I want a clear pool this season please help me

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deekayjo

0
Aug 26, 2015
13
Holyoke
I would like to do the BBC method this season
Last year I had pea green water almost all 'season. I live in MA so the weather cam be unpredictable.
So far I have emptied the pool, scrubbed with bleach, soaked and scrubbed all tubes and parts. I refilled pool and threw in a gallon of bleech.
I have a 18x48 vinyl INTEX pool. It's been up for about 5 years. I had water tested today and results were:
Total chlorine 2.8
Free chlorine 2.0
Ph 7.1
Total alkalinity 55
Calcium hardness 50
Stabilizer 0
What should I add next amount/order.
Thank you all so much for doing this. I have been reading this forum for a few years but finally ready to try the BBC.
 
deek, it's great to have you with us at TFP. But the one common theme you will hear here at every post is, "Test your own water with a recommended test kit". Okay, I said it. :blah: But really, try to make it this season's priority. The pool store won't do you justice. I recommend the TF-100 (link below), but a Taylor K-2006C will work as well.

With new water, be careful with bleach and no CYA (stabilizer) because the bleach is much more intense. Ignore low CH because it doesn't apply in a vinyl pool. Your pH is slightly low, but should climb-up on it's own. New water won't have CYA, so in MA, add enough granular stabilizer for an initial CYA target of "30". Use the sock-soaking method we speak of here often, and squeeze the sock throughout the day to help the granules dissolve. You can use the Poolmath calculator (link below) to determine how much stabilizer to add to get to 30. That much you can do right now even without a kit.

As for FC (Free Chlorine), which is balanced with that CYA and keeps algae away, you MUST have your own test kit - the right one (TF-100). You already added one gallon of bleach, but it's probably going fast without CYA to protect it. Your FC for today should be about 2-3. After the stabilizer dissolves, it needs to be between 4-6, and never below 2.

That's about it for now. I can't emphasize the test kit enough. That's what you need to stay away from green water. :)

Nice to have you with us.
 
I have to pile on and say get a proper test kit. There really is no other way to effectively manage your pool. Yes, it's a chunk of change, but it'll last you all season and quite possibly into next year, too.

If you break out the plastic and order a kit today, you'll have it early next week. By the end of the weekend, your water should be pretty close to perfect, barring an algae outbreak. By Memorial Day you'll have testing and poolmath and everything else mastered, and for the remainder of the swim season your pool will be so clear it will be the envy of the whole neighborhood. It won't smell, it won't dry skin, it won't burn anyone's eyes. You'll probably spend no more than an hour a week on maintenance. A couple minutes a day and maybe half an hour to vacuum. That's it. Really. The filter will only need to run a few hours a day, which should save you plenty on electricity. Odds are, the pool store is quick to urge 24/7 filtering, even though it's not necessary. But hey -- you're paying, not them! Besides the test kit, everything else you need can be bought at the grocery store or the hardware store much cheaper than the pool store. The kit will pay for itself in no time.
 
Oh no I just realized I ordered a Taylor K-2006 not the c...will this one still be ok?
Click to expand...
It's a good kit, but unlike the "C" model (commercial), it won't have the larger reagent bottles, so some items may run-out sooner. You can always contact TFTestkits.com and order some more refills.
 
Ok so I took my first shot as a chemist using the Taylor K2006 kit. I don't know if I did it correct or if my results make sense. Here is my first go:

PH 7.0-7.2 (couldn't decide which matched better)
TA- 4 drops x10 brought me to 40PPM
CH-3 drops to turn red so 3x10=30ppm
CY Acid 30ppm
Free& combined test:
used 10ml lime with the 2 dippers took 20 drops to get to clear so 20x.5_10ppm?
added 5r-003 and made it a very pale pink added 0871 1 drop made colorless so 1x.5=.5ppm?

Am I close to doing this correct?

Thank you as always!
I have a 18x48 vinyl INTEX pool.
 
I think you need to redo the CH test - should have started pink and turned blue.

TA may be a tad low - make sure you're adding drops until the mixture turns a bright hot pink and doesn't get any more pink. Once it stops turning pink-er, you subtract the last drop and you have your number. Let's try that one again too. :)

Sounds like you got the FC and CC tests correct - nice job!

So, first things first, your pH is a bit low. You'll want to aerate the water any way you can - splashing, turning a return eyeball towards the surface so it ripples and disturbs it, etc.
Chlorine looks good.

How is your water looking?? Is it nice and clear or a little cloudy, or green?
 
Wow, that's some soft water! Too bad you're so far away.... you could come pump a barrel of my pool water out and get enough CH to bring yours right in range. :lol: With that low CH, you should raise it to protect the plaster. How does the water look otherwise?
 

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deekayjo said:
CH do over
3rd drop turned it blue so 3x10=30ppm

TA do over 7 dropsx10=70ppm


Water looks clear, but on a side note, we are expecting a ton of rain this weekend.
Click to expand...

I believe the CH test is x25, the TA test is x10. :) So unless your test is different than mine (that's possible), you have 75ppm CH - which is still really really soft! No worries, as Richard said, it's not a big deal in a vinyl pool.

70 TA is actually really good.
 
The taylor kit does start pink and turns clear after sufficient drops. Depending on the sample tested, you will either multiply the drops by .2 (25ml sample) or .5 (10ml sample). If you truly have a taylor 2006 then yes, your results of 10ppm Free and .5ppm CC is correct.

- - - Updated - - -

As far as CH and TA go, I definitely agree with these other guys that your CH needs to be raised, and your TA looks sufficient for your particular levels.
 
triptyx said:
I believe the CH test is x25, the TA test is x10. :) So unless your test is different than mine (that's possible), you have 75ppm CH - which is still really really soft! No worries, as Richard said, it's not a big deal in a vinyl pool.

70 TA is actually really good.
Click to expand...

I just doubled checked,

My kit said use 25ml and multiply by 10...but if high CH is anticipated use 10ML and multiply by 25. I had no clue what it would be so I just used the 25ml sample

What will my next steps be?
Do I need to add anything right now?
Should I do anything in anticipation of the 1.5 inches of rain we are expecting this weekend?

You all are awesome!

- - - Updated - - -

Yes, I added the stabilizer using the sock method. Should I use more? This is a fresh fill.
 
My apologies, I didn't realize you were using the 25ml sample, please disregard what I said above. I always use the 10ml sample myself. Use whichever you like. :)

Let's retest your CYA, we'll figure out your new chlorine targets from that, but other than that, your numbers are pretty decent.
 
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