New pool owner, trying to get my chemicals balanced

Hey -- getting two answers is better than getting none! And, at least we pretty much said the same thing! ;)

Thanks! Just ordered the K2006 through your Amazon store/link. I won't get it in time to measure for this weekend's pool parties, but the store I'm using is willing to perform 5 free tests, so I used the last one today. Thankfully they said that my levels went from (and to) this over the past few days:

0 to 15ppm stabilizer (I added 5 lbs of CYA)
0.5 to 5ppm TC (I added 2.5 gallons of 12.5% hypochlorite)
7.6 to 7.2 pH (I added 2 quarts of muriatic acid, 31.25%)
100 to 110 TA (I added 4 lbs of baking soda after I *thought* that I added 1 quart too many of acid)
160 to 160 CH (didn't touch this)

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

Trust the cheapo OTO/phenol red drops kit. Ditch the AquaCheck strips.

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Yeah, those strips were showing my pH at 6.8, but I think they could be handy for stabilizer and/or TA until I use them up.

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

=> *ORDER* the K2006; we've still never heard of a pool store carrying these. (Why would they stock a kit that will tend to put them out of business.)

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So it turns out that the store I've been going to DOES indeed carry the K2006. They're all behind the counter, so I never noticed them until today. However, I called them yesterday afternoon and asked for it (specifically), but they asked if I had a commercial pool or not. When I said no, they suggested another kit instead. They totally missed out on a sale of ANYTHING because of that! Granted I saved $20 by buying it from/through you guys, but the impatient side of me would have thought it was worthwhile to get it and not have to wait for the K-2006 to ship here.

EDIT: Either way, it's good to know they have the kits AND all the replacement vials, should I run out or need to replace some of the test chemicals next year (I assume some chemicals in the Taylor kit are only good for one season?)

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

=> Any pool store that tells you to add calcium to a vinyl pool is not to be trusted: they are selling you chemicals that are worse than useless in your pool, since they have NO benefit, but can cause problems.

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I mentioned that today when they said I have a vinyl lined pool, but they said that my 160 ppm CH was fine, but they I don't want it to drop too low (it was 120 ppm when the pool opened, so I'm not sure it's going to get too low?)

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

=> If your pH is between 7 and 8 --AND-- your chlorine is greater than 1.0 OR 10% of the CYA level, whichever is higher --AND-- you haven't added any funky chemicals like foamy algaecides, mustard algae treatments or non-chlorine shock . . . it should be fine.

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My father-in-law added algaecide when we opened the pool, but I think it was some standard, good quality stuff. Nothing funky. IIRC, it was a blue liquid that he walked around the whole pool.

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

=> Wait time after adding chemicals is often 5 minutes, but it depends on your pool, where you added them, what you added, and how the pool circulates. If you want a safe number that's pretty much arbitrary, but almost certain to be safe, then go with "1 hour after chemical additions WITH THE PUMP ON and CIRCULATING".

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That sounds good. That sounds reasonable, or at least much more reasonable than "I added [insert chemical here] today, so you can't swim," which is what we used to hear when we wanted to swim here when my in-laws owned this house (before we bought it last year.)

Just a couple of quick comments for you:

Actually, the test strips are terrible at giving an accurate CYA reading.

Your pH at 7.6 was fine. No need to have added the muriatic acid.

I have a feeling the pool store had a K2005 kit and not a K2006. They are not the same thing and you don't want a K2005. The reagents should still be fine next year.

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Originally Posted by Watermom

Just a couple of quick comments for you:

Actually, the test strips are terrible at giving an accurate CYA reading.

Your pH at 7.6 was fine. No need to have added the muriatic acid.

I have a feeling the pool store had a K2005 kit and not a K2006. They are not the same thing and you don't want a K2005. The reagents should still be fine next year.

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So... test strips in the trash when my K2006 arrives? It was definitely a K-2006. The woman who's been doing my testing even opened it up and showed me everything inside it.

Does keeping pH lower help with drying out skin? I was getting SUPER dried out when pH was testing out closer to 7.8, but I wonder if TA being as low as 65 could have been the culprit as well?

Water dries skin -- removes skin oils -- regardless.

High chlorine (FC > 25% of CYA) leaves my skin feeling 'dry' and 'tight', so that might be what you were experiencing. But I don't think everyone's skin is the same in that regard.

Many people report that their skin feels 'less dry' when they begin using salt (NaCl > 2000 ppm) or borates (> 60 ppm). Some people have added salt, just for the feel. Again, their 'dry' skin may not be the same thing you are experiencing. Regardless, I'd try borates first. Salt does increase corrosion, and I'm not sure it's worth it, if you don't have a SWCG.

The saponification (oil => soap) of oils *is* affected by pH, but I don't know if the the difference between 7.4 and 7.8 or 8.0 would be enough to notice. However, it surely won't hurt to lower your pH and see.

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

3. Depending on how they tested, the testing error for CYA levels at the low end can range from plus-minus 10 ppm (K2006 with experienced user) to plus-minus 50 ppm (eye-balled test strips). I don't know your pool volume, so I don't know what your CYA should have been after you added 5# . On a 30k gal pool, 5# would add 20 ppm. BUT, it dissolves slowly. People often 'lose' it backwashing before it dissolves. This most often happens when your pump is timer operated.

Next time, dissolve it in a sock in the skimmer OR use dichlor (9 ppm CYA for ever 10 ppm FC).

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I just wanted to follow up on this. My store recommends dumping all 5 lbs into the skimmer, with both the skimmer and pump baskets removed while it circulates. They also warn STRONGLY not to backwash for 3 days after adding CYA. Is this something that sounds right?

If I dissolve it in a sock (a regular sock?), does this change anything with those recommendations?

EDIT: FWIW, I have a ~26k gallon pool and adding 5 lbs on Monday brought me up to 15ppm of CYA on Wednesday.

Their recommendations are about right, if your pump runs 24/7. Otherwise, not so much.

The only reason to clean the pump / skimmer basket is to keep you from dumping stabilizer out when you clean them. If you clean the pump and skimmer basket first, on most pools they won't need cleaning again till after the CYA is fully dissolved.

On a 26k gal pool, 5# of CYA fully dissolved will give you 23 ppm of CYA, so a measured level of 15 ppm is well within the range of error.

If you put it in a sock in front of a return, you don't have to worry about throwing it out when you backwash.

I bought another 5 lbs at my last trip to the store, just to save a trip. Should I put some of this in (dissolved in a sock) to bump it up a bit, or should I save it for the inevitable rain storms that have been hitting the midwest? I was told that stabilizer should last a whole season, but with all the draining and backwashing I've had to do after storms, I'm sure I've lost a lot of it.

When you are having to drain and backwash a lot, a sock would be better, to keep you from losing it.

A better solution for you may be to buy dichlor at Sams Club. They have a 24# pack and a 50# bucket for very good prices. Each pound of dichlor will add about 3 ppm chlorine, and about 2.5 ppm of CYA . . . and it dissolves almost instantly.