pool calc says 1128 oz of 10% to get my FC from 0 to 30. Do I add 1128 oz at once?

[810282bree]

I bought liquid chlorine. Sodium hypochlorite 10%

Calculator says to get my FC from 0 to 30 I need 1128oz.
My bottles are 128oz. That's 8 bottles.

Does it really take that much chlorine? I've never had a pool before. My pool is 30k gallons and green. I figured I'd just have to dump one bottle in a day and let it filter and do that for 4 days.

My cya is at 85. I already drained the pool and refilled it which took me 4 days because I had to do it inches at a time. I know it's ideal to get my cya lower but that'll cost me another 100 dollars on my water bill. This is getting too expensive.

I spent 60 the first time buying 7 pounds of shock. I paid a pool guy 60 dollars and he only showed up once and threw in shock. I paid 50 for 6 128oz bottles. My water bill went up 80 dollars.
The 3 liquid chlorine bottles plus chlorine tablets I bought were 70.

I've invested $320 in this and it's only going to cost me more. Would've been another 100 if I paid for the water testing kit.

So what's cheaper? Adding another 80 dollars to my water bill to drain and refill 50% once more, or try to fight it with 80 cya?

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.

From your post it does not appear you have a proper test kit. Sadly, the only way you can do a SLAM Process is with a proper test kit.

You do need to get your CYA to 50 at least or you will not likely be successful doing a SLAM. Your current CYA is 90 (you stated 85, there is no in between readings).

Not sure why you are draining inches at a time. I assume you have a plaster pool, but with a sump pump rental and a couple three hoses, you should be able to do a 50% drain and refill starting in late afternoon and being done by sometime the next morning. And the sun is not as strong now that we are in September.

Sorry you are have spent alot of needless money. But If you start right now by getting a test kit and lowering your CYA you will stop the bleeding.

Take care.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

What's cheaper is not adding products like pounds of "shock" to pools which only add yet more CYA or Calcium to your water.
What's cheaper is not letting your CYA get so high by monitoring it with testing.
What's cheaper is testing your water yourself and firing the pool guy cause he really isn't doing anything you can't easily do yourself.

If your FC is currently ZERO.. then it will take 1343 ounces to go from ZERO to 35, which is your SLAM level for a CYA of 90. You probably won't need that many jugs the next time you test and re-dose, but it will still be a lot. Testing hourly at first is what makes a SLAM go faster.

So you're gonna have to weigh the price of water over the price of liquid chlorine. Which is cheaper and which is easier for you?

Truly, the best thing you can do is get the $70 test kit. Then you'll know if you even hit the 35 target of your dosing.... other test kits only go to 5 or 10ppm FC.

Maddie

 

[AftonJeeper]

If you don't have a proper test kit we don't really know what your CYA level is.

The way we do things is a lot cheaper than the way pool stores or "pool pros".

What got you into trouble was the use of the tablets, they add things to you pool you don't need. Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool

If you can I would order a test kit and add 2 jugs today and 1 jug of chlorine each day until the kit shows up.

 

[810282bree]

I have a Taylor 2006 c test kit.

That's why I mentioned it would have cost an extra 100 if I was the one paying for it. I didn't pay for it my dad did.

I did fire the pool guy.

I live in Phoenix so our sun is strong until December.

I drained the pool inches a a time because I have no hose. My city says I'm not allowed to drain into the street. My pump is right next to the wall so if I tried to drain 15k gallons onto the ground it would flood my neighbors yard.

The city says to use back wash as irrigation or pump into your sewer cleanout pipe. My sewer clean out pipe is in my front yard. My pool is in my back yard. I would have to buy a 200 foot hose to be able to do that.

So in order to do this without flooding my neighbors yard I drained the pool onto the ground for like 5-10 minutes a day.

My pool is an inground fiber glass pool. With a sand filter and a Hayward pump.

I went to Leslie's pool shop and got a free water test a few weeks ago. The "pool expert" told me I need to add green to clear and 7 pounds of shock. That's why I added 7 pounds of shock to my pool.

It took me a month to move into the house. For a month it wasn't being cleaned or filtered. I got a water testing kit 2 weeks after I moved in.

That's why I wasn't doing proper frequent water tests.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I swear, I wish you'd go in shaking your finger in shame at Leslies and ask them why they would tell you to add granular shock knowing that your CYA was already too high?

I'm sorry, I missed that you had a good kit. You should always use and trust it and never trust the pool store's tests.

Can you add a picture of your pool so we can see it? If you take a picture facing down at the steps each day and take one daily it helps see the improvement.

Maddie

 

[810282bree]

Pool

https://i.imgur.com/L17vhBd.jpg

 

[mknauss]

I live in Phoenix so our sun is strong until December.

You have a fiberglass pool, so that does not matter.

I live in Laughlin, NV. I have a fiberglass pool. I drain it in the summer if I have too because my CH reaches 1000 ppm.

You own a pool, it takes effort and money to maintain it. If it takes getting 200' of hose, so be it. There are trade offs to everything.

Good luck.

 

[DeanP66]

You already learned the first lesson: Never trust the pool store. Their testing is, at best, unreliable and they are in the business of selling chemicals. As Maddie said above, they should have never told you to buy powdered shock with your CYA level already as high as it is.

That pool doesn't look that bad. If you add bleach or liquid chlorine to FC of 50 and check it often and redose it back to 50 everytime you check it, you can get that baby cleared up in possibly one week. Before you start, I would clean your filter thoroughly and while you are SLAMing, keep an eye on the pressure gauge so you know when to backwash (if you have a DE or sand filter) or clean it again (cartridge filter). Get as much loose debris off the floor bottom with your pool net, even if you have to do it blindly. The less sludge and junk is in the pool, the faster the SLAM will go. Brush the walls and bottom a couple of times a day to suspend any algae and dirt into the water so the chlorine can kill it. Keep the pool pump running 24/7 until you pass the 3 criteria for the SLAM.

 

[triptyx]

Just wanted to pop in and say welcome fellow Redditor. I'm glad you decided to post here for help, and I'm so very sorry you came to this point with so much money already invested.

We'll get you cleared up, but it's going to take some work.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Oh yeah...that pool doesn't appear that bad at all. Bad yeah...but not *that* bad, LOL.

Taking your FC up to SLAM level, brushing daily and letting your filter do its job and that puppy can be clear in time.

And thankfully you don't have a DE filter at the moment.... while sand filters do take a little longer to clear things, a DE filter would require almost daily cleaning of algae and drive you batty!

Maddie

 

[JamesW]

I spent 60 the first time buying 7 pounds of shock.

That's expensive. What was it, lithium hypochlorite?

paid 50 for 6 128oz bottles.

Should be closer to $18.00 for 6 gallons of regular bleach.

 

[Regnar]

Are you sure you a 30k pool. You look about my size which is 13k. Maybe you are deeper than me but usually 30k pools are huge.

 

[Oly]

Sorry you got hosed at the pool store.

Check your water volume math and order up some reagent refills. Make sure you have enough going forward into algae battle.

I vote for draining your pool to get your CYA down first.

Calculate on Pool Math https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html how much to drain based up your sanitation system and CYA target. You can rent hoses and pumps, call around. Brush the walls and floor as you drain and start adding bleach when you hit your drain target and start to refill. When it is full test your FC and pH. Adjust your pH first then get up to your SLAM FC level and maintain it to knock back the infestation then keep it there until you're certain you are in control.

Follow the SLAM procedures carefully.

You have a lot of swimming days left and the clean, cool fill water will feel so nice when you finish the SLAM. You can do this. You will impress your friends and family. You will be master of the pool.

 

[triptyx]

Sorry, we all missed the question in the title.

Yes, you add all the chlorine at once. Pour it slowly into the pool in front of a water return while the pump is running and then leave the pump running for at least 30 minutes to let it get distributed throughout the pool.

 

[kabutotx]

My Ace Hardware rented a pool pump with hose. Ran it to the house sewer drain in front of the house.

 

[Teald024]

Hello and Welcome to TFP! we can help you get that pool cleaned up.

Once point not mentioned is that with a high CYA, you need a high FC level (35ppm) for the SLAM. the FC test normally uses 10mL of water and 1 drop of reagent = 0.5ppm FC. That is about 55-70 drops per test. you will go through a LOT of reagent with your CYA that high. This is another reason to reduce the CYA before the SLAM. one way to conserve reagents is to use a 5mL of water and 1 drop of reagent = 1ppm FC. You will use less reagents, but the testing error is greater. shoot for 36-37ppm instead to compensate. try doing this until you get to the OCLT part of the process.

Don't dose to 50ppm FC. It is a potential waste of chlorine and risk bleaching out your pool surface.

Looking at the picture you posted, I'd guess 18'x32'. Using an oval and 5' average depth to approximate the volume, I'm getting around 19k gallons. I'd dump in half of the chlorine you estimate and then retest. See how close you got to the predicted FC level. Then adjust the volume in PoolMath to get closer to the actual tested level.

If the 10% chlorine is expensive, then go to your favorite store that sells regular, unscented bleach, store brand is perfect. Walmart or grocery store. Get the 8.25% stuff that is around $3 a gallon.

Please fill in your signature with your pool info, equipment type, etc. It will help us help you without having to ask each time. When you post a message, make sure the box on the lower left is checked to show your sig.

 

[Oly]

My Ace Hardware rented a pool pump with hose. Ran it to the house sewer drain in front of the house.

OK we are off to the races, nice work.

Now how much did you drain?
Have you filled back up?
What are your test numbers now after the fill?
Test your fill water alone for pH, TA and CH.

Buy new swim suit for the grand reopening pool party.