Issue With New Fiberglass Pool & Scaling

[Mdragger88]

For stabilizer, am I looking for chlorine stabilizer? Going to download the poolmath app today.

Yes - also sometimes called conditioner.

 

[norsehorse]

Okay, so I just got home and tested everything. Here's where my numbers came back at:
7.4 pH
120 PPM Alkalinity
0 CH (again)
.4 PPM FC
.8 CC

So it looks like I'm low on Free Chlorine. I picked up the liquid chlorine, and based on Texas suggestion of 4-5 PPM of liquid chlorine on a 20,000 gallon pool, I'd need to add about 104-130 oz of liquid chlorine. It says on the bottle that 13 oz. is 1 PPM per 10,000 gallons, so just doing that basic math. I purchased a box of Pool Essentials Liquid Chlorine as suggested.

Does this sound about right? And then the recommendation is to add an additional 30PPM Of stabilizer afterwards?

Just want to make sure I've got this all down before I start dumping chemicals. When I use the Pool Math app, it doesn't give me an option to select liquid chlorine as the sanitizing agent.

 

[Mdragger88]

Okay, so I just got home and tested everything. Here's where my numbers came back at:
7.4 pH
120 PPM Alkalinity
0 CH (again)
.4 PPM FC
.8 CC

So it looks like I'm low on Free Chlorine. I picked up the liquid chlorine, and based on Texas suggestion of 4-5 PPM of liquid chlorine on a 20,000 gallon pool, I'd need to add about 104-130 oz of liquid chlorine. It says on the bottle that 13 oz. is 1 PPM per 10,000 gallons, so just doing that basic math. I purchased a box of Pool Essentials Liquid Chlorine as suggested.

Does this sound about right? And then the recommendation is to add an additional 30PPM Of stabilizer afterwards?

Just want to make sure I've got this all down before I start dumping chemicals. When I use the Pool Math app, it doesn't give me an option to select liquid chlorine as the sanitizing agent.

In poolmath select bleach & your percentage- no sense in doing the toilet paper math on the packages

 

[Mdragger88]

In poolmath select bleach & your percentage- no sense in doing the toilet paper math on the packages

 

[Mdragger88]

Add the stabilizer to a sock (s) tie a knot in it, hang it infront of a running return not touching the pool wall. If u have 2 returns u can do 2 socks

 

[norsehorse]

Thanks for the feedback. After talking with the PB last night, he recommended I add one bag of shock, which treats 13,500 gallons, which I did. He said not to add too much. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt since he still hasn't "handed off care" to me yet as part of our contract. I just tested the water and my FC is at .4 PPM now, so clearly it wasn't enough. Pool is still cloudy. Both PB and his maintenance tech are telling me to just add a clarifier to the pool, and leave the three chlorine tablets in the float device.

Are there any downsides to adding in the liquid chlorine now after having added the bag of shock last night, even though it seems it wasn't enough? My CYA is still under 20, so when I look at the chart that Texas linked, it seems that adding the liquid chlorine per the instructions might be the right thing to do.

 

[Mdragger88]

What is the “shock” that u added/have? Cal hypo, trichlor, or dichlor?
Go ahead & Add 5ppm worth of liquid chlorine now. Pour slowly infront of a running return, brush the area.

 

[Mdragger88]

Also get the sock with the cya going-

 

[norsehorse]

Sounds good, thanks!

 

[norsehorse]

What is the “shock” that u added/have? Cal hypo, trichlor, or dichlor?
Go ahead & Add 5ppm worth of liquid chlorine now. Pour slowly infront of a running return, brush the area.

It's the HTH 3 in 1 shock.

https://www.amazon.com/HTH-52026-Super-Treatment-Swimming/dp/B07YKWDZPW

 

[Mdragger88]

That is cal hypo-

It can cloud the water if alot is used at once & you need to be sure that it doesn’t rest on the pool surface.

 

[Mdragger88]

It won’t hurt anything to add lc now. You need adequate fc to prevent a lagoon.
Also add the cya/stabilizer via the sock method.
The cal hypo adds calcium & fc. It contains no cya.
Do not add clarifier- that is only a bandaid that will gum up your filter. The cloudiness is likely from algae. You need to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test at target fc levels FC/CYA Levels.
I am also not understanding how they are claiming u have scale when you have no ch but at the same time they are suggesting u add cal hypo which adds ch & too much ch is what can cause scale …
We’re a few pages in so remind me, is all your equipment hooked up yet?

 

[norsehorse]

It won’t hurt anything to add lc now. You need adequate fc to prevent a lagoon.
Also add the cya/stabilizer via the sock method.
The cal hypo adds calcium & fc. It contains no cya.
Do not add clarifier- that is only a bandaid that will gum up your filter. The cloudiness is likely from algae. You need to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test at target fc levels FC/CYA Levels.
I am also not understanding how they are claiming u have scale when you have no ch but at the same time they are suggesting u add cal hypo which adds ch & too much ch is what can cause scale …
We’re a few pages in so remind me, is all your equipment hooked up yet?

The SWG is not on yet, no. That's supposed to happen this week or next. We are just limping along until then unfortunately.

 

[Mdragger88]

The SWG is not on yet, no. That's supposed to happen this week or next. We are just limping along until then unfortunately.

But the pump is up & running?
You are just awaiting salt & to power on the swg?

 

[norsehorse]

But the pump is up & running?
You are just awaiting salt & to power on the swg?

Yes, pump is on and running 24/7. Waiting on salt and to power the SWG, which is supposed to happen when the builder does "pool school" at the end of the process.

 

[Mdragger88]

But the pump is up & running?
You are just awaiting salt & to power on the swg?

Please be advised that the swg will not solve your woes if u have algae.
The SLAM Process must be done to eradicate algae before hand.
Swg’s are designed to maintain & provide 2-4 ppm of fc daily , not to overcome an algae problem.
The jest of things is that you need cya now to protect the fc (about 30ppm) while u are manually chlorinating and/or slamming then upon completion of SLAM Process/confirmation that u are algae free by
1.Passing an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test,
2.Having crystal clear water w/ no visible algae (dead or alive),
AND
3.having cc’s of .5 or less

you will then need to increase cya to around 70ppm to protect the fc that the swg makes once it takes over the daily addition of fc.

 

[Mdragger88]

U will likely have to decide whether to follow the pb’s chemistry advice or the TFP recommendations - they generally don’t jive with one another. Many people decide that the “included” services from the pb are not worth the headache & take over chemical maintenance themselves to prevent being stuck with a swamp in their backyard whilst waiting at the the leisure of the pb. Waiting on them to install/start up equipment is fine & recommended since they are liable & that impacts your warranties.

 

[norsehorse]

Sounds good, appreciate your support!

 

[gingrbredman]

U will likely have to decide whether to follow the pb’s chemistry advice or the TFP recommendations - they generally don’t jive with one another. Many people decide that the “included” services from the pb are not worth the headache & take over chemical maintenance themselves to prevent being stuck with a swamp in their backyard whilst waiting at the the leisure of the pb

This is great advice. We have established that the PB does not have the expertise of pool chemistry, so adding anything based on his suggestions are likely going to be against good practices, and the TFP recommendations. As if we didn't have enough, the two statements below are great examples of what not to do.....

After talking with the PB last night, he recommended I add one bag of shock, which treats 13,500 gallons

Both PB and his maintenance tech are telling me to just add a clarifier to the pool, and leave the three chlorine tablets in the float device.

As @Mdragger88 alluded to, you probably need to be at least aware of the suggestions these guys are giving you with regards to the chemicals. You will have to dance a little bit, pretend to listen to them, because an outright dismissal of their suggestions, could come back later with the idea you aren't following their way, and perhaps warranty issues. But it sounds like you have a PB, AND a maintenance guy, and both of them are telling you to add the chemicals, so listen, nod, and please do not add anything except CYA or liquid chlorine right now. Those are what your water needs, you have to be heading towards a SLAM, and anything else will complicate the process.

Are there any downsides to adding in the liquid chlorine now

None at all. You need chorine in there, stat. The cloudiness likely has more to do with algae than anything else, with a low CYA level and your reported chlorine levels, something has got to be growing in there...

0 CH (again)

my FC is at .4

 

[norsehorse]

Thanks! Once liquid chlorine is added, how long out should I expect to see cloudiness dissipate? And when would I test the FC/CC levels again?