Ok.. long time pool owner but very neglectful pool maintainer. I am the type of person who likes to reasearch but it takes time and experience for stuff to sink in my tiny brain. A little back ground, build a new house late in 2008 with a new pool to go wiht it. I was very naive thinking if the pool was clear it was ok to swim in. I have never had a test kit( but have one on order -tk100) Anyhoo my brother who also has a salt water pool came by one day and explained some pool chemistry 101 to me. Other than running the salt water generator and using a little cholrine and/or shock here and there I have not done much else as far as testing or adding any other chemicals. I decided i needed to get edjumacated on pool chemisty before I really do some damage to the pool and/or my kids swimming in it. I decided to take some water up to Leslie Pool and have it tested.
Pool Specs:
approx 20x40 free form gunite pebbletec pool... approx 35k gals(according to some online pool calculators)
1.5hp pump and sand filter
Salt Water Generator
live in Lubbock, TX near farm land
Well Water is my fill source(I assume some of my issues arise from well source)
Leslies Water Analysis
FAC = 1
TAC = 1
Salt = 3100
cyanuric Acid = 50
Total Alkalinity = 490
PH = 7.8
Phosphates = 100
They also told me I have high Nitrates in the pool. They didn't try to sell me anything to lower the Total Alkalinity which seemed strange. My brother was the one who told me I need to add the muratic acid
Until my real test kit arrives later this week I have been using the test strips I have. According to them everthing is pretty much in line other than the high PH reading and high TA readings
My pump runs 24hrs per day as per to the pool builders recommendation
I have since Friday been adding water diluted Muratic Acid at the rate of 128oz every 12 hrs?!?
I also poured in a 128oz bottle of home depot liquid chlorine(today)
Used 3lbs of shock at the direction of Leslies on Sat
Questions
1. Am I adding too much/too litte muratic acid at one time.
2. How much muratic acid can I add at one time and at what intervals
3. I have dark brown almost black spots on the baja bench, steps and a area in the deep end of the pool. It will not scrub off. Is this black algee?
4. Also having issue with scale/calcium build up at water line around pool. Will fixing water issues fix this or do i need some type of addtional chemical to remove.
According to the calculator I am going to need possible 20-22 gal of muratic acid to lower the TA
Sorry for all the newbie question but would like to get my head around maintaning the pool properly
Thanks in advance for all responses
John
Pool Specs:
approx 20x40 free form gunite pebbletec pool... approx 35k gals(according to some online pool calculators)
1.5hp pump and sand filter
Salt Water Generator
live in Lubbock, TX near farm land
Well Water is my fill source(I assume some of my issues arise from well source)
Leslies Water Analysis
FAC = 1
TAC = 1
Salt = 3100
cyanuric Acid = 50
Total Alkalinity = 490
PH = 7.8
Phosphates = 100
They also told me I have high Nitrates in the pool. They didn't try to sell me anything to lower the Total Alkalinity which seemed strange. My brother was the one who told me I need to add the muratic acid
Until my real test kit arrives later this week I have been using the test strips I have. According to them everthing is pretty much in line other than the high PH reading and high TA readings
My pump runs 24hrs per day as per to the pool builders recommendation
I have since Friday been adding water diluted Muratic Acid at the rate of 128oz every 12 hrs?!?
I also poured in a 128oz bottle of home depot liquid chlorine(today)
Used 3lbs of shock at the direction of Leslies on Sat
Questions
1. Am I adding too much/too litte muratic acid at one time.
2. How much muratic acid can I add at one time and at what intervals
3. I have dark brown almost black spots on the baja bench, steps and a area in the deep end of the pool. It will not scrub off. Is this black algee?
4. Also having issue with scale/calcium build up at water line around pool. Will fixing water issues fix this or do i need some type of addtional chemical to remove.
According to the calculator I am going to need possible 20-22 gal of muratic acid to lower the TA
Sorry for all the newbie question but would like to get my head around maintaning the pool properly
Thanks in advance for all responses
John