Metals in my pool

[Lykebu]

Your chemistry looks good. If you see no signs of copper staining at this time, you may be fine.

Use muriatic acid to lower pH to 7.2. Use PoolMath to help you determine the amount required. Use liquid chlorine to maintain FC based on the FC/CYA Levels. Use the higher target levels until you get to know your pool.

Questions?

Ok thank you! I had bought pH minus from the store before i joined this site, its sodium bisulfate, can I use that so its not going to wasted?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I had bought pH minus from the store before i joined this site, its sodium bisulfate, can I use that so its not going to wasted?

Sodium bisulfate is not recommended as continued use can damage to the pool and metal components. Your choice. From Pool School:

Dry acid is sold by pool stores and the pool departments of some big box stores. Dry acid is sold under various names, including PH Down, PH Reducer, PH Decreaser, Lo-n-Slo, etc. Dry acid is best added by pre-dissolving it in a bucket of water and then pouring that slowly in front of a return.

 

[Lykebu]

Sodium bisulfate is not recommended as continued use can damage to the pool and metal components. Your choice. From Pool School:

Dry acid is sold by pool stores and the pool departments of some big box stores. Dry acid is sold under various names, including PH Down, PH Reducer, PH Decreaser, Lo-n-Slo, etc. Dry acid is best added by pre-dissolving it in a bucket of water and then pouring that slowly in front of a return.

I see, I think I will use it and once I finish I will switch to dry ice if needed, I absolutely was trying to avoid going to pool stores lol

 

[Lykebu]

I see, I think I will use it and once I finish I will switch to dry ice if needed, I absolutely was trying to avoid going to pool stores lol

What about calcium Hardness and TA, do I need to fix that?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

If you keep your pH in range by adding acid, each time you add acid your TA will lower a bit. Your CH level is fine. Just continue to test it every month or so.

I'm not sure if this was posted earlier, but take a look at your recommended ranges:

What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?

Use our tool to find ideal chemical levels for any swimming pool. Check TFP recommended levels on pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, and more.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

I see, I think I will use it and once I finish I will switch to dry ice if needed, I absolutely was trying to avoid going to pool stores lol

The better alternative to sodium bisulfate is muriatic acid. I assume that's what you mean?

 

[Lykebu]

Tested today pH 7.0, fc 2, cc 0.5, TA 90. Should I add alkaline and cl?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Your pH is fine. Don't go below 7.0. When it reaches 7.8, lower it to 7.2. Continue the cycle as lower TA levels will help to stabilize pH rise.

You should be testing and dosing FC to target levels daily. Your FC is dangerously low. Look at the chart below for proper levels.

 

[Lykebu]

Your pH is fine. Don't go below 7.0. When it reaches 7.8, lower it to 7.2. Continue the cycle as lower TA levels will help to stabilize pH rise.

You should be testing and dosing FC to target levels daily. Your FC is dangerously low. Look at the chart below for proper levels.

View attachment 524013

Thank you for this table. My pH was 8 on Friday, so I treated it and it dropped to below 7, but then 2 days later it increased to 7.2 today , now with cl, should I treat right away or wait until night time? I feel I’m using a lot of cl. Yesterday I put 2 gallons, 1 in am and another at night. Should I add cl now or wait until nighttime?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Add chlorine immediately. You need to get it up to target level. Test again tonight and take it to target level. Then, you should be able to maintain it daily with one test. If you're losing more than 4 ppm per day, you may have a problem.

Is the water still crystal clear? Any signs of algae?

 

[Lykebu]

Add chlorine immediately. You need to get it up to target level. Test again tonight and take it to target level. Then, you should be able to maintain it daily with one test. If you're losing more than 4 ppm per day, you may have a problem.

Is the water still crystal clear? Any signs of algae?

No signs of algae at all. We scrubbed pool to clean yesterday and it was cloudy but cleared up within couple of hours. Water is the clearest it’s been

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

We scrubbed pool to clean yesterday and it was cloudy but cleared up within couple of hours

This is a bit concerning.

Yesterday I put 2 gallons, 1 in am and another at night.

There's something wrong if you added 2 gallons of chlorine yesterday and it's gone today. Two gallons of 10% bleach should increase FC by 12 ppm. If the percentage and volume are correct, that means you lost 10 ppm of FC in a day.

Is the bleach 10%. How old is it? Check for a 5-digit Julian code on the bottle/package for date of manufacture. First two digits are the year and last three are day of year (ex 23096 produced on the 96th day of 2023).

When you add chlorine, test 30 minutes later and make sure your getting the expected results per Pool Math.

You may need to do another Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.

 

[Lykebu]

This is a bit concerning.



There's something wrong if you added 2 gallons of chlorine yesterday and it's gone today. Two gallons of 10% bleach should increase FC by 12 ppm. If the percentage and volume are correct, that means you lost 10 ppm of FC in a day.

Is the bleach 10%. How old is it? Check for a 5-digit Julian code on the bottle/package for date of manufacture. First two digits are the year and last three are day of year (ex 23096 produced on the 96th day of 2023).

When you add chlorine, test 30 minutes later and make sure your getting the expected results per Pool Math.

You may need to do another Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.

I will check shortly. But I just bought the liq cl from Walmart yesterday. If it’s not working I will need to return and ask for refund. Didn’t think to check the date. So what else would the problem be other than old cl? Any other issues with pool that could be eating up cl?

 

[JamesR]

If your pool is eating chlorine, it’s either strong sun or you have organic in there eating it. Like algae. Cloudy water is the pre cursor to algae. Losing 10pm /day is algae most likely An overnight chlorine loss test will tell you for sure. It’s called OCLT here.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

So what else would the problem be other than old cl?

As James mentioned, algae. Double check your testing procedure. Ensure your sample size matches the multiplier. Make sure the chlorine is not too old.

 

[Lykebu]

I will check shortly. But I just bought the liq cl from Walmart yesterday. If it’s not working I will need to return and ask for refund. Didn’t think to check the date. So what else would the problem be other than old cl? Any other issues with pool that could be eating up cl?

It’s 10%

 

[Lykebu]

I checked cl this is 3 hrs after applying. It’s at 5. My cl is 23 215. So I guess it’s 215 days old. Is that a problem? Let me know please. We have scrubbed the pool and we’ve seen nothing like algae. We’ve looked in all the corners. It’s so clear

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Actually, the 215th day of 2023 was August 4th, so that is very fresh chlorine. Not knowing how much chlorine you used, I don't know if your result is what you expected.

Algae is not always readily apparent. Sometimes it can manifest itself as cloudy water and sometimes you may not even notice it at all. That's why testing frequently and maintaining FC levels is so important. By the time you see signs of algae, it's usually too late.

I recommend an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test for a definitive answer.

 

[Lykebu]

Actually, the 215th day of 2023 was August 4th, so that is very fresh chlorine. Not knowing how much chlorine you used, I don't know if your result is what you expected.

This morning 1 gallon. Last night 1 gallon

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

This morning 1 gallon. Last night 1 gallon

See the screenshot below. Each gallon adds approximately 6 ppm FC. During swim season, most pools use between 2-4 ppm. If your tests are accurate, your FC loss is excessive.
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test