I'm brand new to pool ownership (just installed this year in March!). I've tried to read and educate myself alot but it's still confusing sometimes. My pH was kind of bouncing around and trying to stay on the high end. I read alot about adding borates and decided I just didn't want to experiment to that extent with the borax/ acid ratios. So I found Proteam Supreme plus. It had amazing reviews! So before adding anything, my FC was 2, pH was 7.6 and ALK was 100. The instructions were to add 2 lbs per every 1000 gal of H2O, so I used a measurement sheet from Leslies pool store and estimated 2 cups to equal 2 lbs. I put in 16 cups the first night and retested the water. Chlorine was 0, pH was 8.4 and ALk was 140. I added the remaining 16 cups the next day and restested that following morning with same results. I added some dry acid to lower the pH and it did not lower the pH at all! My borate level is reading "low", but I'm scared to put more in as I don't want it to keep raising the pH and zapping out my chlorine. What can I do to get everything back in place?
Proteam Supreme Plus help please
- Thread starter jscott82
- Start date
Well, you have just discovered that pool stores will sell you anything at any price. They sold you "Sodium tetraborate pentahydrate ", what the real world would call Borax. Plus, they increased the price about 10 times.
TFPC tenet - Never put chemistry in your pool when you do not know the outcome
You said you didn't want borates, but that is what they sold you. Stop putting it in.
Go down to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up a jug of Muratic acid. You want the 31% stuff. The dry acid you are using adds sulfates to the pool that build up.
So, liquid chlorine and muratic acid.
Now I'll ask, what are you using to test your water? I have not seen you mention Stabilizer/CYA. The cornerstone of our pool care is the proper ratio between CYA and chlorine. I'll give you a little reading-
www.troublefreepool.com
www.troublefreepool.com
www.troublefreepool.com
www.troublefreepool.com
So, welcome to TFP!!
TFPC tenet - Never put chemistry in your pool when you do not know the outcome
You said you didn't want borates, but that is what they sold you. Stop putting it in.
Go down to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up a jug of Muratic acid. You want the 31% stuff. The dry acid you are using adds sulfates to the pool that build up.
So, liquid chlorine and muratic acid.
Now I'll ask, what are you using to test your water? I have not seen you mention Stabilizer/CYA. The cornerstone of our pool care is the proper ratio between CYA and chlorine. I'll give you a little reading-
ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
There are several items things every pool owner should know about swimming pool water. We share details on the basics of Pool Water Chemistry.
www.troublefreepool.com
Recommended Pool Chemicals
Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.
www.troublefreepool.com
How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Before chlorinating your pool, you should know these simple tips. Learn the best way to add chlorine to your pool.
www.troublefreepool.com
The Free Chlorine and Cyanuric Acid Relationship
Managing your cyanuric acid and Free Chlorine levels is key to stabilizing your pool. Learn how these two items affect each other.
www.troublefreepool.com
So, welcome to TFP!!
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What I meant when I said I didn't want borates, is that I didn't feel confident enough to do the borax and acid combo to add borates to the pool. I've read that adding borates can stabilize the chemical usage and add a softer feel to the water. There was a post I read on another forum, that if doing borax/acid was overwhelming, this chemical supreme plus would be a more expensive but less complicated alternative. So I did want borates. But now my chemistry is worse than before.
I use Doheny's 3" chlorinating tablets that were recommended by my pool installer. They have stabilizer built in.
And for testing, I use an automatic reader which displays the numbers and even gives an ok, high or low comment. I usually double check with the 7 way strips since the auto reader doesn't measure CYA. On the strips, the CYA level was good but I can't remember the number. However the chlorine was zero.
I will try the acid to lower pH. Do you not recommend using borates at all?
I use Doheny's 3" chlorinating tablets that were recommended by my pool installer. They have stabilizer built in.
And for testing, I use an automatic reader which displays the numbers and even gives an ok, high or low comment. I usually double check with the 7 way strips since the auto reader doesn't measure CYA. On the strips, the CYA level was good but I can't remember the number. However the chlorine was zero.
I will try the acid to lower pH. Do you not recommend using borates at all?
I personally don't because I have dogs that drink form the pool. Borates at higher levels are toxic to dogs, so it was never worth the possibility of a problem.
Your bigger issue is you need a real test kit. Strips are worthless on their best days and something that says "ok, high or low " is no better. Right now you are flying blind, with no real knowledge of the levels in your pool. We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. I would say order a TF-100 Test Kit ™
Without accurate numbers which you don't have we can't really tell you how to proceed.
You mentioned 3" tabs. We really are not against their use. We are against their uncontrolled use. The pool store tells you that they are the easiest way to get chlorine in your pool. They are. But, they don't tell you (or really don't understand) that the 3" tabs also add CYA (also known as stabilizer or conditioner) to your pool. Each tab si almost half stabilizer, so for all teh chlorine you are adding you are adding that much stabilizer also. All pools need stabilizer, but not too much. Others here can give you the scientific details if you want, but lets just say CYA locks the ability of chlorine to sanitize. The more CYA you have the more chlorine you need to keep in the pool to keep algae at bay.
While talking about chlorine understand, chlorine is chlorine is chlorine. The chlorine in bleach is the same chlorine in the 3" tabs and is the same chlorine that is produced by a salt water chlorine generator (SWCG). They are just different methods of adding the chlorine to you pool water.
So, TFP is not "against" anything - it's "for" knowledge. The knowledge is condensed in the Pool School.
I already linked the most common articles we ask new members to read above.
Your bigger issue is you need a real test kit. Strips are worthless on their best days and something that says "ok, high or low " is no better. Right now you are flying blind, with no real knowledge of the levels in your pool. We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. I would say order a TF-100 Test Kit ™
Without accurate numbers which you don't have we can't really tell you how to proceed.
You mentioned 3" tabs. We really are not against their use. We are against their uncontrolled use. The pool store tells you that they are the easiest way to get chlorine in your pool. They are. But, they don't tell you (or really don't understand) that the 3" tabs also add CYA (also known as stabilizer or conditioner) to your pool. Each tab si almost half stabilizer, so for all teh chlorine you are adding you are adding that much stabilizer also. All pools need stabilizer, but not too much. Others here can give you the scientific details if you want, but lets just say CYA locks the ability of chlorine to sanitize. The more CYA you have the more chlorine you need to keep in the pool to keep algae at bay.
While talking about chlorine understand, chlorine is chlorine is chlorine. The chlorine in bleach is the same chlorine in the 3" tabs and is the same chlorine that is produced by a salt water chlorine generator (SWCG). They are just different methods of adding the chlorine to you pool water.
So, TFP is not "against" anything - it's "for" knowledge. The knowledge is condensed in the Pool School.
I already linked the most common articles we ask new members to read above.