New Homeowner - CLEAN POOL [back to shocking.]

[jblizzle]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

You think your CYA is at 20ppm right? Might be a good idea to bump that up to at least 30ppm to lower the loss in the daylight.

Always good to get the FC up at night so the sunlight plays no part.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[RockstarSD]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

that's what I mean - its dark as can be here so I know it's not the sun messing with me.

cya should be around 20 per previous tests. I can add several trichlor pucks to the skimmer basket to raise cya but they also have copper and I'm not sure I want to deal with that.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

Well might should buy some stabilizer now and add some since you will eventually need to raise it anyway.

Your situation really does look like ammonia ... hard to say it know how it got there.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

Ammonia? Now this seems simple! FC fell to zero for prolonged times. No circulation for prolonged times. Bacteria takes hold, ammonia forms, CYA drops to zero, can't get FC to hold...

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

You think your CYA is at 20ppm right? Might be a good idea to bump that up to at least 30ppm to lower the loss in the daylight.

Always good to get the FC up at night so the sunlight plays no part.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

If this is ammonia then keeping cya at present levels will help if I read chem geeks posts right (deep end ammonia thread).

 

[jblizzle]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

Just a guess based on the numbers ... Don't recall any of the history pointing to ammonia. I am not sure what is going on.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

Just a guess based on the numbers ... Don't recall any of the history pointing to ammonia. I am not sure what is going on.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

Nothing confirmed. Just injected into thread today. But it fits the history.

 

[RockstarSD]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

Test 25
fc: 10
cc: .5

I never did add the chlorine last night to get back up to 14, so this seems like an acceptable reading from my last test, which was 11 and 1.5. Had to backwash and then add DE this morning too, so something good happened overnight. I still have about a full trichlor puck in the skimmer basket. I will add 3 quarts of 12.5% to start off this morning and monitor throughout the day.

I was just asked if a couple of my younger cousins will be allowed to swim today. I know that it's safe to swim to shock levels, and the pH should be right around 7.5 so I think they're good in that regard. I've heard it mentioned that swimming is okay as long as you can see the bottom - but does it have to be crystal clear or just be able to see the bottom for obstructions sake?

 

[RockstarSD]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

I guess it's possible that it could have been/could be ammonia, but in the threads I was reading ammonia neutralized the CYA pretty quickly, and I've been holding steady at between 20 and 30 cya since I got my kit 5 days ago. I've dropped some, but then again I've lost and replaced about an inch and a half of water since then. I think it's more likely that I just wasn't using the proper shock levels because I was running my tests incorrectly.

 

[linen]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

I've heard it mentioned that swimming is okay as long as you can see the bottom - but does it have to be crystal clear or just be able to see the bottom for obstructions sake?

Yes, you are correct...it is to be able to see for safety.

 

[linen]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

I think it's more likely that I just wasn't using the proper shock levels because I was running my tests incorrectly.

Now that you are testing correctly, It seems like the process is progressing normally. I don't think you have ammonia (at least not much anymore...and you probably did not have any), since you would still have CC.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

I think it's more likely that I just wasn't using the proper shock levels because I was running my tests incorrectly.

Now that you are testing correctly, It seems like the process is progressing normally. I don't think you have ammonia (at least not much anymore...and you probably did not have any), since you would still have CC.

I can get behind the idea that ammonia may be gone - but it does fit the facts to assume it was there at one point:

1) Pool seems to have been maintained with CYA stablized chlorine.
2) FC ignored for weeks - haphazard at best chlorination.
3) CYA virtually zero - despite previous maintenance methods.
4) Pool wouldn't hold FC levels - high CC's shown in test when retested with better test methods.

I am NOT the expert here - but the pattern seems to fit. No one tested for ammonia so we don't have proof one way or the other.

 

[linen]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

I am NOT the expert here - but the pattern seems to fit. No one tested for ammonia so we don't have proof one way or the other.

I'm with you on this one, since the op was not making much progress until recently, but it is uncommon. Good news is the ops pool seems to be progressing normally through the process now.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

I am NOT the expert here - but the pattern seems to fit. No one tested for ammonia so we don't have proof one way or the other.

I'm with you on this one, since the op was not making much progress until recently, but it is uncommon. Good news is the ops pool seems to be progressing normally through the process now.

Agreed - whatever it is - Chlorine is the answer. Chem geek has said as much in his posts on ammonia so the practical impact is nil either way.

Good luck to the OP - I'm sure in no time he'll have it under control!

 

[RockstarSD]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 4]

Test 26
fc: 11
cc: 3

Pleasant to know that I only dropped 3 fc over the course of the day even with such low cya numbers. Going to add 69oz of 12.5% to get back up to 14 fc as I'm definitely still killing something off. Pool looks a lot better now though. Still not crystal clear but it's just barely cloudy. I may even be able to get a picture of the fact that we can see the deep end...

 

[RockstarSD]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 5]

Test 27
fc: 8
cc: 3

Need to add 137 oz to get back up to my shock level of 14 (switched to mustard algae shock level just in case there's ammonia in the pool)

 

[Swampwoman]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 5]

Ryan, are you aiming to get up to and MAINTAIN the shock level all day? That will speed things up. Every time your water drops below shock level, that is giving algae a chance to catch up/grow more, thereby clouding up water. To stay ahead of the curve, you don't really want to be dropping down to 8 if your shock level is 14...you want to try to dose frequently enough to maintain the 14, which means OVER dosing a little to accommodate the loss.

At any rate, keep it up -- the end is near and pretty soon you'll be in the clear. It will been sooner rather than later in direct relationship to how consistently you can maintain that shock level, IME.
Cheers!

 

[RockstarSD]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 5]

11 is my actual shock level. I'm bumping to 14 just in case there's ammonia, but yeah I see what you're saying. I'm noticing a marked improvement every day, so I'm doing something right, though I may be slowing the process a little by not being quite as on top of it as I should.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement!

 

[Swampwoman]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 5]

Oops, my bad...but yes, I predict it will go even faster if you can dose it above your level so that it's still at or a little above the level next time you check...That really did speed things up for me. I know it wears you down, so anything to hurry along that SPARKLE is so worth it

 

[linen]

Re: New Homeowner - Green Pool [shock process: day 5]

You are still getting really high and sustained CC values. I am wondering about ammonia even more now. You might want to test the water for it...again pet stores that carry fish may have what you need to do this. If it is ammonia, we might suggest being a little more aggressive on you shocking FC level...but not need to stress the system if it's not.