Hello all, first post here, from a new pool owner in finally-sunny Seattle. I moved in to my place in September, spent a bit of time learning the ropes with my pool for a month or so briefly, then didn't touch it much throughout the winter. I am ready to give it a go this weekend.
I've read quite a lot on this site over the past several months (thank you so much) and have the awesome PoolMath beta app going, so feel like I have some basic knowledge but little practical experience or judgment. I was hoping I could run my plan by you.
Pool is 17k gal plaster, non-SWG. Started to build up some algae in the past week. My tests a few minutes ago (Taylor K-2005) show:
FC 0
pH ~8.0*
TA 60
CH 160
CYA ~25**
Temp 60
(CSI = -0.22)
* doing the kit's acid demand test showed one drop would bring me down to 7.7, two drops to 7.4
** at 30 it was quite cloudy but the dot wasn't totally gone
The main thing I feel like I don't understand well is the order of operations. Here's my guess from my reading on what my plan should be (in this order):
1) bring pH down to about 7.4 using 30 oz Muratic Acid (31.45%). I've used MA one time back in October, and just added 15 oz a few minutes ago.
2) SLAM. The app says that I should target 12 and use 312 oz of the batch of 8% bleach I bought at Costco last weekend. Wondering if I'm ok to go for it at this CYA level even though it's a bit low.
3) Start maintaining chlorine. Prior owners left a small batch of the trichlor pucks they had been using with a floater (the Costco clorox ones which I used for awhile after we moved in before stopping for the winter). I am ready to switch over to bleach as you all recommend, but was wondering if I should just use up my pucks until my CYA rises some, then switch to bleach.
4) Bring up TA with baking soda.
5) Bring up CH with Calcium Chloride.
6) Keep on it.
Am I anywhere close, especially with the order?
Thanks so much for any advice - much appreciated!
-- Lewis
I've read quite a lot on this site over the past several months (thank you so much) and have the awesome PoolMath beta app going, so feel like I have some basic knowledge but little practical experience or judgment. I was hoping I could run my plan by you.
Pool is 17k gal plaster, non-SWG. Started to build up some algae in the past week. My tests a few minutes ago (Taylor K-2005) show:
FC 0
pH ~8.0*
TA 60
CH 160
CYA ~25**
Temp 60
(CSI = -0.22)
* doing the kit's acid demand test showed one drop would bring me down to 7.7, two drops to 7.4
** at 30 it was quite cloudy but the dot wasn't totally gone
The main thing I feel like I don't understand well is the order of operations. Here's my guess from my reading on what my plan should be (in this order):
1) bring pH down to about 7.4 using 30 oz Muratic Acid (31.45%). I've used MA one time back in October, and just added 15 oz a few minutes ago.
2) SLAM. The app says that I should target 12 and use 312 oz of the batch of 8% bleach I bought at Costco last weekend. Wondering if I'm ok to go for it at this CYA level even though it's a bit low.
3) Start maintaining chlorine. Prior owners left a small batch of the trichlor pucks they had been using with a floater (the Costco clorox ones which I used for awhile after we moved in before stopping for the winter). I am ready to switch over to bleach as you all recommend, but was wondering if I should just use up my pucks until my CYA rises some, then switch to bleach.
4) Bring up TA with baking soda.
5) Bring up CH with Calcium Chloride.
6) Keep on it.
Am I anywhere close, especially with the order?
Thanks so much for any advice - much appreciated!
-- Lewis