Brand new pool owner = new to BBB method

[stslimited84]

Hey Guys,

I just stumbled upon this great website about 30 mins ago and have been eagerly reading since. Here's the long and short of it. Recently purchased my first home which came with an in ground plaster pool. The pool is currently filled with water and the owner was having a weekly pool service which stopped about a week ago. Here is the equipment list for the pool along with links for your viewing:

A.O. Smith SQ1102 Square Flange Motor - http://www.aqua-man.com/row_num.asp?Ic=1133
American Products DE 48’ sq Model # 584090
Heyward CL-220 - http://www.amazon.com/Hayward-Off-Line- ... B000NPGHFE
(attached spa) Air Supply Silencer Air Blower part # 6318120F - simliar to this http://www.amerimerc.com/air-blower~silencer.htm

Went to the Leslie's today and bought the following based upon a conservation with a friend who just started maintaining his own pool:

Leslie's 3" chlorine tablets
power powder plus
fresh n clear
DPD Deluxe Test Kit

The pool needed water, and after filling the pool to the skimmer half way point, I tested the water with the above kit and got the following results:

Ph = 8.0
Alkalinity = 110 ppm
Chlorine was 0
Temp = 84 degrees


I stumbled upon this site and quickly realized/learned i wanted to go the BBB route. The only thing Ive done thus far today is added 12 chlorine tablets to the Heyward Cl-220 but even at that point, the pump ran only about 1.5 hours. Tomorrow I want to pick up everything I need to get the pool up and running properly using the BBB method. What do I need to do/buy?

Any and all assistance you guys can provide to this novice will be greatly appreciated! Tomorrow I'll be exchanging the test kit for the complete leslie's kit listed in the guide. I'll also return both shocks if needed. I believe the pool is 30,000 gallons but I'm not positive and need to find out for certain.

Thanks in advance for the help. It'll go along way to reducing the stress of owning our first home and pool! :)

[PoolDoc]

Hi STS;

Welcome to the PoolForum!

Do this:

#1 - Disable your timer and run the pool 24/7 till you've gotten the chemistry adjusted.
#2 - Add 1# of Power Powder + (calcium hypochlorite) in the AM.
#3 - Return the "Fresh n Clear" (non-chlorine 'shock'), get the test kit as planned, and have your stabilizer level tested.
#4 - If your stabilizer is low, let them sell you some stabilizer. But get the MINIMUM amount, because you need to use up your tabs, which also add stabilizer.
#5 - Buy a few pounds of dry acid to lower your pH some. (You can switch to muriatic acid, later.)
#6 - Get a cheap floater for the tabs -- the Hayward feeders often don't work and you need a back up.
#7 - Do NOT buy other goop from them.
#8 - Clean your filter, and then add the stabilizer when you get home.
#9 - Put some tabs in the floater and put it in the pool.
#10 - Add a recommended minimum dose of acid.
#11 - Test the following day and report results, BUT if chlorine is less than 2 ppm, add another lb of cal hypo.

[stslimited84]

Prior to reading this post I had returned the items I purchased. Items I currently have:

Complete Taylor test kit from Leslie's
Walmart brand 6% bleach
2 gallons of muriatic acid
one box of 20 mule borax

I had the water tested yesterday by leslies and got the following results:

pH - 8.0
FC - 1
CC -
TA - 100 ppm
CH - 250 ppm
CYA - 30 ppm

I added the muriatic acid and dropped the Ph to 7.6. Before going to bed I added a shock dosage of bleach (4 gals 2 quarts)

This morning I tested the water and only got a reading of 1.5 ppm FC and a Ph of 7.4. I again added the same shock dosage of bleach and tested about 40 mins later. The chlorine was still reading low at about 1.5. Confused and frustrated I went to a different pool store and had them test the water. Their test results stated:

FC - .4 ppm
TC - 1 ppm
CYa - 25 ppm
Ph - 7.1

Phosphates - 2000 ppb

While I realize these tests are somewhat subjective depending on the tester reading the color scale, it is consistent with my low chlorine reading. Their Ph test said it was low but the Taylor kit was right on with 7.4 when I tested. They also stated I had a high level of phosphate.

Im sufficiently lost at this point and need direction. I mean 40 mins after adding a shock dosage it shouldn't be all gone right? What to do?

serenity now, serenity now :rant:

[PoolDoc]

Serenity is a state of mind, not a state of pool! ;)

If you have beginning algal growth, or any of a number of other issues, it could consume your chlorine very quickly. Don't be surprised at this. Continue dosing with bleach until your chlorine level holds over night. That will indicate that the 'goo' is gone (oxidized or burned up). Once you reach this state of goofreeness (not to be confused with the state of enlightenment), you'll probably need to add some more stabilizer.

[stslimited84]

Serenity is a state of mind, not a state of pool! ;)

If you have beginning algal growth, or any of a number of other issues, it could consume your chlorine very quickly. Don't be surprised at this. Continuing dosing with bleach until your chlorine level holds over night. That will indicate that the 'goo' is gone (oxidized or burned up). Once you reach this state of goofreeness (not to be confused with the state of enlightenment), you'll probably need to add some more stabilizer.

Thanks for the reply Doc. Question. How often should I be adding bleach and testing? I tested 40 mins after adding the shock dosage and it gave a low reading. when should i test? should i adjust my dosage? at this rate seems as tho i need a truckload of bleach!

[stslimited84]

Also, to clarify, while reading through the forum ive read 2 gallons of 6% bleach will raise my FC levels by 5ppm correct? Based on that and the best guess chart, the shock level is 12-15 ppm which equates to 6 gallons of 6% bleach. Sound about right? how soon after adding the bleach should i test for the FC level?

I was frustrated and panicking earlier today, didnt want to end up with a swamp, and have been using all available resources. I sincerely appreciate the help Ive been receiving. Thank you very much :)

[CarlD]

Also, to clarify, while reading through the forum ive read 2 gallons of 6% bleach will raise my FC levels by 5ppm correct? Based on that and the best guess chart, the shock level is 12-15 ppm which equates to 6 gallons of 6% bleach. Sound about right? how soon after adding the bleach should i test for the FC level?

I was frustrated and panicking earlier today, didnt want to end up with a swamp, and have been using all available resources. I sincerely appreciate the help Ive been receiving. Thank you very much :)

No, but close! Good for a newbie! 2 gallons of 6% will add 4ppm of chlorine to your 30,000 gallon pool, not 5ppm. ! gallon of 6% add 6ppm to 10,000 gallons, therefore 1/3 that to 30,000 gallons or 2ppm. 2 gallons therefore adds 4ppm.

Aim for a shock level of 15ppm. 7 Gallons of 6% bleach should do it. Current FC: 1ppm. 7gal adds 14ppm, which equals 15ppm.

Just my "take"

Carl

[stslimited84]

No, but close! Good for a newbie! 2 gallons of 6% will add 4ppm of chlorine to your 30,000 gallon pool, not 5ppm. ! gallon of 6% add 6ppm to 10,000 gallons, therefore 1/3 that to 30,000 gallons or 2ppm. 2 gallons therefore adds 4ppm.

Aim for a shock level of 15ppm. 7 Gallons of 6% bleach should do it. Current FC: 1ppm. 7gal adds 14ppm, which equals 15ppm.

Just my "take"

Carl

my mistake, i forgot to edit my first post. I took measurements and believe my pool is 25,000 gals...so 6.5 gals should get it there? Do I need to adjust the CYA level since the chlorine seems to be getting used fast or leave it where it is? How soon after adding the shock dosage should I test? and am i correct for shocking due to not knowing how the previous pool owner left the water condition?

[Watermom]

Your dose of 6.5 gallons is right. While you are fighting this, as often as you can test and add more bleach the better. There is no such thing as doing it too often. Every time you test, add enough bleach to get back to 15. You could stand to bump the CYA up a little if your reading of 30 is right. Maybe add another 2 lbs. of CYA. Put it in an old sock and hang it in front of a return jet. Give it a squeeze every once in awhile to help it dissolve faster. That should add another 10ppm of CYA for you. You want to continue shocking until you can go from sundown one day until sunup the next day without losing more than 1ppm of chlorine.

It's a lot to learn at first but you're doing great!

[stslimited84]

I believe I have this sorted out for the most part now. Seems as tho I was making quite a newbie mistake. The vacuum w/the same debris catcher bag has been in the pool since we bought the house a week ago. After adding the shock dosage earlier this afternoon, I realized this probably shouldn't be in there especially with that bag full of debris.

Well lo and behold, I turned off the pump then disconnected and removed the vacuum from the pool. I finally saw a current in the water! :) Tested the water after about 20 mins and got a reading between 12-15ppm! Well after feeling some relief and needing to eat, I got lunch and returned to walmart to buy more bleach.

Returned home, tested the water at about 345 pm, and got a FC reading of 3 ppm. Progress! Since I dont have internet at the house yet, I used calculations previously printed the from poolcalculator.com based on raising the 3 ppm to 12 ppm. It called for 3 gals 3 quarts. I added it, tested the level at 410 pm, and got a reading of 15 ppm, woohoo!

Im going to test the pool water tonight when its getting dark and make the necessary adjustments. Couple of questions for you guys and gals:

1) For clarity purposes, based on a pool size of approx. 25000 gals, 1 gallon of 6% bleach will raise it by how many ppm?

2) I tested my Ph a couple times today and got readings of 7.0. I believe I need to raise this to 7.5-7.6. The above listed calculator states I should add 11 lb of borax by weight. Is that accurate?

3) I'll test for the CYA and post the results. Would this be a good price for it? http://www.lowes.com/pd_86401-1772-05503AQU_0__?productId=3044625&Ntt=chlorine&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dchlorine&facetInfo=

4) Getting ahead of myself (hopefully only slightly), once the pool reaches the point where it loses 1ppm or less overnight, what are the next steps?

[Watermom]

1. Approximately 2.5ppm

2. Never add 11 lb. of anything at once. You may either overshoot your target or end up with cloudy water. Add a box of Borax and wait several hours. Then retest pH and redose if needed. Anywhere between 7.2-7.8 is ok. Once your pH starts to move, you might want to go to smaller doses than full boxes at a time. Do NOT test pH when your chlorine is high, however, or you will get a falsely high pH reading. Test pH before adding a new dose of bleach.

3. I don't know. I haven't bought any CYA lately.

4. When you can pass the overnight test, I'd keep the chlorine high for one additional day for added insurance and then let the cl drift down and maintain it between 3-6ppm all the time.

[stslimited84]

just got back from testing the pool at sundown. FC was at 1 ppm. TC was at 3. Ph was at 7. CH was 230 ppm. Ta was 90 ppm. The CYA was something less than 30 but i couldnt tell b/c the tube was full and i could still see the dot although cloudy. The chlorine tests are approximate (and consequently less accurate) bc the colors are hard to distinguish sometimes (see further down in post)

i added 3 gal 3 quarts as i did earlier to bring it back up and then tested the water a little bit later and got an approximate reading of 10 ppm. Again Im not sure b/c the colors are hard to distinguish and I had to use the dilute method b/c the reading was above 5 ppm.

Im going to add the CYA tomorrow as you suggested.

I edited out the borax comment bc i just saw your earlier reply. 10-4 on the borax instructions.

I also ordered the Taylor K-2006 kit as suggested on here and am going to return the one I got at leslie's...its too freakin' hard to read the color adjustments for chlorine, especially at shock levels or anything above 5 ppm. Unfortunately the kit wont be here until next week :(

how we doin' so far? what ya got for me?

[Watermom]

Check the post above yours. I just replied one minute before you posted again. Good decision to get the Taylor K-2006. You won't be sorry. You're doing fine! Keep us posted how things are going.

[stslimited84]

Thank you so very much for the help! I will most certainly be donating to this site.

Can the CYA and borax be added at the same time (seems as tho they can be).

I have another dilemma which I need help with. So within the past week Ive had a ton of stuff going on. Closed on a new home. Been doing some renovation to it. Reading, learning, and applying new info to maintain a pool for the first time :) On top of all this, Im going on vacation on friday and will be unable to provide the pool with my undivided attention as I am now. At this point, I'm not sure the pool will be out of the shocking stage by early friday morning. That being said, how can I get through the next week without coming back to a swamp. I will not be home but I have family who will be watching the house and pool. They have never had a pool and have no knowledge about pool maintenance.

What would be the best course of action? put several (if so, how many) 3" trichlor pucks in a floater and leave the pump on all week?

Its been a whirlwind of excitement and activity with all this going on and im trying to keep my head from spinning off, lol

[Watermom]

How often are the family members going to come and check the pool? Let's see what kind of overnight loss you have for the next couple of nights and also how the water looks by Thursday. Also what kind of chlorine loss you have from one evening to the next. Then, we'll make a recommendation for you. Even if you don't complete go algae free the whole time you are gone, we can help you clean it up when you return.

EDIT -- It is ok to add CYA and Borax one after the other.

[stslimited84]

How often are the family members going to come and check the pool? Let's see what kind of overnight loss you have for the next couple of nights and also how the water looks by Thursday. Also what kind of chlorine loss you have from one evening to the next. Then, we'll make a recommendation for you. Even if you don't complete go algae free the whole time you are gone, we can help you clean it up when you return.

EDIT -- It is ok to add CYA and Borax one after the other.

Will add the CYA and Borax tomorrow.

as far as people checking on the pool...one or two family members will be at the house on a daily or every other day basis renovating and can check on the pool.

[PoolDoc]

It's a plaster pool, so excess chlorine won't hurt anything. 30K pool, so 1 gallon of plain 6% bleach = 2 ppm.

Do this:

#1 - Buy 4 gallons of bleach for EVERY day you'll be gone, plus 8 more gallons.
#2 - Have your family add 4 gallons each day, preferably in the late evening. Don't bother with testing.
#3 - YOU add 4 gallons each day, the first 2 days you're back, because you probably won't have time to pay attention to the pool.
#4 - Caution your family that that they need to purchase AND ADD 1/2 gallon for each person who swims each day.
#5 - Tell them that the chlorine levels may (or may not) be VERY high - if they swim, and add the extra bleach, it will be fine. BUT they should wear old swim suits or swim without them, since the chlorine levels won't hurt people but may hurt the swim suits. (That said, very high chlorine can dry or 'chap' your skin.)

[stslimited84]

It's a plaster pool, so excess chlorine won't hurt anything. 30K pool, so 1 gallon of plain 6% bleach = 2 ppm.

Do this:

#1 - Buy 4 gallons of bleach for EVERY day you'll be gone, plus 8 more gallons.
#2 - Have your family add 4 gallons each day, preferably in the late evening. Don't bother with testing.
#3 - YOU add 4 gallons each day, the first 2 days you're back, because you probably won't have time to pay attention to the pool.
#4 - Caution your family that that they need to purchase AND ADD 1/2 gallon for each person who swims each day.
#5 - Tell them that the chlorine levels may (or may not) be VERY high - if they swim, and add the extra bleach, it will be fine. BUT they should wear old swim suits or swim without them, since the chlorine levels won't hurt people but may hurt the swim suits. (That said, very high chlorine can dry or 'chap' your skin.)


Will do. I'll need to stock up on additional bleach from Walmart. Should the pump be on 24/7 next week?

Update on today's testing results:

7am: approx. 1.5 ppm. --> added about 4-5 gallons of bleach (cant remember now bc i forget the piece of paper i wrote the levels/amounts down on and its been a long day of renovating)

1pm: approx. 10 ppm --> added 1.42 gals (1 walmart sized bottle of bleach)
3pm: approx. 10 ppm --> added 1.42 gals (1 walmart sized bottle of bleach)
5pm: approx. 12 - 15 ppm --> added 3 quarts

Other stuff:

8am: added one box of borax. tested Ph and it went up to 7.4 from 7.0 -- a second test later in the day also showed 7.4

2pm: added approx. two pounds of CYA via sock method as suggested and squeezed the sock several times today


The FC measurements i posted are approximates due to the terrible color matching system of the current kit i have...eagerly awaiting the k-2006 arrival

also, i have a pool guy coming tomorrow to go over the workings of the plumbing and filter system (a d.e. filter). From the brief reading ive done on these filters, would cleaning it/backwashing (i forget if thats the correct terminology) be harmful to the current shock process?

[aylad]

From the brief reading ive done on these filters, would cleaning it/backwashing (i forget if thats the correct terminology) be harmful to the current shock process?

The only "harm" it would do is to cause you to lose "shocked" water, so if you have to refill to top your water level off again, you'll need to add more bleach to get back up to shock level.

[stslimited84]

found my note paper with the test results. Here are the results i wrote down today:

7am: approx. 1.5 ppm. --> added about 4-5 gallons of bleach (neglected to write this amount down)

1pm: approx. 10 ppm --> 7am: approx. 1.5 ppm. --> added about 4-5 gallons of bleach (cant remember now bc i forget the piece of paper i wrote the levels/amounts down on and its been a long day of renovating)

1pm: approx. 10 ppm -->added 3 quarts
3pm: approx. 10 ppm --> added 1.42 gals (1 walmart sized bottle of bleach)
5pm: holding steady at 15 ppm

-------------------------------------


Tested the water around 845pm tonight and got a reading of 7.5 ppm, but Im skeptical of it b/c of having to use the diluted water method for color matching...it may very well be higher. To be safe I added 3 gals of bleach to bring it up to 15 ppm. Will test again in the morning.

Should I leave the pump on 24/7 through next week? Anything else I need to be doing at this point?

Tomorrow Ill be returning that crappy test kit to leslie's and monitoring the pool throughout the day while renovating.

[Watermom]

You can leave the pump on if you don't have a lot of debris that could fill your skimmer basket and block water flow to your pump. Another option would be to put the pump on a timer or just ask your family to turn it on and off at a certain time each day. You do want to make sure that the pump runs for at least an hour after additions of bleach.

[stslimited84]

You can leave the pump on if you don't have a lot of debris that could fill your skimmer basket and block water flow to your pump. Another option would be to put the pump on a timer or just ask your family to turn it on and off at a certain time each day. You do want to make sure that the pump runs for at least an hour after additions of bleach.

The pump does have a timer. What time interval should i set it at?

The pool came with a vacuum that runs off of water pressure from the pump...seems to do an ok job. Any recommendations on pool vacuums? (i know im getting ahead of myself, but figured i'd ask :) )

[Watermom]

Maybe two 5 hour sessions. Just make sure they are going to add the bleach when the pump will still be on for at least another hour afterwards.

Ask your vacuum question in the pool equipment section of the forum instead of here in one of the chemistry section.

[stslimited84]

Maybe two 5 hour sessions. Just make sure they are going to add the bleach when the pump will still be on for at least another hour afterwards.

Ask your vacuum question in the pool equipment section of the forum instead of here in one of the chemistry section.

the timer only has one on/off setting so I'll set it for a ten hour run at night to cover when they add the bleach. Ill post additional test results tomorrow. here's to hoping i come back to a clear pool! :)

thanks watermom!

[stslimited84]

First test this am looked good. Again with the current test kit I couldn't get an accurate reading but it was still pretty high; however due to not knowing I added some bleach just to be safe. It might not have dropped much, if at all. Took a second reading around 1pm. No noticeable change!

Had a pool guy come out to explain the workings of the plumbing, filter, how to clean it, etc. As it turns out, the previous owner didnt have the spa returns on at all and they left the vacuum line on so a large percentage of the water wasnt even going through the filter until today! can you believe it?!

The vacuum cleaner is a Polaris, not sure of the exact model, but Ill check it tonight to see. From what Ive been reading they seem to be pretty solid units, correct?

I'm going to stock up on bleach tonight so my family members can add throughout the week and pick up an additional timer clip set from the pool store so I can have the pump running twice a day as watermom suggested.

How are we looking? Am I missing anything? Anything other things I need to do before vacation?

[Watermom]

I think you've about got things covered. Hopefully by the time you get back, your new test kit will be there waiting for you.

Now, stop worrying about the pool and start packing. The worst that can happen is there is a little algae but if that is the case, we can help you clean it up easily. i doubt that will happen since you are fortunate enough to have someone looking in on the pool daily.

Orders from 'Mom -- and you know what happens when you don't mind your mom!!!!! ---- GO HAVE SOME FUN!!

[stslimited84]

I think you've about got things covered. Hopefully by the time you get back, your new test kit will be there waiting for you.

Now, stop worrying about the pool and start packing. The worst that can happen is there is a little algae but if that is the case, we can help you clean it up easily. i doubt that will happen since you are fortunate enough to have someone looking in on the pool daily.

Orders from 'Mom -- and you know what happens when you don't mind your mom!!!!! ---- GO HAVE SOME FUN!!


Yes mom! lol


btw, love your avatar pic!

[Watermom]

btw, love your avatar pic!

Thank you! They are my two new golden retriever puppies -- (both little girls) -- named Kylie and Malia. They are 11 weeks old and just adorable. It is always the "wide world of puppy wrestling" at any given moment on my back deck! They join our other golden girl, Kenzie who is 7 years old. We are having a ball with them!

[stslimited84]

Got back to the house tonight and had the new test kit with me. Initial chlorine test showed 1.5 ppm free chlorine and .5 ppm combined chlorine. Added 2.25 gals, waited 30 mins and then retested. Test showed 5.5 ppm FC with .5 ppm CC.

Going to test all parameters in the morning, but it seems its right on track, yes?

The K-2006 is a good kit and is so much easier to measure the chlorine levels.

[Watermom]

I trust the vacation was good and the pool was not green when you returned! Good news!

[stslimited84]

I trust the vacation was good and the pool was not green when you returned! Good news!

Tested the water at 1:25 pm (wasn't able to test early in the am today):

FC - 1.5 ppm
CC - 0.5 ppm
PH - 7.8
TA - 120 ppm
CH - 180 ppm
CYA - 25 ppm (the black dot disappeared at the very top of the test tube so I believe it to be approximately 25 ppm)

I added the same amount of bleach I did yesterday. Bought some additional CYA to add via the sock method. About 3 pounds of it sound right? That will also drop the PH a bit and bring it where it needs to be correct? What about the TA and CH numbers?

Anything else?

you guys rock

[Watermom]

3 lbs. of stabilizer should add about 15ppm more of CYA which would put you somewhere around 40 which would be a good level. It may drop the pH some. But, you're OK at 7.8. If it goes over 8, then you'll want to work to drop it. Your TA is fine. Your CH is a little low. Usually the recommendation is CH between 200-400 for a plaster pool. Maybe just use a little cal-hypo for awhile as your source of chlorine and then switch back to bleach when the CH is in range.

Go ahead and add some more bleach to get back to around 5ppm or so. You don't want to let it drop too low and risk an algae bloom.

A request from me. Please make a signature line with basic info in it so we won't have to keep scrolling back up to find details needed to be able to give good advice. Click on settings in the top right-hand corner. In your signature, please put the following: type of pool, volume, type of filter, size of pump, and also that you have a K-2006. By doing this, it will make it easier for us to help. Thanks.

[CarlD]

Has anyone recommended that stslimited84 lower pH down to the 7.2-7.5 range? It should make the chlorine much more effective at killing and metabolizing whatever keeps raising the CC level.

Carl

[stslimited84]

Has anyone recommended that stslimited84 lower pH down to the 7.2-7.5 range? It should make the chlorine much more effective at killing and metabolizing whatever keeps raising the CC level.

Carl

Tested the chlorine around midnight and registered 3.5 ppm FC and Zero CC. Added about a gallon to bring it up to 6 ppm. Also added 3lbs CYA via sock method to the pool. Will retest in the am and see where its at.

From reading it seems the 3lbs of CYA will drop the PH to about 7.52. Figured I'd retest it after its dissolved and see where its at, or do you think I should lower it now Carl?

[PoolDoc]

From what I could see of your numbers, it looks like your pool is doing fine, so long as you keep chlorine in it.

Ben

[stslimited84]

From what I could see of your numbers, it looks like your pool is doing fine, so long as you keep chlorine in it.

Ben

Question for you guys/gals:

On the multiport, there is a clear plastic half cylinder with water in it. This piece of plastic with water has green algae in it. Ive been monitoring the chlorine levels and have tried to keep it above 3 ppm. The CYA has been completely dissolved via the sock method as discussed previously. I add the required amount of chlorine to bring the chlorine to 7ppm every evening, but haven't been able to check it the next day till about noon. The level typically has dropped to 3ish by then. My pool gets sun early, but im not sure it would be using that much within a couple hours especially since the CYA has been added, so I suspect the chlorine is being used overnight.

Is the algae in the plastic half cylinder cause for concern?

On a side note, the previous owner essentially planted a forest around the pool for privacy, and the amount of debris blown into the pool is incredible. I'm going to be removing the mulch and replacing it with river rock. There are several large arborvitae around the pool. I don't think they contribute much debris and like the added privacy they give. I do want to replace the leafy plants which contribute heavily to the debris along with the mulch with something that will increase privacy and not dirty the pool. Suggestions?

[Watermom]

Is there any algae in the pool? If so, since your CYA should now be at about 40, your shock level would be about 15. Your maintenance chlorine levels will be between 3-6 all the time.

After you backwash your filter, do you rinse? I wonder if doing so would clear the sight glass? Might be something to try.

[PoolDoc]

On the multiport, there is a clear plastic half cylinder with water in it. This piece of plastic with water has green algae in it. Is the algae in the plastic half cylinder cause for concern?

No. It's the multiport backwash sight glass, and has no contact with circulating pool water.

On hot sunny days, you could definitely lose several ppm of chlorine by noon, with CYA=25ppm or less

I have no advice on landscaping, except to avoid 'crap myrtles' like the plague -- those things poop in the pool year-round! -- Seeds, twigs, leaves, petals, etc, all year long.

[stslimited84]

No. It's the multiport backwash sight glass, and has no contact with circulating pool water.

ok good thats a relief.



On hot sunny days, you could definitely lose several ppm of chlorine by noon, with CYA=25ppm or less


I havent retested the CYA yet but with the addition of the last 3 pounds, it should be up around 40ppm. My pool gets full sun for about 9-9.5 hours a day. Is 40ppm CYA sufficient or should we go higher?

[PoolDoc]

Use the Best Guess chart to determine appropriate chlorine levels. If you use higher levels than needed, you'll have higher chlorine loss than necessary.

[stslimited84]

Use the Best Guess chart to determine appropriate chlorine levels. If you use higher levels than needed, you'll have higher chlorine loss than necessary.

I meant using a higher CYA level to slow chlorine loss; however I do realize I need to monitor the pool more until I get a better feel for the rate of chlorine usage and then go from there.

My understanding from reading on this forum is the higher the CYA level the slower the chlorine loss. On the flip side, with higher CYA levels you have to maintain a higher baseline of chlorine. Correct?

[Watermom]

Your understanding is correct.

[stslimited84]

If the free chlorine level is raised above the recommended ideal max, say to 8ppm in a pool with 30-50 ppm CYA where the recommended max is 6ppm, what happens? I imagine the excess chlorine just burns off quicker, but wanted clarification. The chlorine levels seem to drop fairly quickly during the day right now. That being said the temps (S.E. PA) are 100 degrees and the pool is in full sun for most of the day.

[PoolDoc]

When you are not having to treat a problem, you want to raise it to the normal max, and let it cycle down toward the normal minimum. Given losses to swimmers and sunlight, it's pretty much impossible to maintain a 'constant' chlorine level in the pool. What you want to avoid is having it go below the minimum. It's better to be too high than too low, because pools are not especially forgiving, and a single algae episode can consume 30 days worth of chlorine!

[stslimited84]

When you are not having to treat a problem, you want to raise it to the normal max, and let it cycle down toward the normal minimum. Given losses to swimmers and sunlight, it's pretty much impossible to maintain a 'constant' chlorine level in the pool. What you want to avoid is having it go below the minimum. It's better to be too high than too low, because pools are not especially forgiving, and a single algae episode can consume 30 days worth of chlorine!

wow, that certainly is motivation enough to keep the levels in the recommended range. If I find the levels aren't holding throughout the day, is that when the CYA should be raised? For example, the past two days I've had to add bleach twice each day to maintain the proper level.

[Watermom]

Yes. If you can't keep enough chlorine in the pool throughout a day to keep from dipping below the minimum for your CYA level, then you should probably bump the CYA up a little. BTW --- in a concrete pool, it doesn't really hurt anything if your chlorine is a little higher but in a vinyl pool, it can bleach out some liners.

[stslimited84]

Had an aggrevating problem develop today. Some piping from the outlet of the pentair multiport (50181212) cracked and now there is a steady leak. While shutting down the filter to remove the piping I omitted closing the multiport and some of the D.E. went out into the pool through the skimmer, drains and return piping. I emailed pictures to poolforum AT gmail DOT com of the broken piping if a moderator could add them that would be great.

1) I realize I need to vacuum the D.E. from the pool, but will this mess up my water chemistry or is it okay in there for a day or two until I can get the proper vacuum head and tubing?

2) Can I replace that specific piece of piping including the cracked nut, or does the entire multiport have to be replaced? (pool service guy said the whole multiport has to be replaced)

3) How much hose do you think I should purchase for the vacuum?

4) Anything else I'm missing or need to do?

[stslimited84]

Had an aggrevating problem develop today. Some piping from the outlet of the pentair multiport (50181212) cracked and now there is a steady leak. While shutting down the filter to remove the piping I omitted closing the multiport and some of the D.E. went out into the pool through the skimmer, drains and return piping. I emailed pictures to poolforum AT gmail DOT com of the broken piping if a moderator could add them that would be great.

1) I realize I need to vacuum the D.E. from the pool, but will this mess up my water chemistry or is it okay in there for a day or two until I can get the proper vacuum head and tubing?

2) Can I replace that specific piece of piping including the cracked nut, or does the entire multiport have to be replaced? (pool service guy said the whole multiport has to be replaced)

3) How much hose do you think I should purchase for the vacuum?

4) Anything else I'm missing or need to do?


I ordered 40' of vacuum hose and this vacuum head - (LINK REMOVED BY MODERATOR so your post could be modded in quicker)

I'm currently still trying to find out if I can get just those parts for the multiport, and if I can, how quickly I can get them b/c the leak needs to be fixed asap. The multiport for the D.E. filter I have is priced between 125 and 150ish online.

But back to the main question, is the D.E. that went back into the pool going to cause problems with my chlorine and other parameters or is it ok to swim in the pool?

[Watermom]

Go swim. The DE will not hurt anything. Al (Poconos) is going to pop into your thread to help you address the equipment questions. Good luck.

[Poconos]

If the multiport valve body itself is not cracked then it doesn't need to be replaced. If the valve body is trashed then you have nothing to lose by trying to fix it. If the body is cracked at the threads I'd try JB Weld. Home depot, Lowes etc. I'd get a new PVC male fitting and smear it with the JB and thread it in and let it set. If the body is cracked beyond the threads then try the JB from the inside. the stuff is tough. As I said....nothing to lose. We're trying to see if we can see the pics you sent. I'm not sure how to do that yet. Maybe Ben is the only one who has access.
Al
Al