a couple calcium questions

[gordyjamz]

This year I seem to be carrying a slight haze to my water. I switched to calc hypo for chlorination, since liquid bleach prices have skyrocketed. Could the cacium hypo be the problem. I read somewhere that calc hypo doesn't totally dissolve. Should I bite the bullet and spend the extra$$ on liquid? Or, is there something to remedy this? Here's the numbers:

Ph 7.2
TA 180
Ch 280
FC 12.2
CC 12.2
CYA 45

If you're wondering about the higher chlorine numbers, I keep it that way, for now, to combat the numerous leaves I've been getting due to the high winds we've been having recently.

TYA

[CarlD]

Hunt around. LC is going for as low as $13/5 gallons for 12.5% That's like $1.30/gallon of 6%--a VERY low price.

Cal hypo CAN cause milky water. You can't really use the easy cure of adding some muriatic acid because your pH is 7.2. You COULD raise your pH to 7.8 with, or better, with aeration, then lower it with muriatic acid to clear the hazing. I don't know if that would work, but if the hazing is due to calcium, it might.

[gordyjamz]

Thanks for the reply. Whats the best aeration for quickest ph rise? I normally use sodium bisulfate if I have to reduce ph, is muriatic acid better?

[CarlD]

Thanks for the reply. Whats the best aeration for quickest ph rise? I normally use sodium bisulfate if I have to reduce ph, is muriatic acid better?

Aeration is simply that: A fountain, a sprayer, a gang of splashing 12 year old boys. It raises pH.

To reduce, in this case, use muriatic acid.

I'm not really interested in the pH--I'm looking to dose milky water with muriatic acid as it can clear it really quickly--I don't think the dry acid is as effective. But your pH needs to go up first before you can try the acid trick. You could use 20 Mule Team Borax--it's faster than aeration.

Then, use the muriatic acid to lower pH again it should clear the milky water. This, of course, assumes that excess calcium is your problem.

[waterbear]

If you're wondering about the higher chlorine numbers, I keep it that way, for now, to combat the numerous leaves I've been getting due to the high winds we've been having recently.

TYA
If there are organics breaking down in your water it could cause some cloudiness, even with the higher chlorine levels.

[CarlD]

If there are organics breaking down in your water it could cause some cloudiness, even with the higher chlorine levels.

In which case, the muriatic acid trick will be ineffective. If it's due to high calcium, the results should be dramatic.

[aylad]

You might try shocking it first to see if the haze clears any, in which case you know it was organics. If it doesn't clear, then try the muriatic acid.

Janet

[gordyjamz]

thanks for the replies. I adjusted my return jet upwards, so its splashing the water now as it pumps back to the pool. Hopefully this will do the trick. I'll take a ph test this afternoon to see if there's a rise. Meanwhile, I'll take run to get some muriatic acid. I don't think the haze is due to organics breaking down. I just shocked the pool 2 days ago. When I use the cal hypo to do this, it will cloud the pool for a couple of hours then clear right up. Its just that after clearing, the water still seems to carry a slight haze. Its not crystal clear like I had previously with bleach.

[gordyjamz]

ok here goes, sorry it took so long. we've having severe thunderstorms every day for the past three days, so I've been having to wait till the rain quits to get out and test. here's my numbers 1 1/2 days after adjusting the jet:

ph 7.4
ta 200
ch 290
fc 10.8
cc 11.0
cya 45

Should I wait till 7.8 before lowering ph, or should I be lowering it as I go to keep it at my original 7.2? Is there something to bring alk down without affecting ph? My water is a little more hazier now, than it was before.

[CarlD]

Uh-oh---your FC is 10.8 and your CC is 11???

Are you sure? is it CC or TC that's 11 (if it's TC, then CC= 0.2--TC = FC + CC)

If that's right and CC is 11 (which is hard to imagine) then you are fighting an infesting and the muriatic acid won't do any good.

[gordyjamz]

Sorry about the typo. Its total chlorine that is 11.0, not combined chlorine. My mistake. My chlorine levels have dropped a little with the storms lately, and with the predictions of 1 to 2 more inches of rain, I very well may have to shock again. I will be using bleach instead of cal hypo this time though.

[CarlD]

Have you tried shocking your pool up to 20ppm and keeping it there for a few days? If it got HAZIER after the rain, it's sounding like algae.

[gordyjamz]

I shocked it today. 20ppm is what I usually raise it to during shock, but then I usually let the level drop back to normal range. I've never tried to keep it at that level for an extended period of time. I'll try it this time.

[gordyjamz]

Here's an update for my situation. I shocked at 20 ppm, as recommended, for 3 days. The pool cleared a bit more. The aeration method seems to have worked a bit too. The ph did rise but alk rose very little, if at all. I kept adjusting with muriatic acid, as recommended. I put in a little clarifier, once my levels were back to normal, and presto, after a day, the water was crystal. Has been since. Here are my present numbers from this afternoon:

PH 7.2
TA 130
CH 300
FC 12
TC 12
CYA 45

Thanks again for the replies and help!

[CarlD]

Good Job! Now you can bring your FC down to the 3 to 6 level and it should hold.

And you can enjoy your pool!