Opening my pool and want to do it real nice this time

[monsterman]

Is your pool volume 11000 gallons?
If so here’s what poolmath says when I put in your current ph of 8.2 & ta of 11

did u get my reply--I sent you a pic of my pool math calculations as well I put in 8.2 as current with a target of 7.6 and my TA at 110 and using dry acid and I get 22 ounces. Nowhere does it ask volume of pool.

 

[monsterman]

I have a question-- I just read an article from Poolonomics.com- please read below:
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The ideal pH level for a clean pool sits between 7.4 and 7.6, but when you SLAM you’ll have to bring down the pH level to 7.2
This is done because over the course of the SLAM, pH testing becomes unreliable due to the massive chlorine levels in the water. Test and adjust your pH level to start.

2. Adjust Your Cyanuric Acid Level​

Testing and adjusting your cyanuric acid (also referred to as pool stabilizer) is next. This test will determine the free chlorine shock level that’s needed for the pool.
The ideal range for cyanuric acid in your pool is between 30 and 50 ppm, and this is no different when performing a SLAM.
The pool must have a minimum cyanuric acid level of 30, and should not be over 90. If it is, dilute the pool water to bring it into the proper range before starting the SLAM.

3. Add Chlorine To Reach Shock Level​

So how much chlorine do you add?
This can be determined using Trouble Free Pool’s chlorine/CYA chart, which tells you the exact level you’ll need. As the chart shows, a pool with a lower level of CYA at 30 ppm needs to be SLAMed with a free chlorine level of 12 ppm consistently.
(Considering the ideal free chlorine level is normally kept between 2 and 4 ppm, you can imagine how much chlorine is needed to spike it to 12!)
Use the app, get the proper dosage for your pool, then pour the chlorine directly in line with the return jets so they circulate it quickly.

4. Continue To Maintain Shock Level​

The chlorine you add to the pool will eventually dissipate.
You’ll need to frequently test the water (a minimum of twice per day) and top up the chlorine after each test, maintaining its high shock level for the duration of the SLAM.
Also of note, algae and other pollutants will eat up chlorine quickly – especially at the beginning, so testing the water every few hours is recommended.
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me again-- Is this what I am doing by adding a larger amount of chlorine to get my level up to 13 -15 ppm. The reason I ask is that MY CYA is NOT Normal and my pH is NOT 7.2./ So what I am doing is against what this article says to do? So I ask you - should I still raise my chlorine to 13-15 and maintain it that way - it may take a gallon of shock to raise it that high but after that hopefully it will need less to keep it there.

And lastly, I just added 22 ounces of dry acid at 7 PM-- can I add the liquid chlorine tonight, and at what time or should I wait till tomorrow?(AM or PM)

 

[MITBeta]

Yes, add the chlorine to get to 13 at least.

 

[monsterman]

FYI- I added 120 oz of liquid chlorine at 9350 tonight- lets see what the morning brings

 

[Mdragger88]

did u get my reply--I sent you a pic of my pool math calculations as well I put in 8.2 as current with a target of 7.6 and my TA at 110 and using dry acid and I get 22 ounces. Nowhere does it ask volume of pool.

Its in the settings

 

[RaceMX]

22 pages. What a read. Patience and persistence in no short supply.

 

[Kaylee34]

Catching back up after being too busy for a few days. Monte!

 

[Newdude]

Me too. It's grad weekend and I got a min to catch my breath. Be back later. Maybe.

 

[monsterman]

Its in the settings
View attachment 507074View attachment 507075

yup, I got that also- I checked it and my pool is listed with 11000 gallons and I did it again this morning and it says 22 ounces only.
I just checked the pool -it looks less tinted and blah! than yesterday since I added the 120 ounces of bleach. Will check the fc later and add more bleach accordingly.

 

[monsterman]

Hello again- I found some old Leslies results and if you do see- you guys are right- my fc was 15 and 9.66 and 13.3. So MY fc was high and hopefully, that is why my pool was so clear????? what do you think?? And this is from using that GREENOUT shock from the Island Recreational store. I used it weekly. I am thinking of using some Powershock(calcium hypochlorite )- this time to keep my fc that high(along with the liquid chlorine bleach) As you can see my CYA was 145,174 and185. astronomical- this year is is down to about 95. I will probably do another drain of another 12 inches or so in a few weeks and see if it brings me down to a more manageable level. And then wait for next season to do even more to start off on the right foot. One last question- please respond to this I just bought some CALCIUM HYPO TABLETS to put into my floater. My wife said to me why don't I have the tablets in the floater as of RIGHT NOW. She said last year we had the tablets(the bad ones-thee TRICHLOR type) in the pool ALL SEASON long. So she said if you want to keep the fc high why don't I have the tablets in there NOW(the good type)- (Is this something I should ALSO be doing immediately (they are expensive- a 9 lb container was $80)

last point-- remember that guy who used to sell those cooking products- and his slogan was SET IT AND FORGET IT-- well last year I put that TRICHLO-GREENOUT shock in ONCE a WEEK and used the tablets all the time. I know nothing is perfect - but you do see that I am in the PROCESS of lowering my CYA- and I am out with the pool every night brushing and cleaning and adding liquid chlorine and testing-- is it Ok- or even something I CAN consider- to use ONE bag (lie I always did last year)- BUT of the Cal Hypo shock and put that in the pool ONCE a week with the CAL HYPO floaters and do this only ONCE a week again like last year instead of the constant liquid adding nightly- because it is really starting to take over my whole being. I mean it is the same process I would be doing as last year - but not with the BAD stuff- just until things get closer to normal. Please advise and don't scream at me

 

[monsterman]

my fc right now is 16-- got it up after last night's 120 oz of liquid chlorine. But as you say above how can that be I keep doing the POOL math app and the top of the screen says 11000 gallons I had it being shown now on the top of that screen and my current pH is 8.2 and my target is 7.6 and I am using dry acid and it says to use 22 oz?? Where r u guys getting 94 oz???

 

[Mdragger88]

Hello again- I found some old Leslies results and if you do see- you guys are right- my fc was 15 and 9.66 and 13.3. So MY fc was high and hopefully, that is why my pool was so clear????? what do you think??

It wasn’t high if you look at the chart
FC/CYA Levels

- you thought you were “shocking” but you were really just riding minimum.

And this is from using that GREENOUT shock from the Island Recreational store. I used it weekly. I am thinking of using some Powershock(calcium hypochlorite )- this time to keep my fc that high(along with the liquid chlorine bleach)

Fc is fc - the exact kind you used wasn’t the magic - it was the amount of fc it yielded you. As you know now some of the kinds you were using have unwanted side effects due to their ingredients.

As you can see my CYA was 145,174 and185. astronomical- this year is is down to about 95. I will probably do another drain of another 12 inches or so in a few weeks and see if it brings me down to a more manageable level. And then wait for next season to do even more to start off on the right foot.

Yes, continue on the path to lower cya and keep fc above minimum at all times because if you get algae at this cya level you will need to drastically lower your cya to deal with it.

One last question- please respond to this I just bought some CALCIUM HYPO TABLETS to put into my floater. My wife said to me why don't I have the tablets in the floater as of RIGHT NOW. She said last year we had the tablets(the bad ones-thee TRICHLOR type) in the pool ALL SEASON long. So she said if you want to keep the fc high why don't I have the tablets in there NOW(the good type)- (Is this something I should ALSO be doing immediately (they are expensive- a 9 lb container was $80)

No- this is not necessary if you’re using liquid chlorine as needed. As I mentioned before the level of fc matters most to keeping the pool clear not how it is added. As you said they are very expensive & they also add calcium which isn’t really needed in your vinyl pool & too much can cause scaling so save them for vacations/when you won’t be around to dose the pool.
Also- be certain that the floater you use for cal hypo tabs is new & has never had any other chlorine type in it. You can also never use that floater for trichlor in the future. If the two ever mix it can cause an explosion

last point-- remember that guy who used to sell those cooking products- and his slogan was SET IT AND FORGET IT-- well last year I put that TRICHLO-GREENOUT shock in ONCE a WEEK and used the tablets all the time. I know nothing is perfect - but you do see that I am in the PROCESS of lowering my CYA- and I am out with the pool every night brushing and cleaning and adding liquid chlorine and testing-- is it Ok- or even something I CAN consider- to use ONE bag (lie I always did last year)- BUT of the Cal Hypo shock and put that in the pool ONCE a week with the CAL HYPO floaters and do this only ONCE a week again like last year instead of the constant liquid adding nightly- because it is really starting to take over my whole being. I mean it is the same process I would be doing as last year - but not with the BAD stuff- just until things get closer to normal. Please advise and don't scream at me

You can add more liquid chlorine than you are currently using to get by for a couple days - it is safe to swim with fc up to slam level for your cya. You don’t have to micro dose daily so long as you ensure fc never falls below minimum. The daily testing is important at first as you learn how your pool behaves and what your daily fc losses look like.
No method is set it & forget it - they all have pros & cons.
The closest you will get to that is a salt water chlorine generator that feeds your pool for you daily & you still must regularly test.
Cal hypo adds calcium -
too much calcium = scale
I don’t think you want scale.
Doing as you described would increase ch fairly quickly so it’s not really a long term solution. You would need to monitor your ch closely & return to liquid chlorine when it starts getting high.
What is your current ch?

 

[Mdragger88]

my fc right now is 16-- got it up after last night's 120 oz of liquid chlorine. But as you say above how can that be I keep doing the POOL math app and the top of the screen says 11000 gallons I had it being shown now on the top of that screen and my current pH is 8.2 and my target is 7.6 and I am using dry acid and it says to use 22 oz?? Where r u guys getting 94 oz???

I am not sure what is going on (glitch in the matrix?) but to err on the side of caution just do the 22oz & test again after 30 minutes to see if it moved the needle.
You can always add more if needed. Before adding any more you will need to wait until fc falls below 10ppm & test again as it skews the test.
As mentioned previously a meter isn’t affected by the high fc.

 

[FlappyLipps]

found some old Leslies results and if you do see- you guys are right-

Do you not have one of the sites recomended test kits?
I don't read on other websites either. All the info you ever need is here.

 

[Kaylee34]

No one is going to scream at you Monte. You're asking a lot of good questions and really trying to understand the "why" and "how".

I'm sorry if you feel like it's taking over your life. No matter what you do, you're going to have to use regular testing to keep your pool in good shape. Having a pool is a lot like having a pet. You can feed it once or twice a week and it might survive but it's not going to thrive that way. Once you get the hang of it and learn your pool, all this becomes much, much easier.

I don't spend a lot of time on my pool but I don't have the time to spend on it either. Nor in all honesty do I want to. I invested in new equipment including switching to saltwater last year for exactly those reasons. The SWG feeds it for me. I might brush and test twice a month unless I have a storm or something looks "off". I'm very, very lucky though and can get away with that. My PH is incredibly stable and I let the SWG run "hot" to keep my FC at the top of the range for my CYA. Everything else is where it should be and for the most part stays there.

 

[monsterman]

It wasn’t high if you look at the chart
FC/CYA Levels
View attachment 507164
- you thought you were “shocking” but you were really just riding minimum.

Fc is fc - the exact kind you used wasn’t the magic - it was the amount of fc it yielded you. As you know now some of the kinds you were using have unwanted side effects due to their ingredients.

Yes, continue on the path to lower cya and keep fc above minimum at all times because if you get algae at this cya level you will need to drastically lower your cya to deal with it.

No- this is not necessary if you’re using liquid chlorine as needed. As I mentioned before the level of fc matters most to keeping the pool clear not how it is added. As you said they are very expensive & they also add calcium which isn’t really needed in your vinyl pool & too much can cause scaling so save them for vacations/when you won’t be around to dose the pool.
Also- be certain that the floater you use for cal hypo tabs is new & has never had any other chlorine type in it. You can also never use that floater for trichlor in the future. If the two ever mix it can cause an explosion

You can add more liquid chlorine than you are currently using to get by for a couple days - it is safe to swim with fc up to slam level for your cya. You don’t have to micro dose daily so long as you ensure fc never falls below minimum. The daily testing is important at first as you learn how your pool behaves and what your daily fc losses look like.
No method is set it & forget it - they all have pros & cons.
The closest you will get to that is a salt water chlorine generator that feeds your pool for you daily & you still must regularly test.
Cal hypo adds calcium -
too much calcium = scale
I don’t think you want scale.
Doing as you described would increase ch fairly quickly so it’s not really a long term solution. You would need to monitor your ch closely & return to liquid chlorine when it starts getting high.
What is your current ch?

My current ch is 41-- is this good bad or ugly??

 

[monsterman]

I am not sure what is going on (glitch in the matrix?) but to err on the side of caution just do the 22oz & test again after 30 minutes to see if it moved the needle.
You can always add more if needed. Before adding any more you will need to wait until fc falls below 10ppm & test again as it skews the test.
As mentioned previously a meter isn’t affected by the high fc.

when u say a meter is not affected by the high fc-- do you mean those digital meters?? so is it worth it to buy it?/ Or just let my fc go down to about 9-10 and then test ph and act accordingly. I don't think the 22 oz of dry acid did much- I think it's still about 8 or so. Last year with my fc being so high and the CYA being MUCH higher then than it is now- my ph was between 7.-8.2 all season long. So this number is not so out of my normal range.
I want to thank you for answering ALL of my concerns in order- it makes it easy for a brain like mine to understand it so much better. You are very kind.

So if my fc this morning was 16(32 drops from the dpd test)--then it means I am at target level and should try to keep it there throughout?

 

[Kaylee34]

My current ch is 41-- is this good bad or ugly??

It's good. Calcium doesn't matter much for a vinyl pool because they don't need calcium. You just don't want it getting too high as that can cause scale. Cal-hypo tabs and shock will add calcium. The only way to get rid of calcium is to drain, just like CYA. But don't worry about calcium for now. If you add cal-hypo and get up to several hundred or so, then think about it.

So if my fc this morning was 16(32 drops from the dpd test)--then it means I am at target level and should try to keep it there throughout?

What's your current CYA level?

 

[Mdragger88]

when u say a meter is not affected by the high fc-- do you mean those digital meters?? so is it worth it to buy it?/ Or just let my fc go down to about 9-10 and then test ph and act accordingly. I don't think the 22 oz of dry acid did much- I think it's still about 8 or so. Last year with my fc being so high and the CYA being MUCH higher then than it is now- my ph was between 7.-8.2 all season long. So this number is not so out of my normal range.

The ph meters are unaffected by higher fc - I believe someone mentioned the apera meter a few posts back. This can be very useful for someone in your situation so that you don’t need to flirt with algae to check ph on a regular basis.

I want to thank you for answering ALL of my concerns in order- it makes it easy for a brain like mine to understand it so much better. You are very kind.

Glad to help

So if my fc this morning was 16(32 drops from the dpd test)--then it means I am at target level and should try to keep it there throughout?

Keeping fc in target range for your cya is what is recommended. I don’t remember your exact current cya to confirm.
It is hard for those answering your questions to read back through the 22 page thread & find where you mentioned different test results so when asking specific questions try to include all the info that pertains to the question or better yet, if you keep
PoolMath logs & share them we can see your latest test results with a click to help answer properly.

 

[monsterman]

how do I share my results- that is the first question I went into settings and I have a highlights link from the TFP.com user profile. Is that it?
I just checked my TA it is 100 my ph seems really OK from the comparator block. And my fc is a good 13( I am adding 42 oz tonight to keep it at or around 16 ppm-- I went in my pool for the first time this afternoon and it was delicious and looked real nice.) because my CYA is about 90 now. I did a clarifier yesterday and vacuumed to waste today and a backwash and lost about 4 inches or so and then refilled. It looks like my CYA is inching down- to about 90 now from 95 last week after 2 backwashes.
My last question is- what do you guys think of a product called NON-CHLORINE shock? I am attaching just one small excerpt of an article for you to muse over and let me know if you think I should keep this on hand for future use.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, Which is Better? ​

It used to be that there was a big difference in price, with non-chlorine shock being much more costly, but now they are nearly equal in price.

Non-chlorine shock has a lot of advantages and could be used as the primary oxidizer for a pool or spa, saving the use of chlorine shock for instances like pool opening, algae blooms or high bather load (lots of swimmers or hot tubbers). For general contaminant and chloramine removal, which helps your overall sanitation and filtration, why not give non-chlorine shock a try – it’s gentler with far fewer ‘side effects’.

So if you can believe it, the pool retailer is suggesting that you use both! Use non-chlorine shock for general oxidation, and use chlorine shock for those less frequent occasions listed above, where the power of chlorine is really needed.
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If you guys think this product is OK- can you give some names of this item I can or might or should purchase online