 

[Pool-creetin]

After checking around i think i will get the lamotte coloimeter. I use one similar for my reef tank and i feel more comfortable with these than looking at a color chart. Lamotte is a quality company.

 

[chem geek]

You should read all the posts about people with colorimeter devices and the problems they have getting accurate CH and CYA readings (and FC readings, if high). You really would be better off with a drop-based test kit which is why we recommend either the TFTestkits TF-100 or the Taylor K-2006.

 

[Pool-creetin]

Thanks for the heads up!!! I did not know that. Have not bought anything yet. Just looking around.

 

[Pool-creetin]

Ok i could not wait to order i was getting conflicting info from pool stores. LOL Whoda guessed. The second store told me i had alk lock, LOL i have never heard of alk lock. He said my alk was at 200. When i got home with the new taylor kit it said 160 i tested twice to be sure. Ok not as bad but now a partial waterchange is in order. Or dry acid which i may do both.
Ph still read around 6.9 to 7.0 still low so i did a base demand test. I counted 16 drops and did this twice so this tells me i need some more soda ash.
I just added 7 lbs yesterday could this be true??
Water is starting to get white.
CYA is between 50-70 I hate guessing but thats what the kit indicated. I test regularly with my fish tank so i am confident i did everything right.
If i used borax how much should i use?

 

[JasonLion]

High TA is not a reason to replace water. You lower TA by following the directions in Pool School.

If you are trying to lower TA, raising the PH with soda ash kind of defeats the whole point, as soda ash raises TA too much. Even borax raises TA some. Try aerating the water to raise PH.

 

[Pool-creetin]

Thanks headed there now!

 

[Pool-creetin]

Built an airator like in the pool schools links. Its been running for a few hrs. I have to keep bumping the filter as its traping something.
Ph stayed the same 6.8-7.0 but base demand has gotten a litle better instead of 16 drops its now 12 just in a few hrs of use.

 

[Pool-creetin]

OK water is getting better. 7.2 today, but filter was clogging up withing a fw minutes so i decided to clean out the DE. It was a oxidized copper green. I added a whole bottle of metal free so i was thinking that was some of the binded up copper. I have a bottle of stain away, I see that you guys don't like metal free. It does not say whats in it.
Is the hth metal remover best to use? My copper upon opening was 3.0 ppm.

 

[JasonLion]

We recommend using generic ascorbic acid to lift stains and sequestrants based on HEDP, phosphonic acid, or phosphonic acid derivatives.

 

[Pool-creetin]

Thanks read it over in pool school. I'll get another test done today on copper. Do you think that was the reason my DE was green?

 

[JasonLion]

Copper is the most obvious possibility, but it is difficult to be sure.

 

[Pool-creetin]

Thank you very much! Love this site it helps take the pool blues away. New heater just came in, Waiting to get all in order before i install it.
Ph is up to 7.6, Alk slowly fell to 140, Better but i might get some acid and lower a titch more after the metals are in check. The acids for the metal remover might lower the TA. Ordering the swg this eve. Thanks again for the help on that.
I'll read over the pool school on swg next.
I know that the stuff the pool store sells for reducing po4 binds po4 to alk ion's and turns it to a substance that can be filtered out with a DE filter. Not going to buy it, just use what i have left if needed or in the future.