New pool owner old Pool from Sydney Australia

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C

Coxy

0
Dec 9, 2013
14
Hi guys, first of all pretty much all I know is you put water in the pool and add some stuff. LOL But thats why I am here right to learn. I have an inground pool thats on the larger size of 20M X 6M. Pool was left unloved for god only knows how long when I brought the place but after some sound advise from the friend and the pool shop we got it back in a few weeks. And have been enjoying it.

As I like to know what all this pool care is about I have been reading up in the pool school and trying to retain as much as I can, but still phew….lots I don’t understand still. But from this great site and people I should learn as much as I can. So I was searching for the right kit to get to start testing (which is now ordered and shipped), a Taylor K-2006 I think it was. Keen to start testing water and posting my results and get the questions rolling (sorry in advance for the silly questions). But for now Pool shop is getting me through my first algae bloom, so yay green pool which is now sort of a milky white colour.

Coxy.
 
kimkats said:
You have made a WONDERFUL start with buying the test kit!

Once you start doing the tests you will KNOW what to do to keep your pool clean and wonderful!

Have fun being a mad scientist!

Kim
Click to expand...

Thanks Kim, it should arrive today so im excited to see where I am at with my pool. I will do a sample tomorrow and take it up to the shop and then also test it myself to see the difference in findings. But pool is still milky greenish blue, so no swimming until I get it under control.

Coxy.
 
jblizzle said:
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

Keep reading Pool School. By the sounds of it you will need to SLAM the pool:
Defeating Algae
Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis
SLAM Process

And read about the chemistry as well:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Click to expand...

Yes ive been reading that. But from the reports I get from the Shop my Chlorine and FC and way too high. So I dont understand what has happened. The readings are off the chart in CC FC and TC. I wish I had it with me now so I could give you the details. But all other levels are near perfect or not enough to cause the problem.

Coxy.
 
Morning Coxy! |From another Southern Hemishere TFP'er, great!
The really-high-chlorine-but-still-algae problem could be related to the amount of CYA (stabiliser) in the water.
How are you chlorinating at the moment?
And what exactly are they calling "too high" anyway?
SLAMing the pool means a chlorine level so high that my local pool shop can't even measure it accurately!

Seeing as you ARE going to need to SLAM the pool, and liquid chlorine is best, Bunnings do a "swap and go" 15L of 12.5% for $10 (like gas bottles). MUCH cheaper than any other place I've found.

If your pool shop sell BioGuard products, I have found that they are dead set against liquid chlorine... one I called for a friend (to get some pricing on chemicals versus buying the baking soda from Coles bakery aisle), called it 'dirty' and 'full of impurities that raises your TDS' and also said pool chlorine wasn't simply bleach... etc, etc. Muppet.
 
As stated above ... define "too high" this is why we do not trust pool store testing ... they do not understand the FC/CYA relationship. See FC/CYA Chart.

I can almost guarantee that the chlorine test they use maxes out at 10ppm and as you can see in the chart, that barely reaches SLAM level if you had a low CYA ...

You will be much better off when your kit come in.
 
Agree jblizzle, when I was done SLAMing but still had a high FC, I took water to the pool shop for ***** and giggles to see what their numbers were compared to my K-2006 tested numbers.

Their print out said ">10" and a CYA of "5".
Their advice was to buy 3L of liquid stabiliser (for $40 a litre, 1.5kg of powdered would do the same and that's $5 per kg from Bunnings!) and turning off the SWG for a week.

Coxy, did you get your test kit from the USA or buy [an overpriced] one from Australia somewhere?
 
jblizzle said:
As stated above ... define "too high" this is why we do not trust pool store testing ... they do not understand the FC/CYA relationship. See FC/CYA Chart.

I can almost guarantee that the chlorine test they use maxes out at 10ppm and as you can see in the chart, that barely reaches SLAM level if you had a low CYA ...

You will be much better off when your kit come in.
Click to expand...

Ummm yes would explain why he said the stabilizer is getting a little high and you might need to just use Liquid C next time you buy.
 
Wow, that statement almost sounds like they know what they are talking about. :shock:

Maybe you found a decent store (at least 1 employee that is), but would still not trust the testing.
 

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AdelaidePooler said:
Agree jblizzle, when I was done SLAMing but still had a high FC, I took water to the pool shop for ***** and giggles to see what their numbers were compared to my K-2006 tested numbers.

Their print out said ">10" and a CYA of "5".
Their advice was to buy 3L of liquid stabiliser (for $40 a litre, 1.5kg of powdered would do the same and that's $5 per kg from Bunnings!) and turning off the SWG for a week.

Coxy, did you get your test kit from the USA or buy [an overpriced] one from Australia somewhere?
Click to expand...

Got it in Oz, dont know if it was overpriced or not, not sure what the market price is but wanted it now not later.
 
You're getting one, that's the main thing!

That pool store person does sound quite remarkable, nice find.

Clued up pool store employee aside, I have found that once you get a handle on what you need chemical wise, Bunning's has been the cheapest place to buy things as the prices are HALF that of the pool store, with the Cole's baking and laundry aisle only a few cents per kilo more (Baking soda and Washing soda).

I can't compare liquid chlorine as my pool store doesn't sell it, (and I have an SWG anyway) but as I said above, the 15L for $10 is the best price I've seen, and you will need a LOT to SLAM a 20 x 6m / 66' x 20'... 192kL / 50k gallons pool! Especially if you have a high stabiliser level.

On a pool your size the savings will add up pretty quickly.
 
Well my test kit didn't come in the time for the weekend but I took a sample to the pool shop so im still a little in the dar. Its getting clearer but still very milky and I can just about see the bottom of the shallow end now. Not too sure on what they recommended this time all the same. Said the only way to fix it was to empty half the pool to get rid of the stabiliser. Sounds a bit like you have a blown spark plug so lets replace the motor LOL.

Total Chlorine Result 3.7 Min 1.0 Max 3.0
Free Chlorine Result 3.7 Min 1.0 Max 3.0
PH Result 7.7 Min 7.2 Max 7.6 Add 1LTR Pool Acid
Total Alkalinity Result 140 Min 120 Max 180
Calcium Hardness Result 375 Min 200 Max 450
Stabiliser Result 165 Min 30 Max 100
Phosphate Result 0.0 Min 0.0 Max 0.0
Cloudy water Add 2 litres of Miraclear Liquid

140,000 LTR Pool

So now I can sort of see the bottom of the pool I vacumed it to waste until down to the skimmer box and replacing the water now. thoughts on the above. Oh and I brought liquid Chlorine this time not the other stablized Chlorine like ive been using.


Coxy.
 
They are right. If (that is a big if) the stabilizer is indeed that high, then you need to replace about 70% of the water to get back in range.

But I would not add any of the other stuff they suggested until you can test.
 
Well yay for today. My test kit is now sitting beside me (K-2006). I will be happy to get home and do some of my own testing. Not that I think it will help my CYA levels. Still makes me so angry that they knew my CYA was high but didn't recommend anything to me until its too late and was blown out. The more research I do and angrier I get.

Coxy.
 
It could be worse! Ask me how I know!

This is my second pool at this house. The first one I was SO pooled stored it RUINED my pool liner! My CYA was so high that it was like my liner dry rotted with water in it! None of my levels were correct and who knows just how high my CYA was. I had enough and just took the pool down and sold everything.

My husband loved that pool. He really wanted another one. I told him IF he could find a way for me to keep it up that was cheap and easy and foolproofed we would get one. He found TRP and we have a new pool! I even ordered the kit BEFORE I ordered the pool to make sure I could do the tests!

It will take a little doing (or undoing) on your part but once you get everything leveled you will have it made. Just do not give up and ask any/all questions you have!

Kim
 
For what it's worth Coxy I second Kim's advice that it could be worse!

As has already been said at least you have a decent test kit and can see through the pool store fog :cheers:
This is coming from another part of the world where I had to get one shipped in, to avoid terrible pool store advice.

Now that you are armed with the kit and this site (along with pool school and the pool calculator) before you know it everything will be under control. Then you will be spending hardly any time or $$$ maintaining the pool. It will be worth it!!

Best of Luck!!
 
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