We are newbies here. We just set up a 14,000 gallon above ground pool. It recommended that we add 9 bags of salt to start. We have added 13 bags now and are still getting low salt message on our intex swg. Should we keep adding salt? Very confused right now. Our test strips are showing no free chlorine yet. Thanks for any info.
adding salt
- Thread starter wildkatz
- Start date
13 bags of salt would have raised your salt by 4500 ppm. How long ago did you add it?
Don't trust your SWG with the readings. You need to get salt strips to determine your readings or take the water to a pool store. Don't add any more bags until you determine what the water really is, otherwise you may be taking some of the water out. Most likely, you put too much salt in your pool already.
SWG's sometimes need to be calibrated. Read your manual to see if it can be or google it here on TFP's site. I have an Intellichlor and the first one I had did need calibrated because it always was reading low salt when in fact I had enough salt in the pool.
SWG's sometimes need to be calibrated. Read your manual to see if it can be or google it here on TFP's site. I have an Intellichlor and the first one I had did need calibrated because it always was reading low salt when in fact I had enough salt in the pool.
Thank you, I will do that. Here are the latest readings if that might help.
Copper - 0
FC - 0
Total Alkalinity - 240
PH 8.5
CA - 100
Total hardness - 1000
Salt - 3610
I know some of these are not where they should be, but we can't figure out what to do to get them there. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
Copper - 0
FC - 0
Total Alkalinity - 240
PH 8.5
CA - 100
Total hardness - 1000
Salt - 3610
I know some of these are not where they should be, but we can't figure out what to do to get them there. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.
Thanks everyone. I'm trying to use the pool calculator. The goal box I presume is what we want our levels to be but what is the "not setup" box for. Is that where I enter the readings I have now from our water? This is probably a dumb question, but we really don't know much about pools. Trying to learn quickly. Thanks.
At the bottom of the calculator (yellow section I believe) change the goal field to Trouble Free Pool. The goals will then show up above the input fields (now & target).
Also adjust the calculator for your pool surface and the type of chlorine you use.
In the meantime, you really need to add some chlorine manually. Do you have test results for CYA? That value is essential in determining how much chlorine you'll need.
Also adjust the calculator for your pool surface and the type of chlorine you use.
In the meantime, you really need to add some chlorine manually. Do you have test results for CYA? That value is essential in determining how much chlorine you'll need.
Thank you. I purchased the taylor test kit. Here are the results I have.
Fc-0
PH 8.3
Ta - 300 ppm
C hardness 500 ppm
Cy Acid 20 ppm
If I am reading this right, to lower the ph I need to add 2 quarts of muriatic acid. Does this sound right?
Fc-0
PH 8.3
Ta - 300 ppm
C hardness 500 ppm
Cy Acid 20 ppm
If I am reading this right, to lower the ph I need to add 2 quarts of muriatic acid. Does this sound right?
yes, that sounds right if you are using 14.5% muratic acid to get to 7.2 PH from 8.3 for 14K gallons. verify the strength of your acid and recheck the calculator if it is different from 14.4%
Ok, thanks. Do you add it anywhere in the pool or should you add it through the skimmer? Also, how long should you wait to recheck the ph?
Adjust ph down to 7.2 with acid. Test to verify. Verify acid strength as well.
You also need to lower TA. Aim for 70-90ppm TA. This will take more than one acid addition. Which as you know will lower pH. So, you'll do it in steps. Lower to 7.2... aerate to raise pH. When it's high enough, add acid again, and aerate. Repeat till TA is adjusted.
The main thing your pool needs is chlorine. NOW. Use the pool calculator and raise it to 5ppm. Wait half an hour with pump running and re-test with a full chlorine test to get values for FC, TC and CC. Report back here with the results.
Leave CYA where it is for now. You may need to shock. We'll find out after you get some chlorine into the pool.
You also need to lower TA. Aim for 70-90ppm TA. This will take more than one acid addition. Which as you know will lower pH. So, you'll do it in steps. Lower to 7.2... aerate to raise pH. When it's high enough, add acid again, and aerate. Repeat till TA is adjusted.
The main thing your pool needs is chlorine. NOW. Use the pool calculator and raise it to 5ppm. Wait half an hour with pump running and re-test with a full chlorine test to get values for FC, TC and CC. Report back here with the results.
Leave CYA where it is for now. You may need to shock. We'll find out after you get some chlorine into the pool.
Do NOT put acid into the skimmer.
Some add it directly to the pool in front of the return (like adding bleach).
Some mix it with pool water first. 3parts pool water, 1 part acid.
The acid is hazardous. Wear personal protection when handling it. Don't use your good steak knife to open the bottle. :~}
Some add it directly to the pool in front of the return (like adding bleach).
Some mix it with pool water first. 3parts pool water, 1 part acid.
The acid is hazardous. Wear personal protection when handling it. Don't use your good steak knife to open the bottle. :~}
Yay! After adding the bleach and acid we have chlorine for the first time. Here are the new readings.
FC - 0.6 CC 0.8
PH 7.8
TA 280
CH 440
CA 25
Thanks for all the help. Is it better to run the swg at night or in the daytime?
FC - 0.6 CC 0.8
PH 7.8
TA 280
CH 440
CA 25
Thanks for all the help. Is it better to run the swg at night or in the daytime?
Also, I guess my test kit doesn't come with the Borate test. Is it really important to test for that, and if so, do you have to buy a separate kit?
According to your tests you need to shock. I'd lower the ph down to 7.2 using acid first and then begin shocking.
Your TA is high but that'll just take a lot of acid to bring ti down.
Your CH is high but managable.
Your CYA (not CA) is low but that's a good thing since you're going to be shocking.
Don't worry about borates unless you've purposefully added them.
It doesn't matter what time of day you run it. Whatever works for you.
Your TA is high but that'll just take a lot of acid to bring ti down.
Your CH is high but managable.
Your CYA (not CA) is low but that's a good thing since you're going to be shocking.
Don't worry about borates unless you've purposefully added them.
It doesn't matter what time of day you run it. Whatever works for you.
Well today the ph is down to 7.4 and now we have no free chlorine. How did we go from 0.6 free chlorine to nothing. I added the acid and bleach amount the pool calculator said yesterday and shocked. Help! Feeling very lost!! TA is 270 CYA is 32
The chlorine is being used up disinfecting whatever is growing in your pool water (algae, bacteria, whatever). 0.6 FC is next to nothing anyways, and isn't enough to help your pool.
Shocking is a process. To shock, you add enough chlorine to bring the FC up to shock level, then you keep testing and adding chlorine to keep the pool at shock level until CC is below 0.5 and you can pass the overnight chlorine loss test. Initially you may need to test and add chlorine every hour. Later you may be able to test less frequently, depending on how quickly the FC level is dropping. Shocking can take a couple days or weeks or more depending on what condition your pool is in (barely cloudy versus green soup).
The process is laid out in Pool School.
Shocking is a process. To shock, you add enough chlorine to bring the FC up to shock level, then you keep testing and adding chlorine to keep the pool at shock level until CC is below 0.5 and you can pass the overnight chlorine loss test. Initially you may need to test and add chlorine every hour. Later you may be able to test less frequently, depending on how quickly the FC level is dropping. Shocking can take a couple days or weeks or more depending on what condition your pool is in (barely cloudy versus green soup).
The process is laid out in Pool School.