Hello from New Jersey

[DPawlu]

Hi Everyone! I live in central New Jersey and have a 29000 gal. in-ground plaster pool (came with the house), Hayward Pro Grid DE filter (48 sq ft), Hayward Superpump II (1 hp), and in-line CMP chlorinator. I've been "winging it" for 7 years now (by "winging it" I mean, get the water tested at the pool store, buy what they tell me to buy, and add what they tell me to add ). I'm looking forward to actually learning the in's and out's of pool chemestry and I just happened to stumble across this forum.

Here's my latest test results (from the pool store):

FC = 3.4
TC = 3.4
PH = 8.2
TA = 126
CH = 195
CYA = 52

Seems like I'm doing OK. According to the Chlorine/CYA chart, I should get my FC to a minimum of 4 (ideally 6). Also, it looks like I'm on the borderline of calcium scaling, but the water is crystal clear (so signs of cloudiness). The PH is a little alkaline, but the people at the pool store said not to do anything and that the PH will come down on it's own over time. (To their credit, they didn't try to sell me anything and told me to just go enjoy the pool :-D ).

I was shocked to read about the CYA/Chlorine relationship. So, I shut down the in-line chlorinator (tri-chlor pucks) and I've been using bleach (32 fl. oz. / day).

I just want to say that this forum is GREAT! The information here is just what I've been looking for all these years. Getting any information let alone correct information has been very difficult. The Pool Calculator application is just awesome, and so are all the charts and tables. Pool School is awesome too! Thank you everyone for this site! Hopefully, over time, I can become a contributor as well.

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

If you are using trichlor tablets, the PH might well come down on it's own. But otherwise you should bring the PH down yourself. It is a little dangerous to allow the PH to be 8.2, since anything higher than 8,2 will read as 8.2 on the test, so you have no idea what the PH really is. On the other hand, if you have fresh plaster (in the last 6 weeks) you should certainly bring the PH down.

 

[DPawlu]

Wow! Thanks for the quick reply!

anything higher than 8,2 will read as 8.2 on the test, so you have no idea what the PH really is.

I did not know that. That's not good.

If you are using trichlor tablets, the PH might well come down on it's own. But otherwise you should bring the PH down yourself.

I do have trichlor tablets in the in-line chlorinator, but I have it turned off at the moment. I didn't want the CYA to climb any higher. But, now it is a trade-off: to a let the CYA climb a little bit higher and let the PH fall a little bit. Or, I have some BioGuard(?) Lo 'N Slo I could add a small amount and re-test. My thinking was that (1) our rain tends to be acidic and (2) I add water from the tap every so often to make up for the evaporation so eventually the PH would drop. Any suggestions?

It is a little dangerous to allow the PH to be 8.2

I know I run the risk of scaling when the PH is high (I'm not currently seeing any and the water is crystal clear)... are there other dangers I should be aware of?

On the other hand, if you have fresh plaster (in the last 6 weeks) you should certainly bring the PH down.

I don't have fresh plaster, but I'll have to read up on that (I saw an article in the pool school about plaster care).

Thank you so much for taking the time to look over my numbers and offer advice!

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Getting your own test kit will help you immensely. The TF-100 (link in my sig) is the best value out there...

No, there aren't any other dangers with high pH. Rain and tap water are nowhere near acidic enough to make a difference in your pH...using muriatic acid (liquid) is best, but the dry stuff you have will work as well. Just use the pool calculator to determine how much to add.

 

[DPawlu]

Getting your own test kit will help you immensely. The TF-100 (link in my sig) is the best value out there...

As soon as I can get my wife to put it on her paypal account, I'm going to get a TFT membership and a TF-100 kit. I'll work on getting the PH down and post my numbers when I do. I'll probably go with the dry acid (Lo 'n Slo) since I have it on-hand.

Thanks!

 

[Bama Rambler]

When you get the membership PM Jason for a discount code for the TF-100 and then order that.