PDA

View Full Version : Adding sodium bicarbonate AND calcium chloride at the same time



thr56
05-22-2006, 12:02 PM
Boy I wish I had found this site before. I went to the pool store and let them test my water for my 20 X 40 vinyl pool, they said I needed 50 lbs. Sodium Bicarb and 100 lbs. calcium chloride added over several days and too shock it heavy. Now I have a nice clean dark green water, clear just green. I was reading the tips on this site and saw that you should never do that. I'm using a sand filter system with skimmer and bottom drain returns, my chlorine level is way too high. Does anyone know how long it will take to clear (or if it will) and is there anything short of draining it that I can do to speed it up.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, Thanks

MarkC
05-22-2006, 12:57 PM
Vinyl pools don't need calcium so you can ignore that advice from them in the future. With that said I usually only add one chemical at a time but I don't think adding sodium bicarb and calcium chloride at the same time is a problem.

thr56
05-22-2006, 04:21 PM
Yea I read on this site that I didn't need the calcium for vinyl, but under tips for cloudy water he says both will make a big mess.

Watermom
05-22-2006, 10:11 PM
Post a complete set of water testing results and then somebody here can better advise you. We'll need FC, CC, TC, Ph, Alk, CYA and calcium hardness. Also tell us exactly what all you have added to the pool - specific ingredients, not just "shock."

Welcome to the forum!

waterbear
05-23-2006, 02:03 AM
adding calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate at the same time can cause the pool to turn cloudy as it might precitpatate calcium carbonate into the water.
Clear, green water after a heavy shock might be an indication of copper in your water. Get your water tested for metals in addition to all the other tests that Watermom said.
Have you ever added any algaecide to the pool? Many of them are copper based. Also some trichlor tabs now contain copper:eek:. They promote them as 'dual action' :eek:. Do you have a heater with a copper heat exchanger? That can be another possible source of copper, escially if both your TA and CH levels were too low as the pool store implied by having you add calcium and bicarb to your pool.
The other place to look for copper would be your fill water.
Once copper has been added to your pool it can stay there for years only to show up when you least expect it!:eek: