Accidentally lowered ph too much -- do I need to fix or can I wait?

[Newdude]

I'll invest in a better test kit (do you have a link), but I don't want to pay a bunch as I don't test very often and the chemicals just expire

Ok great news. A good chunk of the initial kit is the case, the vials, the PH comparator block and the CYA tube. Preferably also the $44 smart stir which is included in the TFpro at tftestkits.net. or add it to the TF100 from them.

But once you have the 'go withs', year over year refills of reagents are cheap. The 2 were $43-something and $44-something respectively on sale in March. (And every spring). You'll only be replacing the reagents yearly, which is minimal. They're less than 1 bag/tub of whatever the poolstore upsells you when you go there instead.

Option 2 is to buy all the individual parameter test kits to have the 'go withs' that way, but that costs more than the bundles so I wouldn't send a friend off to do it that way.

 

[JamesW]

Everything we teach is based on accurate, reliable and consistent testing.

This means investing in a good test kit and testing on a regular basis.

Using test strips or testing haphazardly every once in a while generally does not result in good water chemistry management.

 

[JamesW]

The combined chlorine is down to 3-5 (that's the liquid test range; test strip says 5).

Are you talking about CC (Combined Chlorine) or FC (Free Chlorine)?

 

[AUSpool]

I like to keep it low because I've heard CYA is a carcinogen and I rarely use pucks so it doesn't get replenished that way. I do have some on hand that I can add.

There is a lot going on in this thread now but I would like to make these two points.

Stabilser, cyanuric acid or CyA, is not a carcinogen. All the products we commonly use have matching safety data sheets that provide all the important info like toxicity, etc. CyA is not carcinogenic and in terms of toxicity is about the same as common table salt.

Oddly enough, there is now some green algae on the side of the pool under the skimmer that I had to brush in (this might happen more often and the Dolphin pool robot gets it).

The presence of algae means that you’ve been running low on free chlorine, FC. Investing in a decent kit and reading through the articles posted above by JamesW will be the best thing you’ve done for your pool and those that use it.