Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after reconstr.

[cody21]

OK, we are very very close to starting the refill of our Fiberglass pool after it was reconstructed/repaired (a major leak in October). It is dead of winter in northern California (Bay Area) so won't be swimming any time soon. I'm just trying to get a sanity check on my "plan" once the water starts flowing and would appreciate any words of wisdom:

I tested my tap water. This is what it revealed:

TC = 1.0
PH = 9.0 (or higher - it really was RED beyond the tube's color in the blue test kit. Kind of surprising to me.)
TA = 30
CH = 40

So ......... my plan (31,000 gal. water) :

1. Start the water fill
2. Remove the cartridge filter for the time being (when I initially turn it on, didn't want to filter out any chemical I add)
3. Add 150 oz of 6% bleach to the fill water and swish around with broom
4. Once the water fills to the Skimmer level, turn on the pump
5. Insert a sock filled with about 100 oz Stabilizer in FRONT of skimmer basket (I'll likely need 200 oz or so in the long run)
6. Add 6% bleach, about another jug of it - eventually a total of about 320 oz.
7. Start adding MA (chart calls for about 45 oz of it)
>> delete - Incorrect >> 8. Start adding Baking Soda to bring down the PH
8. Start adding baking soda to RAISE TA" (PC calls for 27 lb).
9. After about 4 hours, put filter Cartridge back in ???? or continue witout it until everything is balanced? I was not planning on runing the pump 24x7 for several days - just during the daylight hours for like 6-8 hours - is that a mistake?
10. Monitor & Adjust from that point fwd.

(PS, pool will NOT be covered during winter.)

Thanks so much ...

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after recons

8 is not right

Baking Soda does not lower pH ... it mostly raises TA (and raises pH a bit).

I think I would try to get a reasonable reading on the pH before I started to raise the TA.

What is the temp of the tap water? Likely there is not a lot of priority to adding the bleach as the water might be cold enough that algae will not grow quickly anyway. Certainly keep some in the water, just may not be that critical.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after recons

I tested my tap water. This is what it revealed:

TC = 1.0
PH = 9.0 (or higher - it really was RED beyond the tube's color in the blue test kit. Kind of surprising to me.)
TA = 30
CH = 40

Not that odd. My water here is over 8.2 (highest I can measure) it's that way to "prevent corrosion".

So ......... my plan (31,000 gal. water) :

1. Start the water fill
2. Remove the cartridge filter for the time being (when I initially turn it on, didn't want to filter out any chemical I add)

As long as you don't use the skimmer to add the CYA then you don't need to do this.

3. Add 150 oz of 6% bleach to the fill water and swish around with broom
4. Once the water fills to the Skimmer level, turn on the pump

I haven't done the math yet but the idea of adding bleach and using a broom to help distribute it makes sense. You should add it near the hose that is filling the pool.

5. Insert a sock filled with about 100 oz Stabilizer into skimmer basket (I'll likely need 200 oz or so in the long run)

Better to do this in front of a return rather than in the skimmer.

6. Add 6% bleach, about another jug of it - eventually a total of about 320 oz.
7. Start adding MA (chart calls for about 45 oz of it)

I wouldn't - I would wait to see what the actual pH is after filling.

8. Start adding Baking Soda to bring down the PH (shocked that the PC Chart calls for 27 lbs!)

pH isn't adjusted using Baking Soda typically, TA is. Look here: pool-school/recommended_pool_chemicals

9. After about 4 hours, put filter Cartridge back in ???? or continue witout it until everything is balanced? I was not planning on runing the pump 24x7 for several days - just during the daylight hours for like 6-8 hours - is that a mistake?

Could be OK - you only need 24x7 when you are shocking as far as I know.

10. Monitor & Adjust from that point fwd.

That part is perfect. What type of test kit do you have?

 

[cody21]

Re: Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after recons

doi ... #8 - Meant to write : "start adding baking soda to RAISE TA" (PC calls for 27 lb).

How do I get a "reasonable" PH reading other than with the BLUE TEST KIT that came with the TF100 ? All I can tell from the Blue kit is that the color is darker red than the highest reading (8.2) .. My thought was to just target the PH by lowering it with MA, test and adjust over a week or so..

temp of tap water is 60-62 degrees

Using a TF-100 kit ..

Thanks all .. !!!

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after recons

Yes that. Add some MA, test after at least an hour of the pump running, add some more, etc ... until you get an acceptable reading. You can do all this in a day. Then adjust the TA up.

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after recons

All I can tell from the Blue kit is that the color is darker red than the highest reading (8.2) ..

It probably has a purplish-red tint, right? That simple test is pretty accurate and dependable so, while that is pretty high, it is probably correct.

Do the TA test one more time.....that is unusually low but may well be legit. Remember to add drops until you get no FURTHER color change and then subtract the last drop from the count......this increases the accuracy of the test.

So, assuming both of your tests yield the same result, I suggest you bring the TA up to around 80 first. JasonLion and chemgeek have explained why on this forum before but, for the life of me, I can't remember the reasoning (but it made good sense).

Bring your TA up. Then, in stages, bring your pH down until you get around 7.5 and then readjust TA again.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after recons

I suggest you bring the TA up to around 80 first. JasonLion and chemgeek have explained why on this forum before but, for the life of me, I can't remember the reasoning (but it made good sense).

Huh. Still learning. My thought was less MA needed to get the pH to move with the lower TA ... of course the lower TA results in less buffering and maybe larger swings?

Although I now feel like I recall reading it good to get it up to at least 40-50ppm before pH adjustments so there is some buffering ... might have a look around ...

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after recons

Cody21,

Don't let this distract you from your post....we'll get back on subject in just a bit.

I know that if you drop pH dramatically (like yours needs), then the TA will fall along with it. With your TA already pretty darn low, I think that may be the reason to bring it up to around 80ppm first......I just can't remember but I really believe that advice is posted on this forum and it made perfect sense at the time.

 

[cody21]

Re: Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after recons

Thanks everyone ... I think I have a handle on how to proceed. I'll be back if I run into trouble. It will be nice to actually see water again, after 4 months of construction.

 

[cody21]

Re: Sanity check please - about ready to Refill after recons

It probably has a purplish-red tint, right? That simple test is pretty accurate and dependable so, while that is pretty high, it is probably correct. So, assuming both of your tests yield the same result, I suggest you bring the TA up to around 80 first.
Bring your TA up. Then, in stages, bring your pH down until you get around 7.5 and then readjust TA again.

The color is just a darker RED than the top color of 8.2 in the vile. Not quite purple.

I'll follow everyone's suggestion and just focus on the TA dumping/stirring in Baking Soda first before any MA.

Thanks again.