Sorry this is long, LOL
Background, I myself have had above ground pools for 10 years now. Been using the TFP method since the beginning. A family friend reached out asking for help with her pool. Her pool is serviced by one of the local pool stores (for 25+ years). She has a 22000gal vinyl inground. Husband passed away last year, all pool maintenance since then has been done by pool store guy. She visited pool store this spring and they gave her a list of chemicals to buy for the pool guy to use over the summer. Pool guy comes once a week, spends 30 minutes doing "stuff" (she doesn't really know)
She has the following in her pool shed:
Bioguard Pool Complete (no ingredients listed, best I can find is that it might be some sort of flocc?) 2 large jugs
Bioguard Pool Opening Complete (empty, assuming this has already been thrown in the pool)
Bioguard SilkGuard Complete 3" tri-chlor tabs
Bioguard Algae Complete (unsure if any has been used)
Bioguard Burnout 3 (20+ bags) cal-hypo
History:
7/3/20 Pool store report "Did not add chemicals due to rain"
Cl .06
PH 6.7
CYA 53
CH 233
TA 50
(small note on the report says "shock when rain stops" - homeowner didn't see this or even know that she was supposed to be doing anything other than throwing a puck in the skimmer when the current puck dissolved.)
7/10/20 pool store report "did not add chemicals due to low chlorine, would be a waste of money"
CL .06
PH 6.7
CYA 33
CH 210
TA 30
Pool store delivered 45 gallons on 12.5% CL , "add 15 gallons at 7am, 10am, and 3pm. bring water for retest tomorrow). Friend takes pool sample 7/11 to pool store, person manning the store doesn't really know how to run tests he says, but "there isn't any chlorine in your pool, I don't know what to do, call back later". Homeowner called back 10 minutes before closing and they've already left for the rest of the weekend.
7/12/20 they ask for my help. Take my trusty K2006 over.
CL 0.0
CC 1.5
PH lemon yellow in color <7
CYA <30ppm (sample never got cloudy, filled it to the top of test tube and still clear)
TA between 20-30, CH 225 (i think, forgot to write that one down).
My research leads me to believe that there was an ammonia issue that ate up all the CYA and the pool store was attempting to take care of this via the 45 gallons of chlorine. Added 205oz 12.5%, got CL to read 10. 10 minutes later, test again, 4.5. Add more 12.5% , 10 min later CL is 5.5. waited 30 minutes, CL is 4.5-5, Added more to bring back to 10. Sun going down, Chlorine not disappearing as fast. Started floating CYA in socks. Also added about 6lbs of Alkalinity increaser (Sodium Bicarbonate) - will retest PH in AM.
water is blue, little on the cloudy side
7/13/20 K2006 test results
CL 0.5 (there is apparently a trichlor puck in the skimmer - assuming that is where the chlorine is coming from)
CC 1.5
PH <7 still lemon yellow
TA 50
Out of liquid chlorine, so used 3 bags of Burnout3 (cal-hypo) to get the CL back up to 10. waited 30-40 minutes CL is 9.5. Added washing soda (had about 2 lbs) will retest to see if PH is any better tomorrow). Told homeowner to put 2 more bags of the cal-hypo in tonight to bring the Chorine back up. I'll go back tomorrow AM and test again. Water is very clear, brushing does stir up dust clouds (grey - probably just pollen and dead algae)
Am I on the right track? I always fight high PH in my pool, so this super low PH and TA is new for me.
Pool store still hasn't returned her calls, but with no detectable chlorine and no stabilizer, with 100+degree temps and a full day of sun, she was going to end up with a swamp in no time, hopefully I'm keeping that from happening.
Homeowner does not have a test kit, so I must drive clear across town to test pool (85 year old, just wants to enjoy her pool, not learn how it works) I'm trying to convince her to learn how to test her pool - and I can provide advice over the phone (she lives on the opposite side of town from us - lucky for us, just a 25 minute drive each way)
Appreciate any advice you've got for me... and suggestions on a suggested "weekly maintenance plan" for her.
Background, I myself have had above ground pools for 10 years now. Been using the TFP method since the beginning. A family friend reached out asking for help with her pool. Her pool is serviced by one of the local pool stores (for 25+ years). She has a 22000gal vinyl inground. Husband passed away last year, all pool maintenance since then has been done by pool store guy. She visited pool store this spring and they gave her a list of chemicals to buy for the pool guy to use over the summer. Pool guy comes once a week, spends 30 minutes doing "stuff" (she doesn't really know)
She has the following in her pool shed:
Bioguard Pool Complete (no ingredients listed, best I can find is that it might be some sort of flocc?) 2 large jugs
Bioguard Pool Opening Complete (empty, assuming this has already been thrown in the pool)
Bioguard SilkGuard Complete 3" tri-chlor tabs
Bioguard Algae Complete (unsure if any has been used)
Bioguard Burnout 3 (20+ bags) cal-hypo
History:
7/3/20 Pool store report "Did not add chemicals due to rain"
Cl .06
PH 6.7
CYA 53
CH 233
TA 50
(small note on the report says "shock when rain stops" - homeowner didn't see this or even know that she was supposed to be doing anything other than throwing a puck in the skimmer when the current puck dissolved.)
7/10/20 pool store report "did not add chemicals due to low chlorine, would be a waste of money"
CL .06
PH 6.7
CYA 33
CH 210
TA 30
Pool store delivered 45 gallons on 12.5% CL , "add 15 gallons at 7am, 10am, and 3pm. bring water for retest tomorrow). Friend takes pool sample 7/11 to pool store, person manning the store doesn't really know how to run tests he says, but "there isn't any chlorine in your pool, I don't know what to do, call back later". Homeowner called back 10 minutes before closing and they've already left for the rest of the weekend.
7/12/20 they ask for my help. Take my trusty K2006 over.
CL 0.0
CC 1.5
PH lemon yellow in color <7
CYA <30ppm (sample never got cloudy, filled it to the top of test tube and still clear)
TA between 20-30, CH 225 (i think, forgot to write that one down).
My research leads me to believe that there was an ammonia issue that ate up all the CYA and the pool store was attempting to take care of this via the 45 gallons of chlorine. Added 205oz 12.5%, got CL to read 10. 10 minutes later, test again, 4.5. Add more 12.5% , 10 min later CL is 5.5. waited 30 minutes, CL is 4.5-5, Added more to bring back to 10. Sun going down, Chlorine not disappearing as fast. Started floating CYA in socks. Also added about 6lbs of Alkalinity increaser (Sodium Bicarbonate) - will retest PH in AM.
water is blue, little on the cloudy side
7/13/20 K2006 test results
CL 0.5 (there is apparently a trichlor puck in the skimmer - assuming that is where the chlorine is coming from)
CC 1.5
PH <7 still lemon yellow
TA 50
Out of liquid chlorine, so used 3 bags of Burnout3 (cal-hypo) to get the CL back up to 10. waited 30-40 minutes CL is 9.5. Added washing soda (had about 2 lbs) will retest to see if PH is any better tomorrow). Told homeowner to put 2 more bags of the cal-hypo in tonight to bring the Chorine back up. I'll go back tomorrow AM and test again. Water is very clear, brushing does stir up dust clouds (grey - probably just pollen and dead algae)
Am I on the right track? I always fight high PH in my pool, so this super low PH and TA is new for me.
Pool store still hasn't returned her calls, but with no detectable chlorine and no stabilizer, with 100+degree temps and a full day of sun, she was going to end up with a swamp in no time, hopefully I'm keeping that from happening.
Homeowner does not have a test kit, so I must drive clear across town to test pool (85 year old, just wants to enjoy her pool, not learn how it works) I'm trying to convince her to learn how to test her pool - and I can provide advice over the phone (she lives on the opposite side of town from us - lucky for us, just a 25 minute drive each way)
Appreciate any advice you've got for me... and suggestions on a suggested "weekly maintenance plan" for her.