Newbie needs advice....so confused

[mbar]

Yes, order the stabalizer online - you can often find free shipping. I do a lot of my shopping online since I live in a small town too. You will also have to get some calcium in the water too. Walmart sometimes has calcium, or if you have a lowes, they carry it. If not order that online too - you need between 200 and 400 for a gunite pool. Use enough to get you to 200, sometimes what it calls for will take you over 200! So I always go for less. You should add the bleach now, you don't have to wait.

[AndieP]

OK, I have officially started the conversion

I am getting stabilizer, metal out, and calcium increaser. Yesterday I slowed added bleach to get to a level of 10.5 when I went to bed. This morning my numbers were as follows:

FC 7.0
CC 0
PH 7.2
TA 50
CYA 0

When I tried to test my calcium level it turned yellow instead of red. Do you know why it did this? My TA is dropping a bit...do I need to increase it?

I added 2 more jugs of bleach to bring it back up to 10....I just keep it at 10 all day today and tonight, right?

The water is clear...I can see the bottom easily but the deep end is just a bit hazy.

Thanks again for your continued help.

[AndieP]

I am still going at this...water was clear yesterday, brought bleach up to 11 last night and this morning the water is cloudy. I added stabilizer Thursday night so I haven't checked the CYA level yet.

My question now is do I continue to add the bleach at the return jet or should I walk around the pool with it or add it in the skimmer?

Also where do you add baking soda and Borax? At the skimmer?

Thanks!

[Dr. Spike]

I add my bleach slowly to the skimmer. Same for the borax and baking soda (I almost never have to use any though). I add the muriatic acid slowly by the return jet. I never add any chemical at the same time. If I have to use more than one chemical in a day I will wait about 4 hours (about 1 full cycle for my pool) with the pump running before I do.

I do not use any pucks. If you are, and have them or have had them in the skimmer, DO NOT add the bleach to the skimmer. Continue adding by the return jet.