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[crazy cat lady]

Ben,

I got the stabilizer today and made a slurry with hot water and the 4 lb jug and added to the pool. I hope you meant add 4 pounds at once. I'm reading the posts and according to the stabilizer label in my pool 4 lbs would get me to approximately 100ppm.I'm seeing alot of posts with larger pools at 40-50. I also added 182 oz of 6 % bleach because I was at zero tonight. From a few other pool folks suggestions I was only getting the chlorine up to 4.6 and not shock level . Janet said to use 2.6 gallons each time to get the level up.Let me know your thoughts.Pool is still light green. Thanks

[Watermom]

Ben,

I got the stabilizer today and made a slurry with hot water and the 4 lb jug and added to the pool. I hope you meant add 4 pounds at once. I'm reading the posts and according to the stabilizer label in my pool 4 lbs would get me to approximately 100ppm.

How did you arrive at this conclusion? Didn't you tell us above that your CYA level was 0? In a 13,000 gallon pool, 4 lbs. of CYA will only add 40ppm, not 100.

[crazy cat lady]

Watermon,

Kem Tek label says to add 10ppm add 1/2 pound so that would be 40 ppm but the chart for 2 lbs says its 50ppm so x2 would be 100 no?A bit confusing. So I'm ok then at 40. I also added 182 oz of bleach . I was at zero before the addition after I registered 5-10 on my kit. Reading was the same this morning ph was 6.8. I added another 182 oz of bleach to get it back up to shock level per Janets response earlier. I'l brush and vacuum when I get home tonight hopefully the greenish pool is a reflection from debris below . Thanks

[Watermom]

If your pH is 6.8, you need to add some Borax to get it above 7.0. Add a half a box slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running, breaking up any clumps. Let it circulate for a couple hours, retest and re-dose until you get the pH somewhere between 7.2-7.8 with 7.4-7.6 being what I like best.

[crazy cat lady]

Watermom, ph dropped after I added the cya was holding at 7.2.How big a box of Borax? I've seen the larger boxes not sure the size.Got into the pool tonight and vacuumed out 2 large loads of gunk, dead algea, pine needles.I filled 2 cartridge filters and clogged the whole hose 2x's. Had to give up after an hour as I only had 3 cartridges on hand and washed 2 out and put the clean one in to filter for the night. Chlorine was holding at the 5-10 on my kit after I added a second 182 oz jug this morning.Put another 182 in for the night.With 364 oz today I should get back up to shock level in a bit. Gonna need a bigger vacuum lol

[Watermom]

I've only ever seen one size box of Borax sold in all the years I've owned a pool. It is around 4lbs.

I just re-scanned this entire thread and unless I missed it, I don't see where you have told us what kind of test kit you are using. You need to do yourself a favor and buy a Taylor K-2006. See the test kit page in my signature.

[crazy cat lady]

Watermom,

I'm using the hth 6 way test kit I found at Walmart last year. I added half a box of borax last night with the usual bleach and this am the ph was 7.2 after pouring all last night. Chlorine was 5-10 dark yellow.

Pool is holding some chlorine as I go from very dark yellow 5-10 during the day( morning reading) I then add another 182 oz of bleach after the sun goes down to get me above the test kit limits . I add bleach when the level is at the 5-10 .I'm staying pretty high most of the day. Do you think I should add a second bottle at night to keep way above the test limits? I didn't locate the distilled water yet I'm in a rural area so I have to hop around different stores.

I added the other half a box of borax this morning and added the next dose of bleach did a retest about an hour after the additions and the chlorine is orange/ red an the ph was purple 8.2 is the highest on my kit so probably above that but I just added the bleach so not concerned it will come down a bit later.

So far I have put in the 4 lbs of cya and 4 lbs of borax. I'm brushing daily and was only able to vacuum 2 days ago when I took a ton of stuff out of the pool. Water is a very light green looks like lots floating, running the filter 24/7 and switching out the cartridge daily. New Unicels will be here by wed so hopefully I make more progress. I'll keep vacuuming as the weather permits. Don't want to be in the pool with a metal pole during a thunderstorm lol. Any other suggestions to clear this faster? I did add a dose of clarifyer earlier in the week per Bens suggestion. Do I add more? Thanks!!