- May 29, 2012
- 14
I've been doing some reading here and there in this forum and have a few questions about borax and baking soda.
First off, please don't say "get a real test kit" and "use the pool calculator".
I'd rather just get a round about idea of the amounts of each to start with to bring my TA and pH up, hoping someone will be nice enough to give me a starting point cause I don't want to go to high on first dose, nor do I want to waste a week adding small amounts of each only to figure out I should have used 12 times the amount. Know what I mean?
I'm guessing my above ground pool is 15,000 gallons (24'x52")
For some reason, the pH has gone south to around 6.2 and the TA is 30 to 40, which is showing LOW on my test strips. It's been fine all summer long and I use chlorine pucks in a floater (sometimes skimmer basket to get FC up faster).
The only changes that I have determined about the pool is that it's not getting as much sun as it does in summer, partial shading in the afternoons now and the nights are a little cooler but only 8 degrees or so.
I'd like to break away from the pool supply retailer, but my reading is telling me to stick with chlorine pucks instead of bleach due to cost, but I am willing to take a look at borax and baking soda to weigh the pricing on that too.
I've never had to raise pH and TA before, usually it's just the opposite with the acid during opening.
Thanks in advance for anybody that wants to give me the advise I'm looking for.
First off, please don't say "get a real test kit" and "use the pool calculator".
I'd rather just get a round about idea of the amounts of each to start with to bring my TA and pH up, hoping someone will be nice enough to give me a starting point cause I don't want to go to high on first dose, nor do I want to waste a week adding small amounts of each only to figure out I should have used 12 times the amount. Know what I mean?
I'm guessing my above ground pool is 15,000 gallons (24'x52")
For some reason, the pH has gone south to around 6.2 and the TA is 30 to 40, which is showing LOW on my test strips. It's been fine all summer long and I use chlorine pucks in a floater (sometimes skimmer basket to get FC up faster).
The only changes that I have determined about the pool is that it's not getting as much sun as it does in summer, partial shading in the afternoons now and the nights are a little cooler but only 8 degrees or so.
I'd like to break away from the pool supply retailer, but my reading is telling me to stick with chlorine pucks instead of bleach due to cost, but I am willing to take a look at borax and baking soda to weigh the pricing on that too.
I've never had to raise pH and TA before, usually it's just the opposite with the acid during opening.
Thanks in advance for anybody that wants to give me the advise I'm looking for.