We had pool wall stains, and decided to use ascorbic acid "Stain Free."
The readings on the test strip were:
Ch:0
Ph: 6.8-ish
TA: 8-ish
CYA: 30-50 -ish
I don't know any of the other levels.
(I've browsed enough recently on the forum to guess you will scoff at test strips, but that's what I currently have, and what I have been advised to use). Not saying I won't get a "real" test kit, but I just don't have one now.
So the stain cleared up, and then we added Leslie's Super Metal-X (don't see that for sale anymore, so probably old). Although it does not state on the bottle, I guess that this is a chelant (sp?).
Water up to this point was pretty clear, but then began to get seriously cloudy. It is beginning to clear up however (I can now see the bottom anyway).
We could never get the chlorine readings to change, even when we added 1-2 lbs of dichloro-s-triaz-whatever shock (this was before we added the Stain Free). Started wondering if our strips were bad. Took a water sample to the pool store, and he tested it for phosphates, and he said it was "higher than his scale went to" (sorry - don't know the number he mentioned) and suggested to use the PhosFree. He said I would never get a higher chlorine reading because the phosphates were using up all the chlorine. He also didn't give me the test levels of anything else. I neglected to ask, as by now he was going to the shelf for the phosfree.
This is the first time we have had this issue.
So before I added this $30 product, I started surfing, and have predominantly seen that there is no need to use this stuff.
It's been over a week since I added the Stain Free, so supposedly it is now safe to shock the pool. From reading the net, I THINK I have determined I should add 5 lbs of the dichlor shock (hey 'shock' what the package says it is...).
So - based on my (probably inadequate - sorry) report, should shocking be my next step? 5 lbs? more than 5? Should I use the phosfree or return it? The water is not green, though I suppose that could change at any time...
Thanks for any advice!
The readings on the test strip were:
Ch:0
Ph: 6.8-ish
TA: 8-ish
CYA: 30-50 -ish
I don't know any of the other levels.
(I've browsed enough recently on the forum to guess you will scoff at test strips, but that's what I currently have, and what I have been advised to use). Not saying I won't get a "real" test kit, but I just don't have one now.
So the stain cleared up, and then we added Leslie's Super Metal-X (don't see that for sale anymore, so probably old). Although it does not state on the bottle, I guess that this is a chelant (sp?).
Water up to this point was pretty clear, but then began to get seriously cloudy. It is beginning to clear up however (I can now see the bottom anyway).
We could never get the chlorine readings to change, even when we added 1-2 lbs of dichloro-s-triaz-whatever shock (this was before we added the Stain Free). Started wondering if our strips were bad. Took a water sample to the pool store, and he tested it for phosphates, and he said it was "higher than his scale went to" (sorry - don't know the number he mentioned) and suggested to use the PhosFree. He said I would never get a higher chlorine reading because the phosphates were using up all the chlorine. He also didn't give me the test levels of anything else. I neglected to ask, as by now he was going to the shelf for the phosfree.
This is the first time we have had this issue.
So before I added this $30 product, I started surfing, and have predominantly seen that there is no need to use this stuff.
It's been over a week since I added the Stain Free, so supposedly it is now safe to shock the pool. From reading the net, I THINK I have determined I should add 5 lbs of the dichlor shock (hey 'shock' what the package says it is...).
So - based on my (probably inadequate - sorry) report, should shocking be my next step? 5 lbs? more than 5? Should I use the phosfree or return it? The water is not green, though I suppose that could change at any time...
Thanks for any advice!
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