Jtowne99

[Jtowne99]

Hi, we just moved to El Paso and bought a house with a IG, marcite, 10,000 gallon pool with a DE filter. (Equipment is listed in my signature). We took a water sample to a local pool supply place for the stabilizer level and initial levels, and I just did all other tests today with my basic OTO kit and test strips. We have some algae and can't seem to get the FCl up to where it should be despite shocking the pool three times in the past 10 days. Here are the results:

TCl: .5-1 ppm
FCl: didn't register on Insta-test strips
pH: 7.2
Alk: 180
Hardness: 425-450
Stabilizer: 195 (from initial pool supply store test)

When we first tested the pool 11 days ago, the pH was 8.2 and alkalinity was 155 per the pool store tests I added muriatic acid for the pH, but may have brought it down too low. I have borax to bring it up, but don't know how much to add. We bought the powder cal-hypo, too, but I've since been reading about basic bleach for sanitizer. Since our pool is plaster, I also don't know if the hardness is too high. Any help on what we should be doing to get the levels where they should be is appreciated.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

If you really want to be in control, throw the test strips away, avoid the pool store testing, and invest in one of the Recommended Test Kits. Since you see algae, you need to follow the ShockLevelAndMAINTAIN Process. And since you need to SLAM, I highly recommend the TF-100 kit with the XL option ... and add the SpeedStir if you can swing it.

Have you discovered Pool School yet? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

Also start to play with PoolMath as it will calculate the chemical additions required to reach your targets.

 

[tim5055]

Welcome to TFP!!

If any of those numbers are to be believed, you are already way over on CYA and CH so a partial drain may be in your future.

Not much credence is given to pool store testing. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their testing. But, what can you do?? We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. Order a TF100 and at least include the XL option.

 

[BoDarville]

The first two responders have you on the right track, so I will simply welcome you to TFP!

 

[Jtowne99]

Thank you both. I forgot to mention that I know the pool store tests shouldn't be trusted, I just haven't received my Taylor Technologies test kit yet. I've also been reading the pool school forum and everything else I can after work every day. El Paso water is quite hard as it's from an aquifer. Are there any other ways to reduce the CH and CYA? I read The Pool Forum methods for reducing hardness before finding this site (by adding Lyme I think - can't find the thread now), but I haven't searched yet on Reducing CYA.

 

[jblizzle]

There are only 2 good options for lowering CH or CYA:
1. Replacing water with lower CH water (and no CYA)
2. Paying for a reverse osmosis service to come up and run on your pool (expensive and very limited availability).

I am not familiar with the PoolForum method of CH reduction ... it may have been deemed not trouble free enough

 

[Jtowne99]

It probably isn't. It is lime softening and it involves a bucket test and a lot of math.