Hey all. New poster...haven't even lurked the forums, but I've been reading the articles at Pool School and such, and already using PoolMath app. Love it. I love going to the pool store to buy chems and getting to ignore all the random and inconsistent advice from the "Pool pro's" at the stores because I know better. I have a 27' Round ABG with Vinyl liner, It's a Trevi, and my pool installer did a fantastic job of selling me a pool during the covid crisis at a good price, doing a fantastic job installing it, and then leaving me with some horrible chemistry advice...
He basically told me to keep it chlorinated using liquid chlorine, which is good...but then check the ph...if ph is high, throw two capfulls (small bucket lid) of ph minus granules into the skimmer...if ph is low, throw two capfulls of ph plus granules into the skimmer, and if ph is good, throw two capfulls of alkalinity plus into the skimmer. He then left me with one 5 pound bucket of all three of those, and 4 gallons of 12.5% liquid chlorine. That was all last year...we got to swim in it one time before he came back and closed it with algaecide winterizing solution and tearing down the hardware and installing the cover.
I started testing with the test strips he left me and after opening the pool this year to a green pool due to winter cover being compromised (bird strike). I shocked it per his instructions and he never had time to come back and balance everything for me, so I started my work...he told me not to worry about my alkalinity of 270+, just manage the ph and chlorine. He never mentioned CYA, never discussed CH, other than saying if it gets too high we'll have to treat it for calcium. So I abandoned his advice and went to the pool store. They started telling me various inconsistent methods of lowering my TA...I finally found the right method here and at reddit. Started learning about all of the other simple pool chem management methods, bought a Taylor K-2006C kit, and now I've gotten my TA down to 91 (after CYA adjustment, so close), CH is at 160, ph is staying put at 7.5-7.6 unless I'm hitting the TA again on cloudy no-swim days, and CYA is at 45. I'm keeping FC where it's supposed to be and my pool hasn't been cloudy or green since I shocked it the first day this season. Thank you all for the help (existing and to-come)! I'm looking forward to a great rest of the season and future seasons as well!
Thanks much for having me!
He basically told me to keep it chlorinated using liquid chlorine, which is good...but then check the ph...if ph is high, throw two capfulls (small bucket lid) of ph minus granules into the skimmer...if ph is low, throw two capfulls of ph plus granules into the skimmer, and if ph is good, throw two capfulls of alkalinity plus into the skimmer. He then left me with one 5 pound bucket of all three of those, and 4 gallons of 12.5% liquid chlorine. That was all last year...we got to swim in it one time before he came back and closed it with algaecide winterizing solution and tearing down the hardware and installing the cover.
I started testing with the test strips he left me and after opening the pool this year to a green pool due to winter cover being compromised (bird strike). I shocked it per his instructions and he never had time to come back and balance everything for me, so I started my work...he told me not to worry about my alkalinity of 270+, just manage the ph and chlorine. He never mentioned CYA, never discussed CH, other than saying if it gets too high we'll have to treat it for calcium. So I abandoned his advice and went to the pool store. They started telling me various inconsistent methods of lowering my TA...I finally found the right method here and at reddit. Started learning about all of the other simple pool chem management methods, bought a Taylor K-2006C kit, and now I've gotten my TA down to 91 (after CYA adjustment, so close), CH is at 160, ph is staying put at 7.5-7.6 unless I'm hitting the TA again on cloudy no-swim days, and CYA is at 45. I'm keeping FC where it's supposed to be and my pool hasn't been cloudy or green since I shocked it the first day this season. Thank you all for the help (existing and to-come)! I'm looking forward to a great rest of the season and future seasons as well!
Thanks much for having me!
Glad to have you on the proper side of pool care. 
