Green Hair????

[readytoscream]

Okay, I Checked the water with a 15 sec test strip (brand new), the pH level was 6.2...the free chlorine, total alkalinity, and stabilizer were all 0. What now?

[Watermom]

We don't really think too much of the accuracy of teststrips. Better to use a drops-based kit. At any rate, if your ph truly is 6.2, you need to raise it ASAP! Any reading below 7.0 is acidic and can damage your pool. Add a box of Borax slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running. Wait a few hours to let it circulate, then retest and redose until you get it to at least 7.0. Then start adding only a half or a third of a box at a time. Actually, aim for 7.4-7.6.

Also, add 3 quarts of plain, unscented bleach to the skimmer. That should take your FC to about 4.5 or so. Without any stabilizer in your water, you'll need to test morning and night and each time add some more bleach. Buy some cya. You may be able to buy it at Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, or you may have to go to a pool store. It may be called stabilizer or conditioner. Check the ingredient label. If it says cyanuric acid or isocyanuric acid, it is what you want. Add enough per label directions to get you to a reading of about 30. Add it to the skimmer. Do not broadcast it across the pool like the label may tell you to do. Then, don't retest, add more or backwash for about a week to let it dissolve. After you start getting a cya reading, you should be able to test and dose with bleach in the evenings only, but in the meantime, it will be necessary to do it morning and evening or you won't be able to keep any chlorine in the pool.

You can raise your alk with baking soda - again, add it to the skimmer. 80-125 is a good level. Add a box at a time until you start getting a reading, then smaller doses.

Hope this helps.

[CarlD]

First off...don't believe a 15 sec test strip--it may be accurate, maybe not. You can get a little OTO/pH test kit at any pool store and most discount houses, even that is better.

HOWEVER, the one thing they are usually pretty good at is chlorine--if it shows 0 you have 0. If it shows 10+, you have 10 or more--between those two....weellllllll I don't buy.

I know I'm being a little glib but if your pH is 6.2 you need to raise it immediately. Your two best choices are Borax or Washing Soda/Soda Ash. Borax will raise pH, and Soda Ash will raise pH and Total alk, which you need (but you can add baking soda instead).

I'd start with a full box of Borax --20 Mule Team at your grocery store. Make sure the pump is running. Add it to the skimmer. Wait, say, an hour. Then I would add, to the skimmer, 1 gallon of regular bleach to get some chlorine in the water. Wait, oh, say 2 hours and check your water again. If the pH is below 7.0, add another box of Borax. Wait another hour and if FC shows less than 3ppm, add another gallon of bleach.

Keep doing this until pH is 7.3-7.8 and FC is 3ppm.

Then worry about total alkalinity and CYA (stabilizer). You are aiming for T/A of 80-125--add one # of baking soda, wait a couple of hours and check. If low, add another #. You need at least 30ppm of stabilizer, but not more than 50ppm. You can buy this at discount houses or pool stores. Figure out, from the label, how much for 13,000 gallons (24'round) you need to get 30ppm of CYA. Use about half that amount. You can put it in an old stocking and hang it near the return, or put it in the skimmer, but don't turn off the filter or backwash for a week. Then measure CYA again, and repeat, until you reach 30-50ppm.

Hope this all helps.

[waterbear]

Just a suggestion. Walmart and sometimes Kmart sell a 6 way test kit (by Aquachem) that is a good starter kit and much more accurate than the test strips. It uses liquid reagents and costs about $15. You probably paid as much, if not more, for those strips. See if you can find it. It will make getting your pool balanced and swimmable much easier and faster! Test strips are just not good for balancing a pool. They don't have enough accuracy and precision. The walmart kit is accurate and easy to use and is what you need right now.

If you REALLY want to do it right either get a Taylor K-2006 kit (around $60 or so) or order the kit from the sister website to this forum www.poolsolutions.com. You want the PS234. It is very similar to the Taylor kit but is a better value for the money. It gives you more of the reagents that you need and that get used up quickly and leaves out 2 pretty useless tests that you really don't need. Even though the kit on poolsolutions costs a bit more it gives you enough reagents for more tests then the Taylor kit, expecially pH and CYA. For example, the Taylor kit only gives you enough to test CYA about 5 times while the PS234 will let you test about 21 times before you need more reagent. All the other tests have enough reagents to do more tests also when compared to the Taylor kit.