new ag pool- 1 week/clueless owner

[JohnT]

TC=FC+CC or Total Chlorine = Free Chlorine + Combined Chlorine.

Free Chlorine is good
Combined Chlorine is bad (it is chlorine that is bound up trying to remove some contaminant)

You don't have to drain the pool to get rid of free chlorine.

You need to know if your pool has CYA or Cyanuric Acid (also called stabilizer) in it. You need some or you will have a hard time holding your free chlorine through a sunny day. You need to know how much so you know how much FC you need to maintain.

You will need to address you alkalinity issue, but just holding your pH near 7.2 will be all you need. Normally with high alkalinity, your pH will tend to climb, so you will have to add muriatic acid to keep it low enough.

You may have some testing issues since your chlorine numbers don't add up. I would take a sample to a pool store and see what kind of numbers they get. Don't listen to what they tell you to add.

Hang in there, you don't have any urgent issues, so you have time to learn how to handle it. It's not hard.

[tundraSQ]

Don't listen to what they tell you to add.

x2

But PLEASE report back what they tell you ....people seem to get a kick out reading them

[katatonic]

Hi

I went to the friendly pool store and he tested it with a strip. I asked if they do it another way and he said no. So I am going to see if another store tests differently.

His tests were similar- He told me to add muratic acid, stabilizer, and shock.

I should have wrote down his numbers.

I have been keeping a log since then and have managed to drop my ph from 8.4 to 7.8. I have read the lowering the alkalinity post many times and I think I finally understand it. I thought I was suppose to add muratic acid (according to the bleach calc) one time and wait. I misunderstood that I need to stay on top of it until I lower the ph but lower it slowly. I added more acid this morning. It was unchanged from 7.8 from yesterday and I added some last night. I did notice though when I did my alkalinity test that it almost changed at 10 drops instead of 11. I have a spa jet and have been constantly aerating.

My CYA and FC levels had been very high. I had stopped using the puck to try and convert to bleach. Since both levels dropped I did end up adding stablizer and shock.

This forum is great. I learn a lot each time I am here. The people are so helpful!

Thanks,
Tamie