Hi all! I'm very glad to have found this place. Seems like exactly what I need.
I'm a new homeowner and, along with that, a new pool owner. I've never had a pool before. I'm learning as fast as I can so that we can use it this summer!
The details of my pool should be in my signature, but just in case: it's a 7,500-gallon, round, vinyl, above-ground pool.
A week ago, I took off the cover and started reckoning with the pool. I filled the sand filter and started pumping.
The early measurements (with strips; didn't have TF-Pro yet) showed zero FC/TC, about 7.4 pH, and about 180 TA.
It was a bit greenish and a bit cloudy.
I did some research and decided that I should get the TA under control before fiddling with pH.
So, three days ago, I added 52oz (6.5 cups) 14.5% HCl, which brought the pH down to around 7.0.
Yesterday, I built a PVC fountain and have been aerating through that on and off since then for a total of about 8 hours.
Today, I got my TF-Pro and did a full suite of tests: 0 FC, 0 CC, 7.2 pH, 120 TA, 100 CH, <30 CYA. So it seems my acid & aeration is having the intended effect!
I plan to continue aerating it when I can and testing pH twice a day until the pH comes back to around 7.6, then confirm that the TA hasn't fallen too far.
My questions:
I'm brand new to all this and hoping I haven't screwed it up too much yet.
I'm a new homeowner and, along with that, a new pool owner. I've never had a pool before. I'm learning as fast as I can so that we can use it this summer!
The details of my pool should be in my signature, but just in case: it's a 7,500-gallon, round, vinyl, above-ground pool.
A week ago, I took off the cover and started reckoning with the pool. I filled the sand filter and started pumping.
The early measurements (with strips; didn't have TF-Pro yet) showed zero FC/TC, about 7.4 pH, and about 180 TA.
It was a bit greenish and a bit cloudy.
I did some research and decided that I should get the TA under control before fiddling with pH.
So, three days ago, I added 52oz (6.5 cups) 14.5% HCl, which brought the pH down to around 7.0.
Yesterday, I built a PVC fountain and have been aerating through that on and off since then for a total of about 8 hours.
Today, I got my TF-Pro and did a full suite of tests: 0 FC, 0 CC, 7.2 pH, 120 TA, 100 CH, <30 CYA. So it seems my acid & aeration is having the intended effect!
I plan to continue aerating it when I can and testing pH twice a day until the pH comes back to around 7.6, then confirm that the TA hasn't fallen too far.
My questions:
- Once my pH is back up (and the TA has come down), should I SLAM to try and clear up the pool? It has zero FC, zero CC, and less than 30ppm CYA. It's still a bit greenish and a bit cloudy.
- Despite some vacuuming and skimming, there's still some crud at the bottom. I think it's mostly leaves and such. Can I wait to polish that off until the pool is chemically ready to go? Or is there a reason to prioritize that?
I'm brand new to all this and hoping I haven't screwed it up too much yet.
