Newbie to the BBB method

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pprocacci

0
Jun 24, 2010
5
Howdy folks!

Long time lurker, first time poster. Hopefully I can provide all the details that are necessary for some insight! Much thanks in advance.

First the important numbers:

Gallons: 26000 est.
FC: 15
CC: < .5
TC: < 15.5
TA: 120
PH: 7.5
CYA: >= 100

I know I have high CYA levels, but I'm not sure of the accuracy of the test results considering I've added lots of shock in the past few days. I will retest this number once my pool is under control and the FC levels drop to normal ranges.

The reason for my posting:

Just today I decided to switch from using pucks and shock bought in stores to using the BBB method, and I wanted to ensure I was on the right track. It just so happens that I am dealing with an infestation of green nastiness after having quite a large pool party. Using the calculator found here (http://www.poolcalculator.com/) I added 546 oz of bleach just today. Theoretically, this should raise my FC to 25ppm (i.e. shock levels for me). I will double check these levels night before bed to see the impact it has had.

I had some questions regarding the length of time to maintain shock levels as these questions were hard to find in the forum. I did find references all over the place to overnight tests but was unsure how much is an acceptable amount of FC loss. 1ppm? 2ppm? Can anyone provide clarification? I assume that so long as the FC doesn't drop any more than 1 or 2 ppm overnight then I can let my FC return to my normal operation range of 8-13 ppm. Does this sound accurate?

I have one other question concerning the calculator. What is SWG?

Thanks,
Paul
 
Hi, Paul,

Welcome to the forum. :lol: While you dosed enough for 25ppm FC, understand that it starts to deplete IMMEDIATELY as it kills the algae in your pool. It may already be down by half depending on how much algae was present.

The secret to effectively shocking your pool is to replenish that chlorine back up to 25ppm FC as often as you can. In other words, you need to hold it up there constantly until your pool is crystal clear. You will need a LOT more chlorine.

You will be finished shocking when...
1. Your pool water is sparkling
2. Your CC's are .5ppm or less
3. You can hold your FC overnight without losing more than 1ppm.

An SWG is a salt water generator
 
Dave,

Thanks for the quick reply. This just about answers all but one other question. How long do you generally wait before testing the water again after adding bleach? Is 1 hour enough time for that bleach to circulate?

Other than the above question, I think I'm on the right track.

Thanks,
Paul
 
You will also of course want to clean what you can, that is, clean the skimmers, the pump basket, give the pool a good brushing with attention to corners and such. Mind your filter pressure and backwash or clean as needed. Keep circulation on 24/7 while you are shocking, all the better to seek out and destroy any bit of algae that is lurking anywhere in the pool area. Test FC hourly where possible and boost bleach as needed until you see that is not necessary.
 
It depends on what type of filter you have. Almost all sand and some DE filters are plumbed with a backwash setting on the valve. Cartridge filters do not have a backwash setting and are cleaned by opening up the filter housing and taking the cartridge out and hosing it off. DE filters also are cleaned by opening the housing and removing the grids. The grids are then hosed off to remove the dirty DE.
 
Ok, so I let off the shock and tested my CYA. Did this because my shock level of 25 was ineffective. 1/2 tap 1/2 pool water == CYA 180!!!!

Yikes!

So, I drained my pool of 90% of it's water and refilled. Now I've got a CYA reading of 0! All other numbers are perfect (green nastiness long gone), and pool is sparkling clear. So here is my problem/question. I have a full bucket of chlorine pucks that I'd rather not go to waste. Is it the pucks that are adding the CYA or does that come naturally from the environment? I want to get my CYA up to 30 but no more. If the pucks do contain CYA then it'd make sense for me to use the pucks for a couple of weeks (months?) until my CYA reaches a desired level. What should I be looking for here?
 

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Read the label to see how much each tab weighs, then use the Pool Calculator, down at the bottom, where it says Effects of Adding Chemicals. Put weight, then select trichlor if that is what they are.
 
Just wanted to provide a quick update.

FC: 8
PH: was 7.2, now 7.5 after adding left over chemicals
TA: 90
CYA: < 20 (cloudier than last time I checked)

So the pucks are def. contributing to the CYA, but I haven't yet met my goal or 30.

Pool is still sparkling. For those that hasn't invested in the kit mentioned in these forums, do it! I seriously know now, how to control my pool, instead of it controlling me. All it takes is 10 minutes (if that) and the rest is history. I am sold!

Thanks to all the ladies and gents which assisted.
 
You can probably wait to recheck CYA until after you have added enough pucks to change the values to above 30.

Just be sure the FC level is always in your range of 2 to 3 ppm, your shock level is 10 ppm so it is OK to swim up to shock level at 10 ppm FC.

So nice to have a sparkling pool isn't it? Enjoy!
 
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