3rd pool season

[shortdogOH]

On day 3 of winter cleanup. Pool is more green than in previous years. Has been closed since November.

Initial readings:
0 FC, not surprising
0 TA (surprising)
8.2 pH (top reading)
? CYA (cannot find view tube, new one on order) (USING 30 CYA as that is what it was last year)

after adding the following and circulating 12+ hours
1 gallon muratic acid
2 lbs baking soda (all I had on hand)
3 gallons 12.5% bleach (pool shock)

readings became
12 FC
0 CC (odd?)
10 TA
7.2 pH
? CYA


I think I am on track to clear pool again, but the drastic rise in pH and the loss of practically all TA has me a bit baffled.

 

[Stuamurr]

TA acts as a pH buffer so don't be surprised by massive swings in pH until you have it increased again (low TA allows pH fluctuations, high TA makes pH hard to shift) Don't be surprised if your CYA is non-existent when you finally test, but you will have a fair idea with how well it is holding chlorine if there is any CYA residual left.

0ppm CC is good!

 

[Smykowski]

CCs are the byproduct of oxidizing nitrogen based compounds that are in the water (think ammonia, fertilizer, urea, etc). Chlorine straight up kills algae, and algae carcasses don't cause CCs. In your case that 0 isn't surprising. And it is good, because that means you're likely only fighting algae, and not some of the higher chlorine demand junk that could be in a pool.

 

[shortdogOH]

True. The pH shift is the least puzzling of the shifts. It is still strange, as the only adds to the pool were rain water (which is typically acidic).. Any ideas were the TA went? it was at 70-80 4 months ago. I thought TA and CYA were supposed to hold pretty stable levels expect through adds or water replacement.

 

[shortdogOH]

Ah good post on the CC lesson. I did not realize the difference. I thought all FC usage (other than UV) would cause CC. In the past algea and CC have gone hand-in-hand for me,. Good to know I am waging only *ONE* battle the year (chlorine-wise anyway)..