I've asked this question at another forum and was directed several threads here but so far none of the methods presented are doable in my situation. First off the pool I'm working on is for my Home Owners Association. I'm an unpaid volunteer.
We're in Houston, TX and by local pool codes our association has a Private Pool. We do not fall under guidelines for commercial pools nor are we required to be inspected nor permitted yearly. As long as the pool is clear and algae free and the pool fence has no opening big enough to let a child in we're good.
We had a pool service man who was consistantly letting the pool turn green with no explaination and finally no call backs, so he was fired second week of July after three big algae blooms in 8 weeks time. No pool service will take on a pool in the middle of summer and with a constant 100+ heat wave and drought, so several of us homeowners have taken this project on.
We have had things under control for the better part of a month now. The pool had to be drained after the pool man was let go since the CYA was way too high and our chlorine demand was off scale high. It took almost 30 lbs of shock to make the pool begin to go blue. Unbeknown to us the valve on the chlorine feeder leaks. We had it turned off with the remains of 6 tabs in it and it must have been seeping since the feeder was empty when I checked it. This caused a second drain/refill almost a month ago now.
Now with mandatory water restrictions we cannot drain anymore and only minimal dilution.
We are now using unstabilized 10% chlorine liquid for the pool and some cal-hypo 73% depending on need.
The balance has been maintained for the most part. CYA is about 50 by my reading with a TF-100 kit.
I have a problem with some others here going to a pool store and believing the reading they are getting to be true.
The pool stores keep reading CYA to be over 80 and more like 90. The others are in charge of the HOA not me so they
refuse to defer anyone but the pool store though they bought the TF-100 kit too. We've had it for just over a week.
Anyway the latest issue is the pH bouncing a little. pH keeps rising to around 8.2 with TA around 160 or so.
I need to lower pH and take TA with it. Our pool was replastered last summer, but it is over 40 years old and we have
only straight returns with no threads or any other way to attach anything to it.
That's the problem really. Some of the posts of people making aerators from PVC and such have attached them to their returns since they're threaded. We have no threads on ours; they're straight and always have been.
We also have no fountains, nor any other water features to make the water aerate. We cannot use a garden hose with water due to mandatory water restrictions in force for Houston.
I have an air compressor, but it's only for 1 gallon and not rated for continuous duty.
Save for splashing people which obvously we cannot do with pH very low what can I use to aerate once I add the acid?
This is the delemma I've been chewing on for the last two weeks or more. We expect some rain over the weekend, but
we're in a persistant drought so it might not be very much.
So any ideas will be appreciated.
We're in Houston, TX and by local pool codes our association has a Private Pool. We do not fall under guidelines for commercial pools nor are we required to be inspected nor permitted yearly. As long as the pool is clear and algae free and the pool fence has no opening big enough to let a child in we're good.
We had a pool service man who was consistantly letting the pool turn green with no explaination and finally no call backs, so he was fired second week of July after three big algae blooms in 8 weeks time. No pool service will take on a pool in the middle of summer and with a constant 100+ heat wave and drought, so several of us homeowners have taken this project on.
We have had things under control for the better part of a month now. The pool had to be drained after the pool man was let go since the CYA was way too high and our chlorine demand was off scale high. It took almost 30 lbs of shock to make the pool begin to go blue. Unbeknown to us the valve on the chlorine feeder leaks. We had it turned off with the remains of 6 tabs in it and it must have been seeping since the feeder was empty when I checked it. This caused a second drain/refill almost a month ago now.
Now with mandatory water restrictions we cannot drain anymore and only minimal dilution.
We are now using unstabilized 10% chlorine liquid for the pool and some cal-hypo 73% depending on need.
The balance has been maintained for the most part. CYA is about 50 by my reading with a TF-100 kit.
I have a problem with some others here going to a pool store and believing the reading they are getting to be true.
The pool stores keep reading CYA to be over 80 and more like 90. The others are in charge of the HOA not me so they
refuse to defer anyone but the pool store though they bought the TF-100 kit too. We've had it for just over a week.
Anyway the latest issue is the pH bouncing a little. pH keeps rising to around 8.2 with TA around 160 or so.
I need to lower pH and take TA with it. Our pool was replastered last summer, but it is over 40 years old and we have
only straight returns with no threads or any other way to attach anything to it.
That's the problem really. Some of the posts of people making aerators from PVC and such have attached them to their returns since they're threaded. We have no threads on ours; they're straight and always have been.
We also have no fountains, nor any other water features to make the water aerate. We cannot use a garden hose with water due to mandatory water restrictions in force for Houston.
I have an air compressor, but it's only for 1 gallon and not rated for continuous duty.
Save for splashing people which obvously we cannot do with pH very low what can I use to aerate once I add the acid?
This is the delemma I've been chewing on for the last two weeks or more. We expect some rain over the weekend, but
we're in a persistant drought so it might not be very much.
So any ideas will be appreciated.