scummy frog pond HALP! pleeze?

[JayGee]

Hurricanes, power out, :x broken pump, J-factor, all = okeefenokee swamp. Frogs is good anyway. That means no snakes ...Halp!?

I know there's other similar topics, probably in plenty but I haven't checked in recently.
Too, I wanted some advice with my numbers. Still new at that too. Haven't had much chance at up keep.
Now, I just want to reclaim the pool and prep it for winter so I can get a cover on it. I do NOT want to go through this... stuff... again next spring.
Here's the joke, I mean numbers...
Chlorine- Nichts, nada, none of the above.
pH 8.2+ right through the roof
T/A 370
CYA 32

Weather has been cool (50s/80s) and clear for a few weeks, chance of rain coming.

Some strong suggestions here would be most gratefully received, I assure you all.
Thanks! in advance.

 

[TizMe]

Your CYA is on the lower end of the acceptable range so I wouldnt worry anbout it until spring if your thinking of closing as soon as you get it way back under control.

Your TA is way way way to high. If you read in our Pool School you will find some info under "lowering your TA" which will tell you how to lower your TA and your PH. As far as algae goes there is some info in the pool school section in "Basic pool chemistry" about looking after algae problems.

 

[JasonLion]

Depending on how long the pool has been this way it might be simpler to leave it till next spring. High PH and high TA will very likely cause calcium scaling. If the pool has been that way a long time then it is probably already as bad as it is going to get and you can wait. If the high PH and high TA are fairly recent then you should get the PH down right away and the TA down as soon as practical.

 

[JayGee]

It's only gotten this way over the past few weeks.

I've fought this battle every spring for the past several years and I really don't want to go through that again because I'm a part time farmer at least and spring is busy enough as it is.

I'm in Texas and there's enough warm weather that mosquitoes are a problem and 'here be' West Nile virus. I just heard on the news yesterday of somebody dying of that.

So I'll clean it up now. Thanks.

 

[MikeInTN]

If you're going to clean it up now, then you need to get your pH and TA down. It's a fairly simple process as long as you have some method of aerating the pool. Add enough muriatic acid to lower the pH down to around 7.2, then aerate until the pH comes up to around 7.4 or 7.6, then add acid again to bring the pH down to 7.2, and repeat. Everytime you add acid to lower the pH, you also lower the TA; aerating brings the pH back up, but the TA stays at the lowered value.

As for the algae, chlorine (and lots of it), brushing and filtering. Your lower CYA will help here because you won't need to add as much chlorine to get to shock level. Bring your FC up to shock level, and keep it there by testing and adding chlorine several times a day until you lose .5 or less overnight (Ideally you would lose 0 overnight).

Here's the sticky for lowering TA, and here's Jason's excellent article on turning your green swamp back into a sparkling oasis.

 

[JayGee]

Thanks for the advice. I'll follow it. I believe I'm ok to aerate. I have two outlet jets. If they're set to shoot up through the surface, will that be good enough?

Add enough muriatic acid to lower the pH down to around 7.2, then aerate until the pH comes up to around 7.4 or 7.6, then add acid again to bring the pH down to 7.2, and repeat.

Why the narrow range of pH adjustment? Couldn't I bring it down to say, 7.0 then bring it back up? Just wondering what your logic is. (I'm trying to learn the rationale behind this.)

 

[duraleigh]

7.0 is fine as long as you pay attention to your pH pretty carefully. You do not want it down in the 6's for any length.

Simultaneously while reducing your pH, you must get the organics under control with prolonged, high doses of chlorine. I would suggest you read "controlling algae" and "Shocking your Pool" up in pool school.

Lowering pH and T/A are essential parts of balancing your pool chemistry but your "swamp" will stay a "swamp" until you get enough chlorine in there to kill of the organics that have been allowed to grow. Regardless of how much chlorine you think you might need, you will very likely not get enough.