Summer is Coming

[Ray Mondo]

Pool has had minimum attention over winter but summer is coming and I've had my first couple of swims.
From now on it becomes increasingly important to maintain chemical balance to avoid runaway algae, staining etc.
We recently had serious rain which seriously overflowed the pool so I tossed in a couple of bags of replacement salt.

I've just done my first serious test for the season with the following results:

Temp = 23 Celsius
pH = 7.4
FC = 5
TC = 5
TA = 50
CH = 120
CYA = 35

Any comments/feedback on the above appreciated.

Cheers,

 

[257WbyMag]

Only thing that I would suggest is for you to raise the CYA to somewhere between 60 and 80 ppm. We recommend higher CYA levels with SWCG pools because they don't have to work so hard to keep the FC up.

 

[lbridges]

CH also seems quite low for a plaster pool.

 

[Ray Mondo]

Thanks for the feedback.

Is there a 'non-pool-shop' way to raise the CYA and CH? I find that they are so focused on selling branded products that I have no confidence in their recommendations. I don't mind buying stuff from them (I'm keen to support local businesses) but I prefer to buy only what I need, and to know what I am buying.

Cheers,

 

[zea3]

In this case there is no substitute for CYA/stabilizer. The powdered CYA will take up to a week to register on a CYA test and the best way to add it is to put it into a sock and hang it in front of a return. Calcium is usually labled as hardness increaser. There are some other sources of calcium but in this case it is easier to get it from a pool store.

 

[Lana537]

In this case there is no substitute for CYA/stabilizer. The powdered CYA will take up to a week to register on a CYA test and the best way to add it is to put it into a sock and hang it in front of a return. Calcium is usually labled as hardness increaser. There are some other sources of calcium but in this case it is easier to get it from a pool store.

Zea is correct, but if you are a crazy, motivated person as I am, it is possible to hang that sock full of CYA in front of a return and then visit it often, giving it some squishy massages to encourage it along. When I'm in a rush, I simply kneed away at it a little at a time and then get out my pool brush and hand skimming net/pole to move the water around to get it distributed before it goes straight for a skimmer or the deep end "drain" to get temporarily clogged up in my filter.

Lana

 

[chem geek]

As noted in Recommended Pool Chemicals in the Pool School, you can find calcium chloride in de-icers, but if you are in an area that doesn't freeze in the winter, then you may have trouble finding such products.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Calcuim is also sold around here in farm supply stores. I don't know if you have any of those close but it'd be worth a try.