Balance new pool water. Help please.

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Ner0

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Nov 16, 2014
12
Anaheim/Ca
Hi,
I am new to the forum. I need help with the pool situation I found myself in.

I have a 23000 gallon pool. I learned that my pool had to be drained and cleaned due to circumstances which the previous pool guy (who took advantage of my inexperience - and I ended up firing) failed to mention.

I had another guy come out to tell me to start over. Which I did. So now my pool has been cleaned and fresh new water in it.
But now, I have no pool guy- and I need help with what to do next.

I haven't received my test kit yet. The pool finished filling 2 days ago. I thought I could have someone come out however no one can.
So I am left to balance and care for my pool. Which I find a bit scary.

I was going to Leslie's, but I wanted to ask you all before I purchase all the things (that I may need and some I may not - you understand
my hesitation as the previous pool guy has left me with trust issues regarding the water safety)

I would appreciate any help. Thank you in advance.

All I know is that I have fresh water (2 days) and 23k gallon pool. No specs on current water in pool.

I'm in So Cal in Orange County. Weather is cool at 68 degrees. Thanks again for the help.
 
Each evening, pour a small jug of Clorox in your pool (pump running) and let the pump run for maybe 4 hours or so.You will need to continue this regimen until you get a usable kit like the K-2006 or TF-100.

How soon will you have a kit and is it one of these two?
 
Welcome! :wave:

The good news is that algae is very slow to grow this time of year. And the water's too cold to swim in, so exact balancing isn't critical. I'll echo what Dave said, and keep some chlorine in there. It won't last long without stabilizer, but it will keep things stable until you get some accurate test results. Do not buy anything from Leslies based on their water testing. They're in business to sell chemicals. Don't forget that.

Have you been to Pool School? Start off easy, with the ABCs. Read the article on using Poolmath - you'll learn more than if you just go straight to pool math and start plugging things in.

This is a great time of year to learn how to do it yourself. Chlorine consumption is low so if you slip up a little, there shouldn't be disastrous consequences.

Once you get your test kit, run all the tests and post all the results and someone will be along to guide you.
 
You are off to a great start! Finding TFP and asking questions!

Have you ordered a good test kit? It sounds like you have but I want to make sure you did. The test kit will be all you need to replace the pool guy. It will save you so much money and time. It is easy to do. There are videos to show how to do each test. We are here to guide you as well.

WELCOME!

Kim
 
+1 what everyone else here is saying. Stay away from the pool stores and read the pool school threads. Most balancing isn't rocket science, you just need to test regularly and be able to understand what your test results mean. Everyone here is extremely helpful and you will find taking care of a pool is easy.
 
Hi there,
Thank you everyone for the information and support. I finally got my TF100 test kit in.
Here are the readings as of yesterday:
FC 1
PH 8.2
CH 525
TA 220
CYA ? - I tried to this test several times; still able to see the black dot on the bottom and the container is completely filled... now what?

My goals per pool heater chart:
FC 2-3
PH 7.6-7.8
CH 200-400
TA 80-120


Location: Southern California
Temp of water: 60
23000 gallon pool

I put fresh water approximately 2 1/2 weeks ago. I put the numbers in the calculator after reading the poolmath - its all very confusing. I am not sure if I am reading the specs right telling me I need to replace the water again? And for FC adding may raise my PH?
Help! Thank you in advance for any and all help you can provide.
 

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Hey welcome to TFP! :wave:

With a FC of 1 you want to get that to 3 pretty quickly and keep it there daily until you start adding cya aka stabilizer (it appears you have none). Pool math says 69 Oz of 8.25% bleach (Clorox) should do the trick. Of course, store brand bleach is just as good. Just make sure you get plain old concentrated bleach -- don't get the "easy pour" stuff or anything scented. I also assume you are familiar with using a pool brush? Giving the pool a thorough brushing once a week is a good way to maintain a trouble free pool. :D

If you've gone through pool school already (specifically ABCs of water chemistry) you should already know that reducing PH will also lower your TA. Since your PH is on the high end, you'll want to use pool math in order to determine how much muriatic acid you will need to reduce it to 7.6-7.8. If your PH is really more than 8.2 it may take several additions to get a result. PH will naturally want to rise on it's own requiring you to add acid on a regular basis. Eventually your TA will come back down to acceptable level.

When adding chemicals it's always important to make sure it won't end up sitting on the bottom of the pool. Diluting them before adding them, pouring slowly in front of a return and then a light brushing afterward will ensure you get a good mix.
 
Hi,
Thank you for the quick response I appreciate it. So from what I gather, I can purchase regular plain Clorox from my local Vons and add to pool. When and what kind of CYA stabilizer should I buy? I tried the test several times with the same result, so my reading is very inconclusive to me...
When adding the Clorox i will remember to dilute. Quick question, may not be obvious to me - but when I dilute, is it with new water? Or gather some currently from pool and add to dilute?
Is there a particular brand of muriatic acid you prefer to use? Where to purchase? Again at local Leslies on online? Can this wait? I am assuming no since PH is high. Thanks in advance again.
 
1.
I tried the test several times with the same result, so my reading is very inconclusive to me...
Click to expand...
If the black dot is never obscured, your result is CYA = 0.

2. Pour the bleach slowly intoa return with the pump running it will quickly disperse......no need to dilute.

3. Any muriatic is fine....just look for the strength....should be 31.45% or close. Do not wait. It is important to keep pH in the 7's.
 
Thank you for the help. So its ok to add the clorox and muriatic acid both in the same day? Since I cant wait, and need to adjust ph asap, I'll just purchase the muriatic acid at the local Leslies with the clorox then. I feel so overwhelmed by all this, thanks for your patience and help- I really do appreciate it.
 
Ner0 said:
Thank you for the help. So its ok to add the clorox and muriatic acid both in the same day? Since I cant wait, and need to adjust ph asap, I'll just purchase the muriatic acid at the local Leslies with the clorox then. I feel so overwhelmed by all this, thanks for your patience and help- I really do appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Just allow one chemical to mix before you add the next. Half an hour with the pump on should do it, or you can speed it up by brushing.
 
I just picked up the muriatic acid and clorox. I should pick up cyanuric acid as well? Is it ok to add with the muriatic and clorox? How much to add, or am I putting some new water. Based on on earlier post since I have a CYA reading of 0 (since my dot was never obsured...) pool math has both indications. So I am not sure what I am to do at this point.
My goals are based on the pool heater chart, it doesn't designate what my target(goal) should be. So I am not sure how to proceed with this. Please advise. Thank you again.
 

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