New to this can you help?

[flyers141]

Hello
I would like to say that this is a great site.
I have a 15 x 30 ABG that my son and I moved to our house, so we have just opened it.
A good friend of mine has the test kit which is offered here (And I have to get now seeing it).
The water is straight from city tap, and last night I added 1 1/2lbs of stabilizer and 32 oz of shock.
So I tested it, and here are the numbers

FC 8ppm
TC .25
PH 8 to 8.2
ALK 50
CYA 20 to 30ppm
CA 90ppm (I tested this because I will be adding a heater)

Could someone let me know how the test looks?
Thanks
Ron

[DavidD]

Hello
FC 8ppm
TC .25
PH 8 to 8.2
ALK 50
CYA 20 to 30ppm
CA 90ppm (I tested this because I will be adding a heater)

Could someone let me know how the test looks?
Thanks
Ron

Ron,

Something is awry with the chlorine numbers you've posted. Free Chlorine plus Combined Chlorine always equals Total Chlorine (FC+CC=TC). PH is High, should be around 7.5. Your ALk is a little low, should be between 80 and 120 ppm.
Be sure to re-test the CYA in a week since you just added some as it takes a while to dissolve. Do not add any more and I wouldn't use and more "shock", unless it's cal-hypo. Most "shocks" are dichlor which has CYA in them. That's the primary reason we all use bleach as our source of chlorine.
Based on the 15x30 dimensions you gave me and ASSUMING your pool is 4' deep (13,500 gallons), I come up with the following, to correct your numbers:
Add 5 lbs of Baking Soda to raise your ALK to around 80 (this will also raise your PH a little more).
After about a half an hour, add 20 oz of muratic acid. Wait an hour or so and re test PH. 10 oz. of muratic acid will lower your PH .2 ppm and it will probably take another 20 oz. or so but it is always best to slowly adjust to avoid over shooting. Add all of this directly to the pool in front of a return with the pump running. Be sure to look around the forum, paying close attention to the "sticky's" at the top of each section. Also look read all of these tips, http://www.poolsolutions.com/tips/10things.html.

Welcome to the Forum.
Dave

[flyers141]

Dave Thank You

We did as you said.
Added Baking Soda and then Acid.
ALK is now 90ppm
and ph is around 7.2

and yes I made a mistake with Chlorine, .25 was CC not TC

I would like to thank again Sir
and my next move is to buy the test kit.
Ron

[DavidD]

Dave Thank You

We did as you said.
Added Baking Soda and then Acid.
ALK is now 90ppm
and ph is around 7.2

and yes I made a mistake with Chlorine, .25 was CC not TC

I would like to thank again Sir
and my next move is to buy the test kit.
Ron

flyers,

Keep a close eye on that PH as 7.2 is a little low. It may crawl back up on its own or you can facilitate it by aeration (spa jets, water fall or directing returns to point to the surface). If it doesn't come up on its own in a day or so, add about 1/4 box of Borax (20 Mule Team found at the grocery) and recheck after an hour or so. Buying Ben's test kit, the PS234, is the best investment you can make at this point in time.

Dave

[duraleigh]

David/flyers,

I'm sorta' splitting fine hairs but I would consider 7.2pH as normal and not attempt to raise it. Particulary in lieu of past history of high pH.

No big deal one way or the other but I don't think I'd adjust pH unless I got out of the 7.2 - 7.8 range (unless I saw a steady, consistent trend)....just monitor it closely and try to resolve the cause.

[flyers141]

Dave,
I was thinking the same thing about the PH. So I went out last night and got a box. Also I was reading Ben's notes on working with high PH and since I'm just up and running I would like to try that. I understand I have to increase slow as well as keep an eye on the alkalinity. What are your thoughts on this.

Ron

[duraleigh]

Hi, Ron,

I was, at first, interested in it as well and decided it was just a little too far off the beaten path for me (Ben cautions that...over and over) I depended on this forum exclusively for advice on my pool chemistry and, if you operate outside the "normal" parameters most of us here are used to, you may not get the kind of advice you need. I know of no one who contributes regularly that operates at that high pH.

I chose not to do it, haven't regretted it, and, to answer your question, I would suggest you not do it.

The single BEST advice I can give you is to get Ben's kit. You'll use it for years and it pays over and over.

PS -
So I went out last night and got a box. I don't understand that.

[flyers141]

Ok Dave I'll stick to the program.

Thank You

Ron

[DavidD]

I'm with Dave, and wouldn't advise the "high PH" and Dave is right as well about the 7.2 PH being fine, but I really like to keep mine a little on the high side (7.5 - 7.8), I'm kind of "walking the line" if you know what I mean. I do however test darn near every day and twice if it rains. It could very well be my imagination but 7.5 seams to feel a lot different than 7.2 on the eyes. I also have 3200 ppm of salt in a non SWC pool, all for eye comfort.

Dave

[waterbear]

I tried the high pH pool and gave up on it...now I keep my pH at around 7.4. I would not worry about your pH of 7.2....it is certainly within the 'good' range!

[duraleigh]

David,


It could very well be my imagination but 7.5 seams to feel a lot different than 7.2 on the eyes.I don't think that's your imagination. It's been posted on the forum before that higher pH is closer to the pH in your eyes and that it WILL be more comfortable....seems like human pH (at least for the fluid in your eye) was up around 8.0 or perhaps a little higher. The trade-off is the loss of effectiveness of the Cl at that pH.

Didn't mean to hijack the thread but I think DavidD's observation is interesting.

[flyers141]

Well I would like to thank all of you for your help. Our pool looks great and I have the new test kit on order. I just return from a trip with my work (Air Force) and my 14yr old son was able to keep the pool looking great from what he learned on this site.

Again I thank all of you.

Ron