Newbie Pool owner....at a loss :-(

[SottoMarrino]

Ok, here are the test results I have. I am not good with this stuff yet but I am trying.

Chlorine - 0
PH - 8.5 or higher
CYA - it was clear so I assume none

So, I have to fix CYA before I slam, correct?

According to the Pool Math, I need 26 gallons of bleach? Is that each day? Sorry, I am trying to learn and chemistry is not my forte'.

 

[jblizzle]

What test kit did your get? Did you test for FC and CC?

Given the look of the water, before adding 30ppm of CYA, I would add 10ppm of FC, use PoolMath to calculate the amount of bleach to achieve that, and then retest FC and CC in 10 minutes and report back.

 

[pooldv]

What is your NOW and TARGET for FC that is giving you 26 gallons of bleach?

 

[SottoMarrino]

Ok. I think I am beginning to understand but we will see. Here are my test results today:

FC - 0
CC - 0
TC - 0
CYA - 0
PH - 8.0
TA - 250

Pool Math shows I need 4.3 bottles of bleach to reach FC of 10 for SLAM. Do I need to worry about PH or CYA first?

 

[jblizzle]

First, lower the pH to around 7.2.
Then add 10ppm of FC and retest the FC and CC in 10 minutes and report back.

If the FC mostly holds, add 30ppm of CYA and SLAM away.

If the FC drops and the CC are high, keep dosing up to a FC of 10ppm until it holds, then add the CYA and SLAM.

 

[SottoMarrino]

Hi there! Sorry for the delay. Had a job interview and putting up a new garage so things got busy. So, this is a dumb question but, Pool Calc says that if I add the CYA it will raise it to 30ppm and lower PH by 0.54. If that is the case, I don't want to add any muriatic acid because that will lower the PH too much, correct? AND to clarify, once I add my 5 bottles of bleach (pool math), then I check no less than twice a day and add bleach to keep it at shock level each time. Is this correct? Thanks for all your help! Sorry for any dumb questions.

 

[Texas Splash]

That's about it. Actually, the lowering of pH from CYA is minimal, so I wouldn't be too overly concerned with that. But definitely make sure your CYA is at least 30 ppm. In another month or two you'll be increasing it more if you get much sun like I do. As long as your pH is between 7.2 - 7.5 for the SLAM, you are fine. Increase FC to 12 using regular bleach, and your SLAM is off & running. Maintain it as consistently as you can throughout the day. Follow everything on the SLAM page and you'll do well. You got it!