First real reading

[Honey]

Hiya!

I thought a real test kit was coming in the mail, but apparently my sister purchased a test strip reader =( not what I was hoping for.

I decided it was time to stop shooting in the dark and I took a sample to the pool dealer.
Before I list them let me say good hard work pays off, and a helping hand from you guys, the pool now has only a tiny hint of green in it and you can see every inch of the pool.

I am not sure what these are... remember total NOOB here (second string pitcher that doesn't know the rules of the game)hehe

So i will list everything on the sheet and perhaps someone could tell me what is relevant'

Saturation index: -0.70
Water Color: None
Water Clarity: Clear

FC: 2.7
TC: 3.6
Shield: 0.9
Ph: 7.3
Hardness 130
Alk: 80
Cya: 10
Copper 0.0
Iron 0.0
The guy in the store recommended 2 lb.s of the Cya stabilizer and I had just about that in the bucket I bought the other day. I put some in a sock and tied it to the ladder then got nervous and took it out

I used Bleach the whole time trying to clear it up and a few days into it I started using an OTO tester to check Chlorine only.
I added more bleach when I came home today and vacuumed but i think it's another good scrubbing that will do the trick and acutally having the CYA in there to stop all the bleach going away so quickly.
But I am very impressed with the progress and my sister took pictures of the progress I am just waiting til it's all done and perfect to post them hehe.

I still don't have the math down on the proper amount of bleach I need to raise it such and such, not that I don't completely understand I just haven't tried to work it out yet.


Let me know what ya think =)
Thanks so much for all your help!
Honey

 

[Buggsw]

Sounds like fantastic progress! Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

You just need to keep on doing what you were doing and get that chlorine up there to shock level. Download the bleachcalc program that's in one of the stickies here, it will help you calculate how much bleach to add. Use Ben's best guess chart to know what your proper FC and shock levels are.

I can't wait to see the pics.

 

[divnkd101]

Honey,

Great job on your success. The maintenance you are doing now will pay off in the end. Don't be embarrased to post pics of the before and after. Remember, your posts will also help someone else down the line maintain a "TroubleFreePool". Great Job.

 

[duraleigh]

I still don't have the math down on the proper amount of bleach I need to raise it such and such, not that I don't completely understand I just haven't tried to work it out yet.

Have you downloaded "bleachcalc"? Great little tool for all your chemistry additions.

 

[Honey]

just downloaded Thanks
and my sister said she'll send the pics to me so I'll post the ones I have even though it's not perfect yet hehe


one more question though if I may
Say it takes until friday or saturday or whenever to completely clear, keeping the chlorine at shock lvl.
When will it be safe to let the kids in?
and could I get in while it is at shock lvl now to brush the midlle cuz I see a spot I just can't reach properly with enough leverage to scrub it off.

 

[JohnT]

The biggest thing to worry about with high chlorine is your bathing suit. It might fade, so if you have an old one, you'll be fine in there. You'll probably smell like chlorine when you get out.

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

When will it be safe to let the kids in?


That's a point of debate... I would wait until the FC level drops to close to the Max on the Best Guess chart for your CYA level. Others say higher is fine, just wear old suits because of fading. If they are small kids who might tend to drink the water, I would let it drop.

and could I get in while it is at shock lvl now to brush the midlle cuz I see a spot I just can't reach properly with enough leverage to scrub it off.

I would go in and brush, just wear an old suit, and rinse off promptly!

Hope this helps... sounds like you are on your way now!

 

[duraleigh]

just downloaded Thanks
and my sister said she'll send the pics to me so I'll post the ones I have even though it's not perfect yet hehe


one more question though if I may
Say it takes until friday or saturday or whenever to completely clear, keeping the chlorine at shock lvl.
When will it be safe to let the kids in?
and could I get in while it is at shock lvl now to brush the midlle cuz I see a spot I just can't reach properly with enough leverage to scrub it off.

Generally, they can swim right now. Prolonged exposure (days) is probably not a great idea but your Cl levels will start to come down on their own. Some folks are precautionary about high Cl levels fading swimsuits but I can't recall a specific instance when someone has reported this within a days swim. If anyone else has experienced this (and you know for a fact the Cl was not over 25ppm) that would be a good thing to post.

 

[Honey]

Thanks Both of you...all of you.
It does help!

That will make the next few days easier. With the last bit of the major clean up. I find it pretty difficult to vacuum the AG pool .. hard to see what I am missing when I am not standing over it hehehe.

My 14 yr old son it the only one really chomping at the bit too get in, though now he's "not so sure" he wants to because he thinks I have gone mad using bleach... he even tried to "tell" on me to the pool dealer lmao. That was funny.

I will let the chlorine drop before letting the smaller kids in =)

Man, I can't thank you guys enough.

 

[Honey]

My water is very clear now not like some of the pics I see around hehe... yet

I got in today to get a good look at the inside, it looks so nice from the out side, but I was able to see what I was brushing and there was left over algea here and there that I was able to brush. I also did some real slow vacuuming. I don't have a skimmer sock and I noticed when I vacuumed the last few times that I was picking up a lot of dirt and the skimmer was quite clear when I was done.
So I rigged a little something up. you know how when you do the laundry you always lose a sock? Well for women same applies to pantyhose and knee high stockings hehehe.
I used an unmated knee high and tied it around the fitting in the skimmer that the hose attaches to it worked like a charm.
I felt like MacGuyver ROFL . Just thought I'd share my silliness =)
Hope everyone is having great weather to enjoy your pools =)
:sun:Honey

 

[Buggsw]

Honey, you have made fantastic progress! It's amazing to watch the transition, isn't it? You really are becoming a pro and using your noggin by rigging up the pantyhose thing.