Hi everyone. I have watched this site for about a year, and joined a little while back but haven't posted that I am aware of. I read the pool school stuff (likely will re-read as time permits) and also read the BBB threads. Good stuff in there.
So I bought a house back in September with this pool that I used for a couple of months, and then covered it for the winter (something I won't be doing going forward) and like to think I learned a thing or two. It's 10 years old, appears to be chlorinated exclusively with tri-chlor pucks in the stack from the previous owners, and I did see a number of chemicals, spot remover and clarifyer etc. There is an absolutely worthless built in cleaning system that I will post about later when I have time to look at the paperwork (PCC 2000 I think, but don't quote me) that seems to just blow debris around the bottom of the pool and act as a parasite stealing pressure from my skimmers, but I digress. I opened a couple of weeks ago to a green sea, and followed the shock procedures I found on this site using household bleach from Wal-Mart. Green to grey to clear. Not bad at all. Some slight clouding, but I added acid yesterday because the PH was high, and tends to be rather high based on the results from the cheap test kit I have been using. A good kit is on my to do list. Anyways, I grabbed a sample to take to Leslie's just to see where I stand. Note, I let my TC come down a little because I wanted to get an accurate PH reading. Here goes:
FC 3
TC 3 (although they said .2 difference. One would thing that would mean the numbers should be offset)
CH 300
CA 40
TA 110
PH 7.6
Phosphates 300
Now, I really wish they could test for borates since I did add about 6 oxes of 20 mule team back when I first bought the house, before I was ready to measure how much that was, but again I digress. The water analysis report gives me instructions about this great enzyme stuff I can put in my pool that is apparently combined with another great enzyme that will clarify the water thats really not that cloudy for the sale price of $49.97 in a little laundry detergent looking container. I passed on the stuff but bought some acid and a pool toy for my son to make the guy feel good. Went home and put some bleach in the pool.
I will eventually post some pics but in the meanwhile, any input or greetings are most welcome.
So I bought a house back in September with this pool that I used for a couple of months, and then covered it for the winter (something I won't be doing going forward) and like to think I learned a thing or two. It's 10 years old, appears to be chlorinated exclusively with tri-chlor pucks in the stack from the previous owners, and I did see a number of chemicals, spot remover and clarifyer etc. There is an absolutely worthless built in cleaning system that I will post about later when I have time to look at the paperwork (PCC 2000 I think, but don't quote me) that seems to just blow debris around the bottom of the pool and act as a parasite stealing pressure from my skimmers, but I digress. I opened a couple of weeks ago to a green sea, and followed the shock procedures I found on this site using household bleach from Wal-Mart. Green to grey to clear. Not bad at all. Some slight clouding, but I added acid yesterday because the PH was high, and tends to be rather high based on the results from the cheap test kit I have been using. A good kit is on my to do list. Anyways, I grabbed a sample to take to Leslie's just to see where I stand. Note, I let my TC come down a little because I wanted to get an accurate PH reading. Here goes:
FC 3
TC 3 (although they said .2 difference. One would thing that would mean the numbers should be offset)
CH 300
CA 40
TA 110
PH 7.6
Phosphates 300
Now, I really wish they could test for borates since I did add about 6 oxes of 20 mule team back when I first bought the house, before I was ready to measure how much that was, but again I digress. The water analysis report gives me instructions about this great enzyme stuff I can put in my pool that is apparently combined with another great enzyme that will clarify the water thats really not that cloudy for the sale price of $49.97 in a little laundry detergent looking container. I passed on the stuff but bought some acid and a pool toy for my son to make the guy feel good. Went home and put some bleach in the pool.
I will eventually post some pics but in the meanwhile, any input or greetings are most welcome.