pH fluctations

HI I am new here and since I have to make my first post I will address on of the problems I have been having lately. I have been through the ringer with this pool in the 3 years we have had it. When we bought the house (a foreclosure) it had been empty for 2+ years and the pool was a nightmare. We finally got it cleaned up and everything went swimmingly for the first 2 summers until the end of last summer, I had to go back to work and DH just wouldn't keep up with it, the SWG cell went out and he didn't "notice" it untill the water was GREEN! Well I tried telling him what he needed to do, but he knows everything thier is to know about pools since his parents had a pool for years and he "did all the maintenance since he was 12", whatever. So I just gave up since it was fall and I lost my job (so we were both unemployeed and when making the chice between food and pool suplies food came first!). So here we are, hubby is finally back to work and I have killed the algae. The problem I am having is that I can't get the pH to stay within normal range. My numbers are:
CL:4(after the whole day in the sun, I add my bleach in the evening)
pH:6.8
TA:80
CH:have no idea, as I don't test this since we have vinyl and don't have hard h2o
CYA:40
The water is still cloudy until we can get all the dead algae out, I have stabalizer in the skimmer. I just balanced the Ak and ph last Wed and the ph was 7.5. Since then I have added 6 182oz bottles of bleach to keep the Cl high. We have had some rain so I haven't added any water. Thanks for any help.

Amy

Do you have stabilizer in the skimmer or trichlor pucks in the skimmer? If it is pucks, they are very acidic and will drive the pH down. To raise pH, you can use some 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle at Walmart). Can't really recommend an amount without knowing how big your pool is. Please fill in your pool's information in our pool chart as it will make it easier for someone here to help you.

Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results

Also, tell us exactly what all you have added to your water -- meaning ingredients and not just "shock."

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

I filled out the entry forms. I "shocked" it with 6% bleach, and I added baking soda and trichlor pucks in the skimmers. I did get some stabalizer granules today to add more CYA so I can stop the pucks, that is probably the problem, since this is the first time I have used the pucks (since the SWG went out & we can't afford a new one right now), and have never had this problem with the pH before.

Thanks,
Amy

Keep in mind, too, that most pH testers only go down to 6.8, which means your pH is actually 6.8 or lower. It might take quite a bit of Borax to get back up over 7.0, depending on how low it really is.

Janet

To raise your pH for the least cost, use Arm and Hammer Washing Soda from Walmart. Add 1/2 box at a time, via the skimmer, with the pump running. Wait 4 hour between doses, and retest before repeating a dose. Continue adding till your reach a pH level of 7.0 - 7.2. Then, switch to using 20 Mule Team Borax, also from Walmart.

Sorry it took so long to get your membership upgraded. -ben