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pbuffington

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Jun 7, 2013
18
Atlanta GA
Here are my numbers as of last night. Pool is Dark Green and has been since I returned from vacation on June 3, kids are irate and I'm $700 poorer :cry: . Can't afford any of the pool store recommendations, so turning here. Pool details should be in the sig line.

FC 0
PH 6.8
TA 100
CH 250
CYA 100

I'm going to go today and return $500 of chemicals.

Where should I start? They said 18 lbs soda ash in 2 9 lb doses 4 hrs apart.
 
Welcome to tfp, pbuffington :wave:

pbuffington said:
Where should I start? They said 18 lbs soda ash in 2 9 lb doses 4 hrs apart.
Click to expand...
I would use Borax to raise the ph, since that will not raise your TA as much as the soda ash, and your TA is already on the high side. To adjust ph, use poolcalculator.com to calculate how much Borax you need to go from 6.8 to 7.5. Add that and then let it circulate for 1 hour and test ph again. It will probably still read low, so re calculate how much to add to get to 7.5 and redose. Repeat this until your ph reads at least 7.2.

What are you using for a test kit?

An appropriate test kit is the single most cost saving step you can take. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison Many of us get the tf-100 since it is the best value.

Once you get ph in control, then you need to get your FC to an appropriate level.
What does your water look like? What is your CC level?
 
Pool store water tests are notoriously inaccurate. Get a good test kit (TF-100 http://tftestkits.net/splash-page.html) and do your own tests so you will know your starting point. Based on the numbers you posted I would try to get the pH up to around 7.2 while you wait for your test kit to arrive. Also read this while waiting: turning-your-green-swamp-back-into-a-sparkling-oasis-t4147.html
The CYA reading of 100 would suggest that you may have to do a partial drain and refill, 100 is too high and is also the limit of the test so your actual CYA may be much higher.
Read Pool School (pool-school/) and follow the plan and you'll have a sparkling pool before you know it.
 
Don't add any soda ash. With a TA of 100 it'll raise it way high. 18 lbs of soda ash will raise the pH by 2 and the TA by 70. Use borax to raise the pH. You'll need ~5 boxes of it (350oz).

Once you get the pH in range, you're going to need to drain about half of the water and retest the CYA. It's typical for it to read 100 when it's way over 100.

While you're doing that read Pool School on how to properly shock your pool.

Those other two beat me to it, but I'm posting anyway! :hammer:
 
OK I bought a basic test for today, and will order the TF100. I bought the Borax. I bought this house late fall last year, so this is my first real experience with a pool. *Deep Breath*

What is CC? Is it Contained/Bound Chlorine (It's not in the ABC's) it's .5

Here are my questions.
1) How do I add 5 boxes of borax? Broadcast it, mix it, add some wait and then some more, etc?
2) Why fix the PH and then drain the pool? Do I have to do literally 50%, What happens when I let Rain fill it up?
3) What will refilling the pool do to the Ph?

I am standing by the pool with the borax figuring out what to do next. :)

Thanks
Pam
 
Just mix it with some pool water and pour it in there. Wait about 30 minutes and test the pH again. Let us know how close to 7.5 it came.

The problem with reading a 6.8 pH is that it may be a good deal lower than that and you don't want it staying low any longer than needed. That's why I suggested adjusting the pH and then draining.

Unfortunately most test only go to 100 for CYA so if it's above that it still says 100. You need to get the CYA to about 50 ppm before you start the shock process. Otherwise it takes a huge amount of bleach to get you to shock level and to keep bringing it back there. So I'd start with 50% and see how that works out. You may actually have to drain more.
 

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Oh I got everything from you're an idiot, come to ask us to test your water and ask the experts and then ignore us. See we have this seal, I bet the other idiots didn't. (They were both Leslie stores).
Here are the recommendations that I had previously received Yesterday.
1st suggestion: I add in 20 lbs alkalinity up wait 4 hrs, 24 lbs soda ash in 2 12# doses 4 hrs apart, 48 Oz of Algae control 4 hrs, 66 lbs Fresh n Clear, . Hrm Don't like that solution.
2nd suggestion: was 18 lbs soda ash + 6 lbs Chlor-brite. (I doubt that will work based on history) + recommend new sand in filter.
3rd suggestion: I empty and refill with clean water. Hrm Don't like that solution. Might as well wait a year, get a new liner, and convert to salt.
4th suggestion: 18 lbs soda ash + 2 10# tubs of Alum. Let algae die, vacuum and send to waste.

I've now added in the 5 boxes of Borax, and letting it circulate. I'll post back in a couple of hours.
 
OK, So it looks like my Ph is 7.2 from the cheesy wal-mart kit I bought for today.
Is there any special technique for draining the pool half way? Should I suck it off the bottom with a vac? Put a cover pump on the bottom and let it suck it out, etc? Any tips for refilling, or just grab the hose and let it go?

Should I get a sample professionally tested tonight before I start emptying?

(TF-100 on order)
 
Hello Everyone,
So I've spent the last week or so slowly draining the pool with the pump, and occasionally refilling it with my hose. This is an incredibly slow process as evidently my pool cover pump isn't very fast in the grand scheme of things. (Notice, no main drain, so I can't use the pump to assist in this process.)
I've got my TF100 test kit and I'm almost down to 100 on my CYA, My chlorines are 0 since I was trying to tackle my CYA first. My question is, Can I go ahead and fill the pool, and start pouring in the chlorine with it this high realizing it will just take vastly more bleach? (My kids & I are missing the pool.) And I'll continue to bring down the CYA over time?

OR Is that a Very Bad Idea, and I should be patient?

Thanks
Pam
 
Pam,
Some sand filters are plumbed with a valve to drain water to an open (exit) pipe prior to going into the filter. If you have that, you can use the pump to draw water from the pool and dispose of it.
Others are plumbed with a multi-valve that offers choices of filter, circulate, backwash, rinse, drain. If you have that, you can set it to drain, and dispose of the water.

I know it's just more stuff to be concerned about, but we'd be able to help you better if you could fill in your signature (thru the User Control Panel, upper left button) with the details of your pool equipment, AND provide photos of your pump/filter/valve set-up. Photos of the pool itself will help, too. We will help.

You will emerge victorious from your sparkling clean pool!
 
My pool sits on a hill so I was able to get some 1" pvc pipe and start a siphon. The pipe in the pool was cut off at the level I wanted to drain to so I could leave it unsupervised without worrying that it would drain too much. I used a shop vac to get the siphon started.
 
OK. To drain my pool faster, I bought a second sump pump. :) (Duh!) It's very green (obviously) and is being a great breeding pond for tadpoles and other swimming things.

OK, here are today's numbers
FC 0
Ph 8.2
CC 0
TA 130
CH 190
CYA 90

Which according to the pool calculator says dump in 14 Gallons of bleach to get to a shock of 35. And KEEP it there until the water is clear? How Many Days should I keep it there?
How many Gallons of Chlorine should I buy to prepare to shock this pool? Is it a problem to keep a pool at this high of a chlorine level with the filter running for days on end? AND What kind of Bleach do you use? Generic, Chlorox Concentrated, Outdoor concentrated, etc?
 

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