Can't keep stabilizer in pool

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Stephaniev

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Jun 8, 2015
3
California
Hi, I'm new here I've had an inground 17000 gallon vinyl liner pool since 2008 and still haven't mastered balancing chemicals yet. We bought our house as a foreclosure and had a brand new liner installed. At yr 4 the new liner was falling apart and after contacting the company they sold us another new one at 28m thickness for 75% off and we also had that one professionally installed and some new plywood sides put in behind it because of decay that the original installer didn't mention.

But from day one let me tell you everything always balanced on the pool except chlorine and stabilizer. In the 7 yrs we have had it we've only had to add other chemicals twice and that's because they were trying to figure out our stabilizer problem. Because we have a hard time keeping stabilizer and chlorine in the pool we get algea quite a bit which puts us at purchasing new cartridge filters 2x a yr at 100 bucks a pop. We have the pool places around us completely stumped why we can't keep stabilizer in our pool. Just this yr we opened the pool about 2 months ago, in that time we have had to add 15 pounds of stabilizer (5 lbs each time) because it zeros out. We have had a few pretty hot weekends where it was almost 100 and have had to add maybe 3-4 inches of water in that time frame. Like I said before we have a cartridge filter with a 1hp pool pump we run it 4 hrs in winter a day and summer avg is 6 to 8 hrs a day. We have an auto chlorine tablet feeder that's not in line but connected after the pump and after the filter with little black tubing,and we keep that all the way opened and full of tablets. We generally have to add water a little more than a concrete pool which both pool stores have said is normal for vinyl but they can't figure out why we are having to add 5lbs of stabilizer a month to the pool in warm weather. The last guy who tested our water (Leslie's so they keep record on their computer our last readings and such) said to me there was no possible way unless I completely drained the pool that I could of added 5lbs of stabilizer 2.5 weeks before and it be reading zero today. I'm thinking Yeah I'm lying, I just like to spend 30.00 a month on this stupid chemical that most people have too much of and I'm stock piling it in the garage waiting for a world wide stabilizer shortage.

So anyways I'm not really sure what other info I can give you but is there anyone out there with this issue? Is there a solution because between the cost of electric in my area, tablets, shock, liquid chlorine, stabilizer and new filters I'm ready to get a few truckloads of dirt and fill this stupid pool in! Thanks for any help and suggestions you may have.
Stephanie
Central Valley California
 
Hello Stephanie from CA. :wave: I'm confident the TFP family can help you solve your dilemma, but as noted above, you will need to order your OWN test kit if you don't have it already (see TF-100 link below for options). It is the foundation of everything we do in TFP and how we answer your questions. Pool store tests, test strips, and over-the-counter pool kits don't cut it. It's an investment that WILL pay for itself. You are currently purchasing products by the "bucket-load" that may not even be needed by following TFP. Take a moment to read some of the links below in my sig and you'll see what I mean.

Also, please add your pool info to your signature by going to the top of the TFP web page (just under the Pool School button) and select "SETTINGS", then on the next page to the left menu bar look for "EDIT SIGNATURE", and enter your pool and equipment info there. It will help us later. Again, welcome!
 
The more ai read this the more I feel that there is testing error going on. If you have read around here much you have probably seen that 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. In my case two different pool stores told me my CYA was "fine", around 70 or 80. When I tested myself I found it over 200.

You say you have been using "tablets, shock, liquid chlorine, stabilizer " which is a recipe for high CYA, not low/no CYA.

Order a TF100 and at least include the XL option. That will give you what you need while you are clearing the pool, and probably enough reagents for a couple of years normal use.
 
Hi everyone, thanks for the reply's I have the test kit I purchased from the mom and pops pool store. I know you said it's not good enough but I just went down to the pool store today and bought a new filter (90.00) and a ton of chlorine and so the new test kit will have to wait until next payday. I put a lot of confidence in the mom and pops store because the man who owns it is a chemistry college professor as well. Again I know you stated that they are often wrong, but both stores come up with the same readings and the fact that I constantly have algea and zero chlorine when I test even though I added two gallons of liquid chlorine the night before has never made me doubt their 0 cya readings. Both of the stores have told me my problem is opposite from other people. Most people pools have too much cya. So I will answer some of the questions above since I don't have the correct test kit. The test kit I have is bought at the pool store, the brand is All clear professional test kit
Hotspring Supply All Clear Professional Test Kit - All Parts for HotSprings spas (this is the exact one I have) I do test at home although usually just chlorine because like I said I have never had any bad readings for any of the other chemicals. Usually I will test chlorine if its low or 0 I will add chlorine at night let it run all night and check in the morning. If its zero again I grab a bottle and head to the pool store. When I went today all readings were fine even cya he said it was 40. my last cya add was about 2 weeks ago. I do not have an auto fill feature. All water added is done by me by hand with the hose. Again thanks for your responses and I understand cya doesn't disappear with out diluting the water. I've heard this for years. :) I'll let you know when I get the kit. Sorry just added my signature.
 
Not our ideal scenario for sure, but since you are pressing-on with your local testing, I'll just give you a couple tidbits of info to take with you:
- If your CYA was actually at 40 two weeks ago, it may be higher now if you used any chlorine products other than regular liquid bleach (i.e. pucks, tables, bags of shock, etc). So if that CYA creeps up over 50, stop using those products and use only bleach - it's pure with not CYA effects
- You should never let your free chlorine (FC) get low; that's how the pool gets sick and turns green. We don't know your "current CYA', but based on your last estimate and being in sunny Cal, your FC should typically be about 5-6 on an average day, and never drop below 3. See if your test kit reads higher numbers (i.e. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, etc). You need to be able to go that high which is why we are so firm on the test kits we recommend (but that's your call). :)

I can just about guarantee you that the $$ you have spent already could've been used more efficiently on other things rather than the products the stores sold you. We've all been there. If/when you do kit your own test kit, we'll be here to assist. Have a great day. :)
 

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