My ph is low and it laughs at Borax

Been using the teachings here for 6 years or so and I am finally stumped. I'm in Va Beach and thought I'd finally clean out the pool that was uncovered and just left to basically green away over the winter. So today I dumped in 4 big jugs of Walmart super bleach which brought my chlorine level to 9.5 which is a good shock level.

A few hours later I decided to work on the ph and it was yellow or 6.8. I added 2 boxes of Borax which is what it usually takes to bump it up. Nothing. Then two more. Nothing. I bought 3 more boxes at another store and dumped them in. Nothing. I bought 6 more boxes at another store and dumped 4 in and nothing. Still yellow and sitting at 6.8. My test kit is old so I bought a new red/yellow, chlorine/ph test kit with the same yellow results so my kit is fine.

So I've added 11 boxes of Borax with no discernible bump in ph. I've also run out three stores completely of Borax. :) I have two left. So I said to hell with it and put in 16 oz of floc and that's brewing right now and my pump will go off overnight and I plan on vacuuming to waste tomorrow.

Any thoughts on the cause of no ph increase??? Do I need a pallet of Borax???

28,000 gallon vinyl inground pool BTW

a couple of observations:
did you check your TA?
A full set of test numbers would be helpful here.

also, it would have been a better idea to adjust pH and TA before you shocked because high chlorine levels will cause the pH test to read high when it is not. Your pH is a LOT lower than you think and I will bet that your TA is around 0 ppm. Have you been using trichlor? That is the usual culprit.

Didn't do TA, will post results tomorrow or maybe later tonight if testing via flashlight in the backyard appeals to me. :) We switched from Bleach and Borax for like 5 years to using 3" tabs last summer. They saved us lots of money vs. just bleach alone, so we are sticking to that route.

Regardless I'll run full numbers tomorrow at the latest.

Yeah, full numbers will help.

I suspect your pH was far lower than 6.8, dangerously low. I'm worried for your liner.

Post the T/A. If it's low or not too high you can use Soda Ash to raise your pH, because it will raise your T/A as well

Soda Ash is sold as pH Up! and other expensive junk in pool stores, but it's sold in grocery stores as Arm & Hammer Washing Soda--usually right next to the 20 Mule Team Borax. It's a yellow box, not orange like the baking soda. Washing Soda is the same stuff as the pool store soda ash, only per pound it's even cheaper than Borax!

In fact, if you cannot get Borax, you'll have no other choice but Soda Ash--and the Washing Soda should be relatively easy to get.

Look at the bright side! With all this Borax you'll get your borates level up and that's a good algae inhibitor.

Vacuumed the pool this morning and like an idiot I forgot that the basket still traps gook so I spent 1/2 my time pushing around dirt at the bottom instead of vacuuming it to waste. I'm an idiot. :(

So vacuuming is done for today and my filter is running now. I'll test here in a bit and post up once things have been stirring for awhile. Upside is it is a BEAUTIFUL day out today in VA Beach and our on again/off again duck friends are having fun in our pool. We don't mind them and our daughter loves feeding the ducks. :)

I guess now I'll have to find a source for baking soda. Arm and Hammer is FINALLY selling big bags in our area, but our local Walmart only had one bag. From pre-emptive searching I'm gonna need a butt-ton depending on how low the level is. Thanks for the washing soda tip, but they sell no such creature in VA Beach it's Borax or Oxyclean only here. Looks like I might have to go to another wallyworld or Sam's and last case to the damned pool store.

<off topicish>

Our Penta? sand filter's top is solid plastic and the gauge that screws into it is metal. See where I'm going??? Last year it started leaking so I unscrewed it, cleaned it, put teflon tape on the threads and towards the end silicon RTV. Whilst HAND TIGHTENING it down, I heard the crack of doom...the plastic "tit" that holds the gauge cracked. :( So I applied plastic epoxy to the gauge threads two days ago and screwed it in. When it cured, I applied Muffler Mud AKA two part epoxy that is like Playdough and wrapped the whole shebang in it. NO leaks now and $8 in epoxy saved me an expensive repair. If the gauge gives up the ghost I'll need a whole new top but I would have needed that anyways.

</off topicish>

FC: 6
PH: 6.8
AL: 30
CA: unknown
CYA: 100

I never test for CA and when I did this time, it turned slightly pink and no matter how many drops I added, it wouldn't change to blue and I'm almost out of drops. Plus the drops are old as the hills. If this is important, I can have the pool store test it and report back otherwise I need to get more drops and I DOUBT the pool store will have them as they NEVER have any testing supplies worth a crap.

Well the internet tells me I'll need about 30lbs of Baking Soda....off to the store I go...

Went to the pool store and bought 5 new test chemicals (first time EVER they had stuff in stock) and a pump filter basket gasket which ran $43. They had Alk Up or whatever they called it for $40 for 30# and $60 for 50#. So I bought 4 12lb bags of Arm and Hammer for $25 at Sam's. :) Gonna dump two now and test later today.

The internet told me to just dump in in the deep end, so I'll split the difference and do one there and one in the skimmer. Will do another full round of testing later.

Why is your CYA at 100? I would recommend a partial drain and refill to get it down a bit. BTW, what test kit are you using?

Probably because of the damn 3" tabs we are using is my guess as they all seem to have stabilizer in them. I'd like to find tabs that are JUST bleach and that's it. Heck, I've even thought about using the Clorox tabs you drop in your toilet tank but they are expensive per use. :)

100 is a little high, but nothing too drastic but I will be taking some water out of the pool. Test kit I'm using is the big honking one they sell here and I've been replacing the chems in it when they get low. I think I have the 232 model off the top of my head. Off to the pool now...

Why are you dumping in Baking Soda when you don't even know your T/A #? What if it's already 200ppm?

Your CYA is very high--you need to dilute your water and refill. That might, of course, be the best recourse--dump at least half your water and refill. It should solve CYA and the heavy acidity as well.