Question about first shock

[Dreampool13]

Be gentle, I'm new!

I have a newly build 17,000 gallon gunite chlorine pool. I have a pentair variable speed pump, and I'm using trichlor pucks in an automatic chlorinator. We took our first water sample to a pool store and here is what the readout said:

Cya 30
Total chlorine 1
Free chlorine .5
Ph >8.8
Total alkalinity 185
Total hardness 337
Everything else like metals and algae say zero or none.

I've gotten the pH down to around 7.2 but I'm adding 1/2 gallon of acid every other day. In between the pH creeps back up to 8.2. I've done some homework on here and I've been running my water features to bring up pH so I can add more acid to bring down my total alkalinity.
Heres my main question: The guy at the store (and our pool builder) said to shock it weekly. Last night I checked chlorine and it was 3.0 and i added acid to get the pool to 7.2. Then we cleaned out our DE filter (yuck!) and I poured in two bags of Bioguard burnout 35. I kept the filter running all night and this morning my chlorine was clear...like below 0.5. I check the auto chlorinator and I was out of pucks. Oops.

I think this means the pool wasn't shocked was it? My DH bough bioguard shock (24lbs) and like 25lbs of pucks. I want to try the BBB method, but DH got what you all lovingly called "pool stored" so we are using up what we have. I'm ordering a T-500 kit tomorrow but in the mean time...how much of the burnout 35 should I dump in, and how long until we can swim again?

 

[Patrick_B]

Well, it could be worse, they could have sold him calcium containing shock. The powder you have there is Lithium Chloride and won't add calcium to your pool, and that is good. Can you see what type of product is in the pucks? Also if you can tell us the strength of the shock we can advise how much. You will find we don't agree with pool stores much on chemistry and we sure don't believe you have to shock once a week. That is a complete falsehood perpetuated by those who sell shock.

Welcome to TFP by the way. Glad you are getting a good kit and once you learn a little more and how to use it, you'll think it's the best thing you ever did for your pool. Come back and update us, we'll be glad to help.

 

[Suziqzer]

I would be careful about adding too many pucks or the "shock" product they sold you. You are continuing to add CYA and you are already at a good place to start with that. If your CYA goes too high, keeping enough chlorine on hand becomes unmanageable.

You do need to keep bumping your ph down to 7.2-7.5 until you get your TA down to where you are in normal range for it, and your ph doesn't continue to want to climb all the time.

At this point I would recommend that you stop with the pucks and "shock" product, and go buy some regular plain jane chlorine bleach.. or liquid chlorine at the pool store if DH insists on shopping there for your pool products. Read through the abc's of pool water chemistry http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_water_chemistry and SLAM (Shock Level & Maintain) http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/shocking_your_pool.

Start by lowering your ph. Then begin the SLAM process, a.k.a. shocking. Shocking isn't a product like the pool stores would like you to think, it is a process that takes a little time and patience, but once it's done right, it's done Anytime you are losing more than 1 FC overnight, have cloudy or green water, or have a CC over .5, you should SLAM your pool.

Just a note.. Your ph levels won't be accurate during the SLAM process.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

If you follow the advice and information you will find here, you NEVER will need to do what the pool stores call a weekly "shock". We recommend something called the SLAM Process ... and that is only need when you have a problem.

I assume you mean the TF-50 kit ... is that because you already have a pH test kit? Realize that tha quantities of the regents is less in that kit and I would highly suggest getting the TF-100.

I also suggest you keep reading through Pool School. You are very quickly going to have to stop using the trichlor pucks that are adding the CYA and you are currently entering into the recommended range.

The Burnout appears to be lithium based chlorine ... which is the MOST expensive kind you can find and a total waste of money.

If the water is clear, you can swim when the FC levels are > the minimum and < than the shock value for your CYA as seen in this chart: pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock
So, add enough bleach to take you up to around 6ppm and then do not let is drop below 2/3 ppm ... and swim away.

 

[Dreampool13]

The pucks are bioguard as well because this little store only carries bioguard products. They are 3" silk tabs. Box says
trichlor 94.04%
Other ingredients 5.95%
Available chlorine 84.65

I just put three in the auto feeder but I have no idea what kind if pucks the pool builder started me with.
We have been swimming a ton as have about 3 neighbor families so I think I still should shock it, right? The water is clear and sparkly but it does burn my eyes. Is 3 lbs of shock overkill? My daughter has a friend coming to swim tomorrow. If I shock tonight can we swim tomorrow?

I'm not totally disappointed in the lithium hypochlorite shock...aside from being expensive.

 

[pwrstrk]

Your eyes burn from the high PH.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

 

[jblizzle]

Read Pool School: [slam:267688zu][/slam:267688zu]

Throwing in a little bit of powder may not accomplish what you want and just be wasteful. You certainly need to elevate the chlorine at least some and going up to shock level (12ppm) would not be a bad idea.

 

[Dreampool13]

Awesome, I'm going to wait and SLAM my pool after I get my test kit. My kit only tests up to 5.0 so I have no idea if I'm adding enough shock.

 

[Dreampool13]

One more question...

The printout from the pool store doesn't list combined chlorine. Is there a way to calculate that from my total chlorine and free chlorine? I'm assuming if the total is 1, and the combined is .5, then combined is 1.5? Is that right or so I just need my new test kit?

 

[HouTex]

Welcome. Expect rising pH for a while. I added about a half gallon of acid every other day for the first several weeks of my pool.

If you follow the advice here, you will soon have to make a decision to either quit using products containing CYA or get used to frequent partial drains to keep CYA in check.

I finally decided to install a SWG and I'm glad I did.

 

[jblizzle]

TC = FC + CC ... so if (big if) their test is to be believed, your CC is 0.5.

FYI, CC are the main source of irritation and smell, although 0.5ppm would be acceptible.

More reading:
ABCs of Water Chemistry