Can I swim? Pool store says yes, after $250 worth of chemicals.

[Cowbell]

Good news is my tf100 tests came back pretty exactly to what the pool store came back with. But I was told I needed $250 worth of chemicals before I could safely enter the pool - thought I would run my numbers by the pros here.

4 days of SLAM after an algae-ridden opening. Water is now crystal clear and chlorine drop has leveled off. My numbers as of today:

18k gallon vinyl salt w/sand filter
FC: 6
CC: 1.5
TC: 7.5
pH: 7.1
TA: 40
CYA: 20

Pool store also gave me these #s:
Calcium Hardness: 49
Iron: .1
Copper: .2
Phosphates: 155

Advice at the pool store was to:
Add Alkalinity Up (15 lbs)
Hardness Plus (46 lbs)
Chlor Neutralizer: (1 lb)
Fresh 'n clear: (2 lbs)
Cya: (5 lbs)
NoPHOS: (1 lb)

I did buy an 8lb bucket of CYA because I know that's low, but:

Should I care about Hardness in my vinyl pool?
Should I be neutralizing chlorine when it's only at 6? Won't it naturally come down after some sun?
I was told my Phosphates are much too high and I need to act asap. Is that true?
I've never had a low pH before, I held off buying anything else that I wasn't sure about.

Thanks for any advice - 3 kids wanting to jump into the pool that's finally crystal clear but pool guy convinced me they will dissolve on contact!

 

[mknauss]

Add 30 ppm TA worth of baking soda and go swimming. The CC is high, it might bother their eyes.

I suspect you need to continue your SLAM.

You do need to add 10-20 ppm of CYA. Add that to a sock and get it dissolving.

The FC is fine. Actually in target range for 30 ppm CYA.

Phosphates do not matter.

 

[mknauss]

You did not show a CH reading. Not necessary to raise it with a vinyl liner.

 

[mknauss]

Quit going to the pool store. Confusing. Just test your water and post here if you have questions.

 

[Donldson]

They told you that your phosphate level was "much too high" at 155???

Oh wow, that's impressive even for pool stores. Phosphates aren't generally a problem at all, but even when they could be we are talking about thousands of ppb. 155 ppb is virtually zero, and probably not even readable by their computers. What you experienced is a pure bred, old fashioned, zero integrity lie to push a sale. Even within my extremely dim view of pool store employees that one hits low.

 

[Richard320]

lyingeyes

• Richard320
• May 23, 2014

phosphateman.jpg

• Richard320
• Apr 11, 2019

 

[YippeeSkippy]

WOW.....it really bothers me to see how needlessly expensive pool store methods can be!

Alkalinity Up is nothing but expensive baking soda!
Why would they want to "neutralize" good chlorine number??!
Vinyl pools don't need calcium...thats for plaster.

I dont eve n know what "Fresh & Clear" is??

Maddie

 

[Donldson]

I dont eve n know what "Fresh & Clear" is??

MPS. Because after buying something to neutralize the oxidizer already in the pool you must remember to buy something to reintroduce an oxidizer in to the pool.

Those recommendations should be printed out and framed. It exemplifies the pool store-iest of pool storing that pool stores have to offer!

 

[Cowbell]

I love you guys.

 

[Saturn94]

WOW.....it really bothers me to see how needlessly expensive pool store methods can be!

Alkalinity Up is nothing but expensive baking soda!
Why would they want to "neutralize" good chlorine number??!
Vinyl pools don't need calcium...thats for plaster.

I dont eve n know what "Fresh & Clear" is??

Maddie

It appears Fresh & Clear is a non-chlorinated shock.

Oops....too late (strange, the above posts didn’t show until I posted).

 

[YippeeSkippy]

ugh. mps= false high CC readings

 

[Saturn94]

MPS. Because after buying something to neutralize the oxidizer already in the pool you must remember to buy something to reintroduce an oxidizer in to the pool.

Those recommendations should be printed out and framed. It exemplifies the pool store-iest of pool storing that pool stores have to offer!

And the Pool Store Turkey Award goes to.....?

 

[DMS2014]

They told you that your phosphate level was "much too high" at 155???

Oh wow, that's impressive even for pool stores. Phosphates aren't generally a problem at all, but even when they could be we are talking about thousands of ppb. 155 ppb is virtually zero, and probably not even readable by their computers. What you experienced is a pure bred, old fashioned, zero integrity lie to push a sale. Even within my extremely dim view of pool store employees that one hits low.

I was told that too at the pool store and slightly freaked out about it. Came here and was quite relieved...