New pool owner for the second time...

[lstinthot]

We recently bought a new house that has an in ground Anthony Sylvan pool. Its running the Nature 2 system. After reading on here for a few days now it does not look like you guys are a big fan of the Nature 2. I ordered the Taylor test kit. Currently using a dropper kit from Home Depot.

I had some black algae when we moved in. Local pool store said to scrub the walls with a metal brush along with some aglicide and some other high dollar chemicals. $150 dollars later the black algae seems to be under control but I am constantly fighting light green algae around the edges. Water is crystal clear usually. Looks like I may have some staining from the high Cl shock to kill the black algae and the copper from the Nature 2.

Do not know my stabilizer level yet, most likely very high, we have been using tabs in skimmer since we moved in, about a month ago.

If you maintain high CYA levels and have to maintain high Cl levels, is that bad for your body and swimsuits? Would it be better to get the stabilizer level down so you can maintain a reasonable Cl level. The Cl products all have a warning to not get in the water with Cl concentration greater than 4 ppm. Why?

Thanks for your help

[PoolDoc]

Do not know my stabilizer level yet, most likely very high, we have been using tabs in skimmer since we moved in, about a month ago.


A month of tabs is not going to make your stabilizer high, by itself. If your pool ALREADY had high stabilizer, tabs will make it higher. The store that sold you the expensive products should be able to do some sort of CYA test, to get you started. Notice whether they use strips or not: 'guess strips' are particularly weak on CYA test results, but still better than nothing.



If you maintain high CYA levels and have to maintain high Cl levels, is that bad for your body and swimsuits? Would it be better to get the stabilizer level down so you can maintain a reasonable Cl level. The Cl products all have a warning to not get in the water with Cl concentration greater than 4 ppm. Why?

The chlorine 'danger' warnings were all set back in the 70's, on the basis of a WAG (Wild A__ Guess). The reasoning was, "What's the highest anyone ever runs a commercial pool at?" "1 - 2 ppm" was the pre-stabilizer-era answer, so the setting was 3 ppm. If they've upped it to 4, that probably reflects the potable water limit.

The irony here is that, for YEARS, the EPA had NO upper limit on chlorine in drinking water. Occasionally companies would overfeed (accidentally, since it cost them extra money) with the result that you could fill your pool with potable water that the EPA said was perfectly OK to drink or bathe in, but was "TOO HIGH" for your swimming pool!

Currently, the EPA sets 4 ppm as the upper action limit on chlorine in potable water. That does NOT mean that the water company has to tell you that the chlorine is high, or take any emergency action. Rather they are simply required to check on it, and do something about it to make sure it doesn't stay that high forever. In other words, the EPA does not consider drinking water with 5 ppm FC dangerous, or even much of a problem.

However 4 ppm IS pretty high in UN-stabilized water -- higher than anyone needs. But the 'active' part of chlorine is MUCH lower in pool water, once you add stabilizer, so 1 ppm w/o stabilizer is actual 'higher' than 4 ppm with 50 ppm stabilizer.

About swimsuits: women's fashion swimwear is NOT very chlorine resistant. Speedo and other brands of competition suits use a special chlorine resistant Lycra, though more and more swimmers now wear all-polyester suits, at least for practice. Skin, on the other hand is VERY chlorine resistant. So what I've always told people is, if you want to swim when you are shocking your pool, were old, or no, swimsuits, and you'll be fine.

By the way, the "Best Guess" chart, linked in my signature, will show you what chlorine levels you need, once you know your stabilizer level.

HOWEVER, since you've had copper in the pool, you probably want to do this:
#1 - Run your filter/pump 24/7
#2 - Add a dose of Proteam Metal Magic, or better, Jack's Magic Pink Stuff (HEDP). Important: just ONE dose!
#3 - Adjust your pH to the low end of things, 7.0 - 7.2
#4 - Adjust your chlorine to the HIGH end of the NORMAL range (Best Guess)
#5 - Unless your CYA is way too high, use tabs in your skimmer to chlorinate -- this will help cause the copper to stain your skimmer and filter, rather than your pool!
#5 - Use small doses of borax -- 1/2 box at time, in the skimmer -- to raise the pH to 7.6. Take a week to do so. (Borax can go right on top of the tabs -- it's one of the few chemicals that doesn't react with other common pool chemicals.)
#6 - Then begin raising your chlorine to shock levels using small doses of bleach in the skimmer -- BUT REMOVE THE TABS FIRST!!! Do NOT pour bleach on top of tabs!

Then, hold chlorine levels at the low end of the shock value (determined by your CYA level) for several weeks, while you brush your black algae spots, and any green algae.

Doing it this way, should get the copper out before you start really raising the chlorine high, and should minimize any further staining.

[lstinthot]

Got my test kit today and got interesting results.

PH 7.2
TA 50 ppm
CH 160 ppm
FC 0
CC 0
CYA 0

I guess that means I have a clean slate to start. It also explains why I have to brush green stuff every day and have to add Cl` everyday and its all gone everyday.

Guess, need to get CYA up, need to figure out how much for 36,000 gallon pool.
Then Cl` levels up based on where I end up with CYA. I am going to add some bleach tonight to keep green away for the night and have boss pick some stabilizer up tomorrow.

Would it be a good time to take the Nature 2 cartridge out? I have not done the metal eater yet, forgot to let the boss know to get some of that stuff today and did not order any online.

Pool specs:
approx 36,000 gallons, not sure on this, pool surface is 850 sqft
gunite pool
DE filter

[Watermom]

11 lbs. of stabilizer will add about 40ppm of CYA. Take out the nature 2 cartridge. Follow Ben's directions above.

[lstinthot]

I added 1.5 gallons of 101 bleach (some brand at Wal-mart). tested in corner of pool and got .4 PPM FC and .8 ppm CC. I assumed my CC would have been 0 earlier when the sample did not change colors at all when I added the 2 scoops. Guess I was wrong. I was expecting about 2.4ppm based on my size of pool if the bleach was 6%. May not be 6% bleach or bigger pool or already used up due to some green stuff present.

[aylad]

Most likely it was used up if you have green stuff present. To clear up the green stuff, you need to get your chlorine up to the 12-15 ppm range and hold it there until it clears, filter running.In a 36K gallon pool, each gallon of 6% bleach should raise your FC by 1.7 ppm, so you can use that as a guide when testing and adding more bleach to get back up to the shock level.

Janet

[BigDave]

I think I read somewhere else on this forum that the 101 is 3%.

[lstinthot]

I think I read somewhere else on this forum that the 101 is 3%.

based on my most recent tests I would believe that is true. It is also just slightly less than half the cost of 6% bleach. So I could just buy twice as much. Thanks.

Thank you Janet. I will start to work the Cl` levels up.

[lstinthot]

water is crystal clear today after Irene visited last night. I had to do some vacuuming this morning to get the leaves out. Now I am sitting around
4 ppm FC
0ppm CC
PH 8
TA 100
CH 190
CYA 60

Will add a gallon of 12.5% tonight after sun goes down. I used 3 gallons yesterday to get ready for Irene, Cl` was around 10 when storm started. Pool level raised 2 inches.

Based on the best guess chart I am low on Cl`. Should I add the gallon now in the middle of the day? Sun is out pool is open. Water temp is probably low 80's.

Thanks,

[aylad]

Since you're low for that CYA level, and since hurricanes bring all sorts of nasty stuff with them, I would add your chlorine now, instead of waiting for tonight. However, honestly if it were my pool, I would just wait and shock the pool tonight to kill off whatever Irene brought with her.

Janet