Should I empty my pool now?

[aylad]

Hi, and welcome to the forum! Just a couple of questions-- what is your hardness reading from both the pool and fill water ( with drops, not strips) and what do you use to chlorinate with?

[katsss]

Hi, and welcome to the forum! Just a couple of questions-- what is your hardness reading from both the pool and fill water ( with drops, not strips) and what do you use to chlorinate with?

Janet,
Thank you for your reply and apologies for the delay in my response. Although I did use drops (for the first time) I haven't actually been able to get conclusive hardness readings. I was also able to get local advise to deal with acute problems that arose just as I took over the pool for the winter. (Purple on the walls which has mostly gone away now the more I brush it and a loose skimmer basket.)
To answer your questions as best I can right now.
1) Test tube water for pool only turned slightly pink and never turned blue even after 10 to 12 drops.
2) The fill water I believe is way hard right now because source is temporarily from well water as our canals are being cleaned this month. I tested x 2 and red didn't turn to blue after 20 drops first time or after 10 drops 2nd time. I've decided to retest in mid January and reply again. ( By then I'll have been able to complete my pool chart. Still need to figure volume of my kidney shaped pool.)
3) We float 3" chlorine tabs.

[katsss]

Janet,
Thanks for your kind welcome. I finally gathered all the information needed to fill in my pool chart for this site and just completed that. I've also been getting acquainted with my new drop testing kit I bought at Ben's suggestion.

To answer you questions: 1) I float Leslie's 3" chlorine tabs 2) Still unsure of hardness readings though. After 5 drops the pool water showed barely a hint of pink and there was no change towards blue after 12 drops. I have been told by both Leslie's and pool guy, we use except during winter, that the water in the pool is quite hard and needs to be changed. We haven't changed since we moved in in 2006. 3) Tested Fill water twice and it appeared to be off the chart hard ?? I stopped after adding 20 drops 1st time and 12 the second time. Plan to retest end of Jan when fill water will be coming from canals again and not from temporary well source.