New guy with a few questions - FC & PH changes?, Borates?

[oldguy70]

Had a pool resurface with new pebble, new in floor heads, and a boulder waterfall added this early spring....was taking my water sample to pool store daily and ended confused and frustrated, then I found you guys...doing my own testing (old guys can still learn)

Because of my faith in the pool store....I made mistakes, my CYA is way high and will drain this winter, but the summer heat is here temps have been 108 - 115 for 2 weeks and here to stay until late fall.

My Current numbers are FC - 13, CC - 0, PH - 7.5, TA - 100, CH - 320, CYA 130-160?

Pool in full sun from 9:00am - 5:00pm, temps past week have been 110 - 112

I loose about 2.0 - 3.0 FC daily, my PH seems to rise at about a .2 - .3 daily, do these numbers sound about right? Does the PH swing higher because of new surface?

Borates, is this something good? should I consider adding? with my numbers should I ?

Thanks (thanks for this web site and you guys for the wealth of information) (I also just place an order with TFTestkits - recommended from here)

 

[oldguy70]

Sorry, another question....I let the FC get down to 8 or 9 for 1 or 2 days to test for the PH, is there a better way to do this?

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP! Congrats on the new and improved pool.

Yes, new plaster will cause PH to rise. Keep an eye on it. It is important to keep the PH between 7.2 and 7.8.

Chlorine level is set based on CYA and the Chlorine CYA Chart. With CYA of 160 your target chlorine level is 18 and minimum level is 12. Don't let the chlorine level drop below the minimum to keep the pool sanitized and algae free. If you do get algae the shock level will be 62 ppm.

The only way to lower CYA is to drain more than half your water or a third a couple of times.

 

[oldguy70]

Welcome to TFP! Congrats on the new and improved pool.

Yes, new plaster will cause PH to rise. Keep an eye on it. It is important to keep the PH between 7.2 and 7.8.

Chlorine level is set based on CYA and the Chlorine CYA Chart. With CYA of 160 your target chlorine level is 18 and minimum level is 12. Don't let the chlorine level drop below the minimum to keep the pool sanitized and algae free. If you do get algae the shock level will be 62 ppm.

The only way to lower CYA is to drain more than half your water or a third a couple of times.

Hi pooldv, thanks for the welcome.....I plan to drain this winter, not now way to hot, I do let the chlorine get down to 8 or 9 so I am able to test the PH.

Not knowing anything about the CYA the pool store never said a d***** thing, just kept having me add this and that. My mistakes, I have owned pools in Arizona for nearly 20 years, always did my own thing until thing year, then started with the pool store and realized that not only have I been doing the wrong thing the pool store has been guiding me the wrong way.....Now I am learning, doing it the troublefreepool way.

About borates, any ideas? and testing for PH with high chlorine?

 

[pooldv]

Yeah, it is pretty amazing that pool stores haven't figured out the whole chlorine/CYA thing. The no PH test above 10 is a pain for sure. I have rising PH and have been SLAMing my own pool for 2 weeks and wondering what my PH is doing. I am finished now and should be under 10 tomorrow so I can test it. I am a fan of borates, they make the water feel nicer. Here is more about it and how to do it, Borates - Why and How.

Good for finding TFP, it will make this summer better and next summer will be great!