new pool owner rental property

[aussieta]

Hi guys and girls
have just bought a property with a view to moving in at a later date
the inground pool looked like a diamond, so clear you could not look at it on a sunny day
the original owners are renting the property back
their pool maintenance was when chlorinator said low salt throw a sack of salt in and each week one cup of acid
anyway took a sample to local pool shop
TA 14 ppm
PH 4.8
CH 56 ppm
FC 1.8
CC 1.6
salt 4350
TDS 4350
CYA 0
horrifying numbers
since adding recommended chemicals
8kg 18lb balnce pack 100
4kg 10lb balance pack 300
1kg 2lb stabilizer
and turned salt generator from 60% to 63% running 7 hours per day
water has gradually lost it's sparkle and become a little cloudy
next test one week later
TA 106
PH 7.5
CH 102
FC 3.6
CC 1.4
salt 4470
TDS 4470
the numbers are starting to look better, have ordered taylors t-2006 test kit but water is definately cloudy
wondering about slamming the pool
next test much the same except PH 7.8
added another 2kg 4.5lb pak 300 and a cup of acid
test results with taylor kit close to pool shop except combined chlorine another week later
TA 90
PH 7.4
CH 120
FC 3.6
CC 0.2
CYA 70
still want to raise TA and CH (have just added another 4kg 10lb bal pak 300)
now for some questions
can the combined chlorine have dropped so much in a week?
I find it hard to believe the only TDS is salt, how can i test salt and other solids?
I know the low PH made the water sparkle, but how do i get that sparkle back?
thanks,
Andrew

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP!

I'd just stay the course until you have a test kit. I'm suspicious of your pool store testing, because I doubt they could measure pH that low and the odds of your FC being the same to the tenth twice in a row are pretty long.

There is no reason to be raising the TA. It's already higher than we recommend, though it's not a big deal. You are buying overpriced baking soda to raise it, so it's both unneeded and overpriced.

 

[aussieta]

sorry for my confusing post
last set of results are with my taylor kit
the first set of results ph was" less than 6.8 on printout"
they then did another test to get 4.8 ph

 

[danacc]

No need to raise the TA. The SWG will result in the pH wanting to rise, and the lower TA will help keep it from rising too quickly.

I wouldn't worry about the drop in CC. It is definitely possible for it to drop that much in a week, and it is also possible that the pool store test was inaccurate.

We don't usually worry about TDS. Of course, you'll need to make sure your SWG has enough salt. Other than that, TDS rarely matters at all.

We'll help get it sparkling again--what is in those balance packs that you added?

 

[aussieta]

balpack 100 is sodium bicarbonate
balpack 300 is calcium chloride

 

[Smykowski]

Bioguard products are nothing but really overpriced grocery store items with fancy names and fancy packaging. I'm a former Bioguard victim myself.

 

[danacc]

Any time you add calcium there is some risk that it will temporarily cloud the water. Adding calcium and sodium bicarbonate (this latter is what baking soda is, by the way, so as Smykowski mentioned, you can just buy it in the grocery store) near the same time is a recipe for cloudiness. It should clear up in a few days.

 

[aussieta]

has been cloudy for about four weeks now
I am wondering if i have a controlled algae bloom
as the tenants usually turn everything off over winter
their start-up is turn filter/chlorinator back on and add couple of quarts of acid
i priced baking soda at the grocery store and it was more expensive as was only available in small packets

 

[danacc]

If it is staying cloudy, it's time to slam it. See: pool-school/shocking_your_pool

Don't try to raise the chlorine level this high with the SWG; it won't be able to do it. Use liquid chlorine (bleach). You can turn the SWG off while slamming.

 

[CUTiger78]

Won't hurt to run the filter 24/7 until the water gets clear.

 

[aussieta]

two weeks since last post
water has not changed at all, still slightly cloudy
i don't think i can slam effectively as i don't have constant access to the property
even an OCLT will be awkward
can i increase pump run time and chlorine output to a higher level over a longer period of time
todays taylor results
FC 1.6, CC 0.0
PH 7.6
TA 90
CH 170
CYA 80
a big drop in FC but we are having a big hot spell and the pool is getting a lot of use
i have increased chlorine output 63% to 70%