Water Question

[aylad]

If it's reading the highest on the tester, it means it is 8.2 or higher. You can use dry acid to lower it, but it may take quite a bit.That's okay, you need it to be between 7.2 and 7.8.

Your FC level is based on your CYA, so you need a good number for your stabilizer level in order to determine where your FC should be. (See the "best guess chlorine chart" linked in my sig above for more explanation and the chart).

If you could run a set of test results, with a drop-based kit (no strips!) and post them here for us, it would be easier to help answer your questions. You definitely need to know your CYA level, though, and strips are useless for getting an accurate number.

Janet

[pool_newbie76]

CYA is Stabilizer right??

[aylad]

Yes, CYA is stabilizer (cyanuric or isocyanuric acid).

[pool_newbie76]

Ok, so the first step I need to do is to get stabilizer in my pool, then get my free chlorine in, and then ph level down??? Is that the correct order of my concerns?

[PoolDoc]

Add chlorine first. Always add chlorine first. Everything else is optional. Low pH may damage pools -- but low chlorine ALWAYS results algae and unsanitary pools.

Add 1/4 gallon doses of PLAIN 6% household bleach to maintain chlorine levels ABOVE 2 ppm 110% of the time! Once you've done that, read the muriatic acid sticky linked in my signature and go from there.

[pool_newbie76]

Ok, I have chlorine granules, tablets, and some 6% household bleach, which should I use, or should I use more than one? I also have stabilizer, and ph minus. I need to know the order in which each chemical should go in the pool, and how long do I wait in between to add each one, and how long in total I should wait to swim? Also, does the hth shock have anything to do with helping your pool to have free chlorine? I understood it to help kill any bacteria or organisms that the chlorine missed? I'm still really so confused about all this chemical stuff and thinking very seriously about buying a salt water pump next year, aren't they a lot easier to take care of? I read somewhere that all you have to do is keep salt in the pool, is that true?

[aylad]

The granules, tablets, and bleach are all just different forms of chlorine. If you use the bleach, you'll need to add the stabilizer separately, and you can lower your pH with the dry acid (pH minus). If you use the tabs, they will add chlorine and stabilizer, and will also drive the pH down because they are acidic, so you won't need the pH minus. Check the ingredient on the granules--if they are dichloro...(lots of other syllables), they will also add stabilizer and drive pH down, but if the ingredients are cal-hypo,, then you'll need to add the stabilizer and adjust your pH separately.

If you're adding stabilizer to the pool, you can either put it in an old sock and hang it in front of a return, or you can put it in the skimmer and let it go to the filter to dissolve--just don't backwash the filter for at least 4-5 days afterward, otherwise you'll just wash it all out and have to start over. If you're using the granules, you can then dissolve them in a bucket of water and then add it into the return stream where the water comes back to the pool from the filter. If you're using the bleach, it can also be poured into the return stream. With any chemicals poured into the return stream of the pool, you just have to wait 15-20 minutes or so between each chem, so the jets can help disperse it all. If you add pH minus, wait about an hour after you've added it to retest, because you need to give it time to circulate in the pool.

As far as swimming goes, after you add the chems, wait 20-30 minutes, and as long as your ph is okay and your chlorine is within range based on your CYA (and your pool is clear), you can swim.

Janet