Guidance on next steps for a overwhelmed new pool owner

[sha56]

I recently purchased a house with a pool and we opened the pool last Friday. The pool maintenance person came this Tuesday and added some chlorine tabs in a floater. I have been reading articles from pool school and I now understand the issue with continued usage of chlorine tabs and the problem with CYA levels. I bought the pro kit and tested the water myself. I found the free chlorine (FC) level to be at 0.5 and combined chlorine (CC) at 0.5 as well. The pH level is at 7.2, and for CYA, when I filled the testing tube, I could see the black dot very well, so it's probably at 0.

What should be my action plan now to balance the chemistry? I have ordered a Proteus DX4 for pool cleaning, liquid chlorine, pH up, pH down, and liquid stabilizer. I am planning to take over the pool maintenance myself and get rid of the pool maintenance person.

Chlorine tab is still not dissolved which I read takes a week for these 3 inch tabs so I'd my pool fine for a week given fc is at 0.5 now. Water is squeaky clean.

 

[Jimrahbe]

56,

Using tablets in your location, where you close the pool each year, and a location where the pool is open year round, is very different.

There is nothing wrong with using tablets, as long as you routinely test and then use your test results to balance your pool water.

You need to decide if you plan to maintain the chemicals in the pool yourself, or let your Pool Maintenance guy do it. You really can't have it both ways.

As an example.. Your CYA should be about 30 ppm and your corresponding FC should be about 5 ppm..

See this chart The Free Chlorine and Cyanuric Acid Relationship

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[sha56]

56,

Using tablets in your location, where you close the pool each year, and a location where the pool is open year round, is very different.

There is nothing wrong with using tablets, as long as you routinely test and then use your test results to balance your pool water.

You need to decide if you plan to maintain the chemicals in the pool yourself, or let your Pool Maintenance guy do it. You really can't have it both ways.

As an example.. Your CYA should be about 30 ppm and your corresponding FC should be about 5 ppm..

See this chart The Free Chlorine and Cyanuric Acid Relationship

Thanks,

Jim R.

I want to take care of my pool myself. The pool was opened last Friday, and the pool guy came again this Tuesday. I'm not sure if these frequent visits are expected. The FC is still at 0.5. So, my question is, if I want to maintain it myself, should I put chlorine in the pool as calculated by PoolMath, or should I wait for the tabs to dissolve? If it takes a week for them to dissolve, is my pool fine for that one week? I do not want to deal with dry stabilizer and sock method and since I was unable to find liquid stabilizer near me I ordered it off amazon which will be delivered next week. Should I add chlorine anyway, it is cloudy for the next 5 days here.

 

[Jimrahbe]

56,

With no CYA, you need to get your FC up to 3 ppm, ASAP, by adding Liquid Chlorine.

Having the TF-Pro test kit means you are 75% there already.. That is really the hard part for most people..

When your CYA shows up add less than you think you need.. I'd start with 75% and then over a week slowly bring it up.

You might want to test your tap water and see what your TA is... CH is not a big deal for you.

I'd just leave the tablet in the feeder for now.

Have you tried to test for pH?? It is a little subjective..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[sha56]

56,

With no CYA, you need to get your FC up to 3 ppm, ASAP, by adding Liquid Chlorine.

Having the TF-Pro test kit means you are 75% there already.. That is really the hard part for most people..

When your CYA shows up add less than you think you need.. I'd start with 75% and then over a week slowly bring it up.

You might want to test your tap water and see what your TA is... CH is not a big deal for you.

I'd just leave the tablet in the feeder for now.

Have you tried to test for pH?? It is a little subjective..

Thanks,

Jim R.

PH was 7.2 yesterday, I will add chlorine and measure both once again. Thanks for your response It is reassuring to confirm it from someone who knows what is exactly going on, I will get there eventually

 

[Griswald]

Liquid stabilizer is exactly the same as powdered stabilizer. It won't be completely dissolved in the bottle and you will spend as much time and energy getting the undissolved stabilizer into your pool as if you simply put some dry into a sock and let it dissolve.

 

[sha56]

Liquid stabilizer is exactly the same as powdered stabilizer. It won't be completely dissolved in the bottle and you will spend as much time and energy getting the undissolved stabilizer into your pool as if you simply put some dry into a sock and let it dissolve.

Aah then sock makes more sense. Will do that if I need to raise my cya once I have exhausted on this liquid stabilizer. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[sha56]

PH was 7.2 yesterday, I will add chlorine and measure both once again. Thanks for your response It is reassuring to confirm it from someone who knows what is exactly going on, I will get there eventually

I added 10% liquid chlorine as per the volume suggested by pool math, but it only brought my free chlorine (FC) level to 1.5 ppm when it was supposed to be raised to 3 ppm. Pool math suggested adding 1 quart 3 cups and 5 ounces which I converted to 1800 ml. Now, it is suggesting to add the same amount to raise the FC level from 1.5 to 3 ppm.

Additionally, I tested my tap water alkalinity, and it showed 140, while the pool water alkalinity tested at 40. The pH level has increased to 7.5, even though I haven't added anything for pH except for the liquid chlorine and the floating tab in the pool. I waited for 2 hours between adding chlorine and testing it while the pool pump was running.

 

[Deb04]

I added 10% liquid chlorine as per the volume suggested by pool math, but it only brought my free chlorine (FC) level to 1.5 ppm when it was supposed to be raised to 3 ppm. Pool math suggested adding 1 quart 3 cups and 5 ounces which I converted to 1800 ml. Now, it is suggesting to add the same amount to raise the FC level from 1.5 to 3 ppm.

Some FC would be consumed in the 2 hours between adding and testing. Also, if your liquid chlorine isn’t fresh, it wouldn’t be as strong.

I’m seeing 1 quart, 6 oz to go from 1.5 to 3.

Have you added any CYA? If yes, you should be targeting 3 instead of 5.

 

[sha56]

Some FC would be consumed in the 2 hours between adding and testing. Also, if your liquid chlorine isn’t fresh, it wouldn’t be as strong.

I’m seeing 1 quart, 6 oz to go from 1.5 to 3.

Have you added any CYA? If yes, you should be targeting 3 instead of 5.

My cya is too low to be captured by the test so I was putting 20 for cya in pool math for calculating required chlorine . I added another 1 quart 3 cups and 4oz and reached 2.5 ppm. CC is 0.5. I have not added cya yet will be doing that on Monday. Chlorine is fresh so maybe fc got consumed. There is this chlorine tablet floating in pool too so that should help .

 

[ajw22]

When using liquid stabilizer, shake the jug well, pour the contents into the pool, then fill the jug halfway with pool water, shake again, pour into pool, repeat until the water poured out is clear.

The CYA settles to the bottom and is heavy and does not mix well. With one pour you will not get as much CYA as you expect.

 

[Jimrahbe]

56,

You are making things a little harder than it needs to be.. When the app tells you to add 1 quart and 6 oz. just add a quart and a half or even 2 quarts.. Overshooting FC is never a problem.. This is supposed to be fun, not a test where you have to get the answer down to the 3rd decimal place...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[sha56]

56,

You are making things a little harder than it needs to be.. When the app tells you to add 1 quart and 6 oz. just add a quart and a half or even 2 quarts.. Overshooting FC is never a problem.. This is supposed to be fun, not a test where you have to get the answer down to the 3rd decimal place...

Thanks,

Jim R

Looks like those titration tests in labs and my chemistry professor peering over my shoulder through his round spectacles had a lasting effect on me. I will take your suggestion, and I was enjoying my tests anyway.

 

[Sunny Blues]

With FC levels that low it will deplete fast and you will have to keep adding more liquid chlorine every single day if not twice a day to maintain it. Once you can get your water balanced I would take your CYA to 40 or 50. You need to run with a higher FC when your CYA is 50, but it lasts longer and additions are less frequent. But right now with having to maintain around 3-5ppm expect it to lose it more quickly, especially if the sun is out. You can go from 3 to 1.5 in just an hour or two. That’s why I like running a higher CYA. Less flirting on the edge of danger. Lol


And don’t worry about the tablets still dissolving while adding liquid chlorine. Again since it’s losing it faster the tablets can give a smidge of an increase in the middle of it all.

I’d ditch the tablets though once you’re all set. They will eventually add too much CYA to the pool taking you to the other extreme of needing too operate with way too high of an FC. Just stick with liquid chlorine. Easier.

 

[sha56]

I added one gallon of liquid stabilizer yesterday, but the cyanuric acid (CYA) level is still so low that the test is unable to detect it. Before adding the CYA, the water was clear even at the 30 mark. Now, after adding one gallon, it is showing a little murkiness at 30. Any idea what could be causing this? I was aiming for a level of 45, but I should have at least reached 30.

 

[cwswifty]

I added one gallon of liquid stabilizer yesterday, but the cyanuric acid (CYA) level is still so low that the test is unable to detect it. Before adding the CYA, the water was clear even at the 30 mark. Now, after adding one gallon, it is showing a little murkiness at 30. Any idea what could be causing this? I was aiming for a level of 45, but I should have at least reached 30.

Are you using Pool Math to calculate chemical additions?
PoolMath

1 gallon of liquid stabilizer will only raise 19,000 gallons by 19.

 

[ajw22]

I added one gallon of liquid stabilizer yesterday,

Did you shake the jug well?

After you poured the contents into the pool did you fill the jug halfway with pool water, shake again, and pour it into the pool?

Did you repeat that until the water being poured was clear and not milky?

You probably did not get all the active ingredients that settles to the bottom.

 

[sha56]

Did you shake the jug well?

After you poured the contents into the pool did you fill the jug halfway with pool water, shake again, and pour it into the pool?

Did you repeat that until the water being poured was clear and not milky?

You probably did not get all the active ingredients that settles to the bottom.

I did that there was nothing remaining in the bottle. Once I was done there was some sediment on the pool floor which I brushed off and it got dissolved. I have got 4lb of dry stabilizer now which I am going to add in 2 shots but I am concerned what happened? To 1st whole gallon.

 

[cwswifty]

I did that there was nothing remaining in the bottle. Once I was done there was some sediment on the pool floor which I brushed off and it got dissolved. I have got 4lb of dry stabilizer now which I am going to add in 2 shots but I am concerned what happened? To 1st whole gallon.

Like I mentioned earlier, 1 gallon would only increase your pool's CYA by 19 ppm. The lowest CYA you can really measure is 30 ppm. The 4 pounds of dry CYA you now have should raise it an additional 25 ppm.

 

[sha56]

Like I mentioned earlier, 1 gallon would only increase your pool's CYA by 19 ppm. The lowest CYA you can really measure is 30 ppm. The 4 pounds of dry CYA you now have should raise it an additional 25 ppm.

That is helpful information, since I was not able to test for actual level below 30 I did put 20 as base level and then pool math told me to add a gallon and quart to reach 45. Maybe I didn't had even 20. Now I will add 4lb dry one and retest. Thanks a ton for educating me