Switching from Pristine Blue

[hdross]

I have been using pristine blue for 1 month. I am not happy with it at all.
I have a 24,000 gal Vinyl IG pool, With a de filter, running 24/7, and cloudy water. What do I need to to to switch over to BBB system.
What should I start stocking up on?

 

[duraleigh]

1. A good test kit (with the FAS/DPD chlorine test) so you can manage the water yourself and not rely on the Pool Store's advice.

2. Chlorine.

That'll get you started.

 

[Richard320]

Dave's trying to be low key, since he has a dog in this fight.

So I'll tell you straight up: go to http://tftestkits.net. Order a TF100 with the XL option. I also heartily recommend a speedstir.

It will be the best money you ever spent on that expensive hole in the ground.

 

[JasonLion]

You should also get a copper test result, you don't need a copper test kit, just one initial measurement of your copper level.

 

[hdross]

I have already ordered the test kit, should be here next week. I am going to the local Menards to pick up some liquid chlorine. I was not sure about the borax to start with the calculator showed something like 80 lb. to start was't sure if that was right or I may have made a mistake. Also what stabilizer, and what amount is recommended. About how many gallons of bleach should I expect to use weekly, I know this varries, just a ball park.

 

[duraleigh]

I'd start with 20-30 gallons of chlorine. It won't go bad so you will use it eventually. Don't get anything else until you post test results and we'll go from there.

Head on up to pool school and read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry".

 

[Richard320]

I have already ordered the test kit, should be here next week. I am going to the local Menards to pick up some liquid chlorine. I was not sure about the borax to start with the calculator showed something like 80 lb. to start was't sure if that was right or I may have made a mistake. Also what stabilizer, and what amount is recommended. About how many gallons of bleach should I expect to use weekly, I know this varries, just a ball park.

Borax can wait. It's entirely optional. Many of us, including me, don't use it at all.

Once the pool is balanced, I'd guess somewhere between 6 and 8 gallons of 6% bleach every week. 24,000 gallons is a pretty big pool.

Stabilizer should be around 50. You need to know what the current level is before adding any more. If anyone has added chlorine pucks or shock powders you probably have some in there already. I don't know what exactly is in pristine blue beside copper sulfate.

Pool Calculator will crunch the numbers for you. Once you have your initial readings. What you need right now is a big bottle of POP - Pool Owner Patience.

 

[hdross]

Ok, Thanks, I will wait on the test kit to get here. I didn't order the stirrer do you think I should go ahead and get it now or wait until I get going. The only thing that has been added to the pool beside the Pristine Blue would be 3 lb. of Maintain Oxy Plus. Potassium Monopersulfate 1 time per week for the last 5 weeks. The liner is new and the pool was just filled. Thought I did my home work on the Pristine Blue, and was convinced that was the way to go. The water has been cloudy in the deep end since it has been added, was crystal clear before.

 

[hdross]

I maybe miss calculating the gallon size of the pool. It is an 18x36 vinyl with an 8 ft deep end. The shallow end to the water level is 3'.2" inch

 

[JasonLion]

I would guess 20,000 gallons. The sloped sides in the deep end of a vinyl liner pool make it smaller than what the usual calculations tend to get.

 

[x2rider]

My pool is the Same size, I never thought about the sloping sides taking away volume, but makes sense. I used 5.5ft as est depth and the pool calculator calculations seem to work. As you add things and remeasure, keep track to see how accurate the readings end up being.

 

[hdross]

I got my test kit, and I have started adding chemicals.
I added 4 lb. of CYA yesterday morning.
Then 6 182 0z. bottles of bleach last night.
Water test 1 hr. after adding bleach
PH 7.8
TA 170
TC 14
CC1.5
This morning the results are
PH 7.5
TA 170
TC 7
CC 0
CYA ? I filled the tube to the top and could still see the black dot.
Should I add more CYA today or wait a day or 2?
What level do I need to keep the chlorine at for now?

 

[Richard320]

...
This morning the results are
PH 7.5
TA 170
TC 7
CC 0
CYA ? I filled the tube to the top and could still see the black dot.
Should I add more CYA today or wait a day or 2?
What level do I need to keep the chlorine at for now?

CYA won't register completely for about a week. Stop testing for it, save your reagent.

If the pool is 20,000 gallons, 4 pounds of CYA will only raise it to 24. Which is low for maintenance but okay for the shock process. FC during the shock process is 12, so you want to bump it up a little higher than that because it will start dropping as soon as you add it.

Ignore pH, TA, CH until the water is clear and you're done with the shock process. That's also when you want to raise CYA, once the water is clear and the filter is cleaned so you're done backwashing.

Just keep hitting it with bleach, don't let up, or the algae can start reproducing again.

 

[hdross]

Everything is going pretty well. The H20 is crystal clear, My FC loss overnight is less than one. My FC loss during the day varies depending on the number of kids using it from 2 a day to 14.
My question is the pump. I have been running the pump 24/7 we got the first full month electric bill today of $670.00 this is a full $200.00 increase in the electric from last month. The only change is the pump. If I decide to reduce the pump time should I cut it off at night, during the day or a little of both? I plan on cutting it down a little at a time until I see a change in the H20.

 

[JasonLion]

It doesn't make much difference when you run the pump, unless you have time of day electric rates.