Hi All,
This is my first time posting. I have got my pool 2 years ago when I bought a house that already had one. The first year I had a company open, I opened last year, and this year I'm seeing some issues (minor I hope) opening. I bought the test kit to get me moving along and try to move from the expensive pool store chems to the easier store bought stuff.
About a week ago I pumped out about 5 inches of water and filled with fresh city water. I end up doing this every year due to high TDS numbers (is this really a concern I should worry about?) I started to open yesterday and had a lot of white-ish colored stuff in the pool and and it was pretty cloudy (but blue). I added 3 gallons 8.25% liquid chlorine and about 8 bags of Costco Shock to get me running. Fired up the filter and got it running. Started the heater to raise temp from a balmy 60 to about 72 right now. I let it run over night and my visibility is only about 4 feet into the water.
My tests show the following:
Chlorine ~ 3
PH ~6.9
FC = 6
CC = 0
TA = 240
CYA = 20
Pool store tests:
Ammonia 8.5-9
PH = 7.5
FC = .4
CC = 3.3
TA = 212
CYA = 43
Hardness = 451
TDS = 2000
Based on the ammonia levels (always a problem for me but normally around 1 not 8.5) they told me to just pump out water and add fresh. Basically advised I put the cover pump on one side of the pool and the hose on the other to get fresh water in. They didn't want to sell me anything because the ammonia issues. I don't know the best way to combat the ammonia or why my water is cloudy. I also don't understand why the ammonia is a big deal? I know lakes and such have it naturally but I assume it is eating my chlorine. I'm looking for some advice on what to do. I also see some discrepancies in my numbers vs the Pool stores. They use a neat digital tester so it seems like it would be more accurate than me.
Thanks in advance for bearing with the newbie
This is my first time posting. I have got my pool 2 years ago when I bought a house that already had one. The first year I had a company open, I opened last year, and this year I'm seeing some issues (minor I hope) opening. I bought the test kit to get me moving along and try to move from the expensive pool store chems to the easier store bought stuff.
About a week ago I pumped out about 5 inches of water and filled with fresh city water. I end up doing this every year due to high TDS numbers (is this really a concern I should worry about?) I started to open yesterday and had a lot of white-ish colored stuff in the pool and and it was pretty cloudy (but blue). I added 3 gallons 8.25% liquid chlorine and about 8 bags of Costco Shock to get me running. Fired up the filter and got it running. Started the heater to raise temp from a balmy 60 to about 72 right now. I let it run over night and my visibility is only about 4 feet into the water.
My tests show the following:
Chlorine ~ 3
PH ~6.9
FC = 6
CC = 0
TA = 240
CYA = 20
Pool store tests:
Ammonia 8.5-9
PH = 7.5
FC = .4
CC = 3.3
TA = 212
CYA = 43
Hardness = 451
TDS = 2000
Based on the ammonia levels (always a problem for me but normally around 1 not 8.5) they told me to just pump out water and add fresh. Basically advised I put the cover pump on one side of the pool and the hose on the other to get fresh water in. They didn't want to sell me anything because the ammonia issues. I don't know the best way to combat the ammonia or why my water is cloudy. I also don't understand why the ammonia is a big deal? I know lakes and such have it naturally but I assume it is eating my chlorine. I'm looking for some advice on what to do. I also see some discrepancies in my numbers vs the Pool stores. They use a neat digital tester so it seems like it would be more accurate than me.
Thanks in advance for bearing with the newbie