Whole bunch of questions

[Sausage]

Ok, so in the short time (6 weeks) that I have owned a pool, i have learned a lot and have already stopped using my chlorinator per the advice on this board. I am learning as I go, but have a few questions if you wouldn't mind.

Here are my readings this morning:

PH: 7.9 (added acid this morning to get it down)
FC: 2 (added liquid chlorine to get up to the 3 range)
CC: 0
TA: 100
CYA: 40
Water Temp: 85 (unheated)

1) My PH levels hover on the high side. I can get them down with a healthy dose of MA, but they tend to rise back up within 24 hours. The guy at the pool store told me to use alkaline booster to stabilize PH? Huh? Help on this one?

2) The pool guy who filled my pool and opened it 6 weeks ago said that i should shock it every week. That said, i have done my homework and see that i should only shock if CC's appear. According to my test kit, there is never any CC. I have learned that Ozonator will destroy CC so i am not surprised, but still worried that i might be missing something? Again, any help or advice, or just a verification that I am thinking correctly would be appreciated. Is it possible that I will never have a CC issue?

3) as i mentioned in a previous posts, the kids eyes are burning, even when the PH is down, but since i show no CC, I assume it has to be related to the PH. Can I add salt to an ozone pool?

4) finally, why does the pool guy and pool store guy all tell me to use my chlorinator in addition to liquid chlorine? Are they behind the times?

A couple of external factors to consider
-I live in Southern California and the pool is in full sun all day with temps in the 90's and 100's daily.
- It is a new house as well and the backyard is all dirt with the exception of the pool. I have to vacuum the pool almost daily as it is very dusty in my area and a film of dirt develops quite easily on the bottom of the pool. I am guessing this has some affect on my PH. Maybe not?

Thanks, you guys are great

 

[giulietta1]

1) My PH levels hover on the high side. I can get them down with a healthy dose of MA, but they tend to rise back up within 24 hours. The guy at the pool store told me to use alkaline booster to stabilize PH? Huh? Help on this one?

Possibly referring to some form of borax. I have never heard of "alkaline booster" but borax does help stabilize pH. Borax is typically used to RAISE pH, but you can maintain a level of borates in your pool to help stabilize pH and prevent algae. Also makes the water feel "softer."

This is a somewhat advanced technique. If you want to try it, I'd suggest you wait awhile until you've mastered the basics.

2) The pool guy who filled my pool and opened it 6 weeks ago said that i should shock it every week. That said, i have done my homework and see that i should only shock if CC's appear. According to my test kit, there is never any CC. I have learned that Ozonator will destroy CC so i am not surprised, but still worried that i might be missing something? Again, any help or advice, or just a verification that I am thinking correctly would be appreciated. Is it possible that I will never have a CC issue?

It is entirely possible that you will never have a CC issue.

3) as i mentioned in a previous posts, the kids eyes are burning, even when the PH is down, but since i show no CC, I assume it has to be related to the PH. Can I add salt to an ozone pool?

AFAIK salt in an ozonated pool is fine. But why are you talking about adding it? It's not connected to the pH.

4) finally, why does the pool guy and pool store guy all tell me to use my chlorinator in addition to liquid chlorine? Are they behind the times?

Yes.

4) (dirt always blowing into the pool) I am guessing this has some affect on my PH.

It could. Another possibility: Do you have water features? Aeration caused by water dripping/splashing into the pool from a fountain, slide, whatever, can cause rising pH.

 

[JasonLion]

With a CYA of 40 you want to keep your FC level between 3 and 7 and never allow it to go below 3. Low FC levels could be causing problems that could possibly be related to the eyes burning.

With fresh plaster you are going to see the PH, and to a lesser extent the TA, and CH levels, all rise slowly but constantly for about one year from when the plaster was applied.

Most of what the pool store person told you is wrong.

 

[Sausage]

Thanks. Good to know that today's pool store experts are really on the ball. :-D

 

[bboehm]

Just remember that the pool dealer's priority is to sell more chemicals. This is the high profit stuff that keeps them in business. Not to say that all pool dealers are dishonest, but I have not met one yet that has said anything at all about buying bleach, borax and baking soda from the grocery store to minimize pool maintenance costs. When I mentioned this to my pool builder (whom I've become pretty good friends with), he just smiled and said, "you really know what you're doing".

 

[Sausage]

Jason, we you mentioned adding salt to counteract low salinity of new water, what is the best way to add it? and will it stay in the pool, or does the filter take it out over time?

 

[JasonLion]

Salt can simply be dumped into the pool. Brush it around a little so it forms a thin layer and leave the pump running for several hours.

Salt is only lost to splash out, backwashing, overflow, and draining. The level will fall very slowly over time for those reasons. Salt does not interact with the filter at all.