Help! New Owner with SWG & need to shock pool due to child accident!

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tiggo1983

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Jun 7, 2014
9
Crystal Lake, IL
Hi All. I have an intex pool that is 15ft & 4t. I also have a salt water generator system. Included with the pool were two different test strips that test the FC, PH, TA and a separate strip for Copper. The FC tested at 1 (which manufacture says is ok). PH tested very high, I couldn't exactly tell if it was 7.8 or 8.4 as the colors are very similar. The TA also looked very high at 240. I have no idea what CYA is as I don't have a test strip for this.

So obviously I need to lower the PH and the TA; however, my daughter got sick in the pool and I need to shock it appropriately to kill any of the bacteria.

What should I do first? Lower the PH and TA or increase the FC to shock it? Is it accurate that I need to increase the FC to 21 to shock it? About 230 oz of 6% bleach?

Also, approximately how long after adding the bleach does it take to kill the bacteria? Do I continue to run the filter and SWG as normal during the shock process?

Please help! Thank you in advance for your assistance!! :)
 
No way to tell you how much bleach to add to SLAM it without a good CYA reading. Most of our teachings center around that. Too little is a waste and too much could damage the pool liner.
 
I am going to assume that you took a water sample to the pool store as you were using strips before. 100 is the maximum the CYA test will show and with that reading you may have many times that. CYA is also the test pool stores get wrong the most. I was in the same boat. The pool store told me around 100, but once I got my own test kit and followed the procedure for high CYA testing I discovered it was well over 200!

You are going to have to do a water exchange to get that CYA down to a manageable level or you will find it very expensive to get the FC up to SLAM/shock levels (39ppm to be exact at 100 CYA). if it is truly 100, a 50% water exchange should get you down to 50 CYA.

I think a test kit and water exchange are your first two steps.

If you order a kit today you may have it by the time you do the water exchange and get the pH down to start a SLAM.
 
Did the folks who sold you the pool give you any start up chemicals? CYA goes by several names, CYA, cyuranic acid, chlorine stabilizer, chlorine conditioner as well as other combinations of these names. CYA is also a component of all solid chlorine (pucks, granular shock). If you haven't added anything like this I'm at a loss as to how your CYA is 100.
 
tim5055 said:
Did the folks who sold you the pool give you any start up chemicals? CYA goes by several names, CYA, cyuranic acid, chlorine stabilizer, chlorine conditioner as well as other combinations of these names. CYA is also a component of all solid chlorine (pucks, granular shock). If you haven't added anything like this I'm at a loss as to how your CYA is 100.
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It's an intex metal frame, AG 15' x 4' pool we purchased online. No start up chemicals. I purchased a salt water system to go along with the cartridge filter instead of going the traditional chlorine route. The intex paperwork doesn't indicate to use any chemicals to start up the pool..just the salt.

I could have misread the cya level..it may be at 50.

If the cya level is at 50..how should I "shock"/SLAM the salt water pool to get rid of any bacteria (not algae)? How much bleach would I need? After I get the FC level up & get back down to normal level I need to reduce the Ph and TA right, not before?

Thanks a ton for all the help. This newbie needs some guidance! :) I feel like I've learned a lot though already.
 
You need a real test kit that can accurately test your CYA, not sure what you bought at the store, or where you got your CYA results from, but the only test results we trust are from the Taylor K2006 kit or the TF100 or TF50 kit. Order a real kit, they aren't sold in stores. Strips wont work. The only reliable CYA test involves a tube with a black dot at the bottom and a reagent that you mix with the water to pour into the tube to determine when the black dot disappears when viewed from above at arms length in sunlight with your back to the sun. Anything else is unreliable enough to make this just a guessing game.
 
tiggo1983 said:
I could have misread the cya level..it may be at 50.

If the cya level is at 50..how should I "shock"/SLAM the salt water pool to get rid of any bacteria (not algae)? How much bleach would I need? After I get the FC level up & get back down to normal level I need to reduce the Ph and TA right, not before?
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No, you would adjust the pH with muratic acid before the SLAM. You can pick up the "good stuff" at Lowes. Look for it in the paint chemical area. You wan the blue label Muratic Acid (listed as Hydrochloric acid, 20° Baume (31.45%) in the ingredients). You have not listed the size of your pool (gallons) so I can't suggest an amount to start with, but go slow and add it in at leat two smaller doses so you don't overshoot your goal. You can calculate what you need on the POOL MATH page. You want to have the pH between 7.2 and 7.5 before you start the SLAM as high chlorine levels during the SLAM mess up the pH testing.

Now, I'm still not comfortable with your CYA reading. If you only filled the pool 2 weeks ago and have not added CYA (remember there are multiple names for this) or have not used solid chlorine products you should have no CYA.

You really need to know the CYA level before you SLAM as this is what determines how much chlorine (bleach) you need.

Read over the SLAM PAGE until you understand the entire process. Understand, the SLAM is an entire process, not a single event. You raise the chlorine to the shock level and maintain it there for the entire time the SLAM is going on.
 

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Thank you so much. This helps a lot! According to the paperwork on the pool it holds 4440 gallons. How much bleach would you recommend based on this size if my cya was at 0 or at 50? The cya that is being tested is the cyurancic acid.

I clearly need to get a better kit. Just want to know so I can be prepared when I find out exactly.

The only stuff we have added to the pool is salt, no chemicals or physical chlorine. I obviously have a lot more to learn/understand.

Thanks again for the advice..I have read the slam page, but clearly didn't understand that I keep that level FC the entire time..I assumed it was once!
 
Alright, so I have a neighbor with a test kit & got readings!

FC: 1.2
Ph: 8.4
TA: 250
Cya: 0

I called a local pool company & they are recommending I use 1 lb of stabilizer & 1 lb of low & slow for 3 days to increase CYA & reduce PH & TA.

Can I use the acid instead of the low & slow?

Now that we know the CYA is 0, how much bleach to slam? (Pool co said not to do this & use a powder chlorine) & to just boost it.
 
8.4 is the max on the pH test, so you may be above that. Yes, muratic acid will reduce the pH, and cheaper than the pool store stuff. With 0 CYA you are actually at shock level now with 1.2 FC based on the Chlorine CYA Chart.

You now need to get the CYA up as at 0 you have no protection from the sun and it will burn off quickly. From the Pool School:
CYA can be raised with cyanuric acid. Cyanuric acid is sold under a variety of names, including Stabilizer, Conditioner, Instant Pool Water Conditioner, Stabilizer 100, Stabilizer & Conditioner, etc. Instant Pool Water Conditioner is a liquid product which is significantly more expensive than the other forms.

Solid cyanuric acid should be placed in a sock, and the sock put in the skimmer basket. After adding solid cyanuric acid you should leave the pump running for 24 hours and not backwash/clean the filter for a week. Solid cyanuric acid can take up to a week to fully register on the test, so it is best not to test the CYA level until one week after adding some.
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When adding CYA try to undershoot how much you need, get a good measurement and then top it off to the recommended level. You don't want to be in my boat where you have too much CYA.

With your SWG here are your targets:
with SWG
FC 3-5 (See chart)
pH 7.5-7.8
TA 60-80
CH 0-300 (Don't add)
CYA 70-80
 
So far, it looks like you've had 3 different tests from 3 different sources and cya has gone from 100 to 50 to ZERO? That alone should be enough to prove to yourself that you should order one of the recommended test kits. I honestly cannot give you any good advice based on what we've seen and you've experienced.
 
Well the 1st reading I did was with a test strip I got with the pool..doesn't provide a reading for everything...2nd test I got was with a Walmart test (clearly my fault for not doing enough research). Last test was legit from your recommended tests I had a neighbor help with.

I know I need to reduce ph, TA & increase cya now...however, I just want to understand if I still need to slam or shock the pool to ensure any bacteria in the pool is killed from when my daughter got sick.

I bought the muriatic acid from lowes. Now I need to get stabilizer. Just need to make sure I put the recommended amount of both in the pool & not screw it up!

Thanks all!
 
tiggo1983 said:
I know I need to reduce ph, TA & increase cya now...however, I just want to understand if I still need to slam or shock the pool to ensure any bacteria in the pool is killed from when my daughter got sick.

I bought the muriatic acid from lowes. Now I need to get stabilizer. Just need to make sure I put the recommended amount of both in the pool & not screw it up!

Thanks all!
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Yup, I think you got it. But to set aside your concerns with 0 CYA you have already brought it to shock level. Keep adding bleach as teh sun is going to strip it away quickly until you can get your CYA to proper levels.

Once you get your own test kit and you begin testing regularly you will get a feel for the pool and it's needs.
 
Tiggo,

I'd like to start off by welcoming you to the forum. :) I really do hope we can help you out.

The first step in this case that's needed is a deep breath. It seems like you're being pulled by the kids who are ready to get back in the water. I've got two if my own and can understand the feeling. Let's start simple for us to gain a better photo of your problem.

1. What does your water look like?
2. What type of "accident" did your daughter have in the pool?
 
Tiggo, It would help you tremendously if you would take some time and read the ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry. You also need a good reliable test kit. You can look at them both here :lookhere: Test Kit Comparison. We recommend the TF100 because you will get more reagents than with the K2006.

We can not advise you on how much to add of what if we don't have reliable test results to guide you. That's why it's important to have all the tools you need when having a pool and a good test kit is going to be the best tool in your pool tool box as you will use it every day until you know your pool, inside and out, up and down.

Once you get your test kit and read some of the educational links in Pool School, you can use PoolMath to make your chemical additions precise. It would be helpful if you would do the recommended reading as we can not perform your pool maintenance for you. :goodjob:
 
Hi all,

I don't mean to hijack this thread (and this may be a dumb question) but as a new pool owner, but I'm curious what the OP's recommended course of action should be if all his numbers were at recommended levels. If your chemistry is where it should be do you have to SLAM the pool if someone got sick or "messed" in the pool? (I can't stop thinking about the scene in Caddyshack where the kids in the pool scream "DOOODIE") :laughblue:


-Mike
 

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