Pool Chem, whadda I know???

I'm learning a lot from this board. I don't feel naive or alone any more. I still have an awful lot to learn ; ) My pool is a 24 ft round. Uses approx 13600 gallons of water. I didn't find this board until I had the water tested and put some chems in a week ago. The pool looks a lot better than it did when I firsted started the chems. However, it is still cloudy. Enough not to see bottom, but clear if you put some in a glass gallon container. No greenish tint at all. Not even milky really, just cloudy. I took another test down today and this is the results:

Free Chlorine: 3.5 ppm
Total Chlorine 3.8 ppm
Combined Chlorine 0.3 ppm
pH 7.5
Hardness 150 ppm
Alkalinity with stabilizer 88ppm
Cyanuric Acid 75 ppm
Copper 0.2 ppm
Iron 0.0
I'm being advised to add Alkalinity up (sodium bicarbonate) 4 pounds
Calcium Chloride to protect the liner (approx. 4 pounds)
1 pound on Potassium Monopersulfate (non chlorine shock)

Before I spend any more money, what would be the best subs???
Thanks, Bekka

Since you have CC, It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring the FC up to shock level. You don't need Calcium in a vinyl pool, but since your calcium hardness is low, you do have the option of using Calcium hypochlorite to chlorinate and/or shock. The Alkalinity isn't too bad, but if you want to bring it up a little a few pounds of baking soda is the ticket. At that level of CYA, you'll want to maintain a FC level closer to 5-10 ppm. If your pH starts to drift up after the baking soda is added, some Muratic acid will bring it back down nicely.

Hi, Bekka,

Those are VERY thorough test results and very helpful...Thanks.

I would remphasize cwstnsko's advice to shock your pool. (how do you think he pronounces that username?:))

That would be my priority and then possibly fine tune later but all your other numbers are in a non-dangerous range. The pool store's advice was ok (barely) but cw's suggested subs were better....you save some bucks.

You'll need to bring up your Cl level (at dusk is best) to about 20-22ppm. Then, next morning before the Sun hits it, test again and see how much Cl you've consumed. If you've lost more than 1-2ppm overnite (and I'm sure you will) you'll need to keep that Cl level up in that 20-22 range 'til your cloudiness disappears (and I'm sure it will, too).

Post back with other questions. Welcome.

If you are currently using non chlorine shock be aware that it will test as CC! It also will NOT destroy any CC in your pool. The theory behind it is that there will be an excess of oxidizer in the water to burn up organics before they become CC. I personally don't buy it!

If you want more info go to the Dupont Oxone website
http://www.dupont.com/oxone/clearlyoxone.html
They are the manufacturer of the non chlorine shock (potassium monopersulfate or MPS, brand name Oxone, which is repackaged by all the pool chemical companies that buy it from them and put their own names on it!)....no matter the brand!
There is a lot of info on teh website and if you carefull read between the lines they tell you that is is NOT a sanitizer, it is NOT as effecient an oxidizer as chlorine, and that it really works better with a bromine spa or pool than a chlorine one!

IMHO, don't use it and shock with bleach!

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Originally Posted by Bekka

I'm learning a lot from this board. I don't feel naive or alone any more. I still have an awful lot to learn ; ) My pool is a 24 ft round. Uses approx 13600 gallons of water. I didn't find this board until I had the water tested and put some chems in a week ago. The pool looks a lot better than it did when I firsted started the chems. However, it is still cloudy. Enough not to see bottom, but clear if you put some in a glass gallon container. No greenish tint at all. Not even milky really, just cloudy. I took another test down today and this is the results:

Free Chlorine: 3.5 ppm
Total Chlorine 3.8 ppm
Combined Chlorine 0.3 ppm
pH 7.5
Hardness 150 ppm
Alkalinity with stabilizer 88ppm
Cyanuric Acid 75 ppm
Copper 0.2 ppm
Iron 0.0


I'm being advised to add Alkalinity up (sodium bicarbonate) 4 pounds

This is poor advice. Your T/A of 88 (probably 90) is JUST FINE!!!! Save the money AND if you need to raise T/A, Arm&Hammer or generic baking soda is MUCH cheaper. But now you don't need it.


Calcium Chloride to protect the liner (approx. 4 pounds)

This advice is worse--you might as well consult a voo-doo witch-doctor! Calcium protects concrete and plaster liners because they are rich in calcium. It does NOTHING for a vinyl liner and let anyone who tells you it does explain the chemical mechanism (he can't because there is none). Save your money. In fact, if you have cloudy water one of the WORST things you can do is increase your calcium level.

1 pound on Potassium Monopersulfate (non chlorine shock)

You'll find that ordinary laundry bleach is FAR cheaper and more effective, with fewer side effects. What is WITH these pool store guys???? How do they sleep at night ripping their customers off so much?!?!?

Before I spend any more money, what would be the best subs???
Thanks, Bekka

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I gotta say, this doesn't apply to Waterbear and Waste, two crackerjack pool store guys. I guess it's like being a used car salesman: even if you are honest you'll get tarred with the brush of all the crooks.

Bleach, bleach and more bleach! Really, that's what you need.

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Originally Posted by CarlD

I gotta say, this doesn't apply to Waterbear and Waste, two crackerjack pool store guys. I guess it's like being a used car salesman: even if you are honest you'll get tarred with the brush of all the crooks.

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I only rip off the people that want to be ripped off. :eek: :rolleyes:Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there who want a 'Magic Bullet in a Bottle" to fix the problems in their pools even after I explain that they just need some chlorine and need to put a little work in for a few days so I sell them a bottle and know they will be back when it doesn't work or creates new problems. You can only do so much for some people, we've even had people like that in the forum!:(

Anyway, the pool store is just a part time job and summer job for me.....I work in a Deaf and Blind school fulltime during the school year.

If you don't have Ben's testing kit, you need to get the 5 way test kit that I have seen offered at Wal-Mart. It will test Chlorine, PH, Alk and most importantly, CYA.

Depending on what testing system the pool store uses, those number could be inaccurate.

CarlD has been around longer than I have (going on 5 years) and knows his stuff. He is right about, bleach, bleach, and more bleach. With the test kit, you can dilute your pool water so you can measure up to 15 ppm which is where you want to maintain your chlorine to clear up your pool. That number could go higher using the Best Guess CYA Chart depending on the amount of CYA your pool has.

To do that, you need distilled water. Mix one part pool water with two parts of distilled water. When you put the water into the testing compartment and add the 5 drops of reagent. Multiply the numbers on the left by 3 to see your actually chlorine level.

In all my years of testing, my pool water has tested positive for CC only a few times. All were 0.5 except for one. That was when we had some young boys in the pool and they decided to use the pool as a toilet.

Hope this helps.

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Originally Posted by waterbear

I only rip off the people that want to be ripped off. :eek: :rolleyes:Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there who want a 'Magic Bullet in a Bottle" to fix the problems in their pools even after I explain that they just need some chlorine and need to put a little work in for a few days so I sell them a bottle and know they will be back when it doesn't work or creates new problems. You can only do so much for some people, we've even had people like that in the forum!:(

Anyway, the pool store is just a part time job and summer job for me.....I work in a Deaf and Blind school fulltime during the school year.

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Too Funny, Evan!!!! LOL!

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Originally Posted by let_her_flicker

In all my years of testing, my pool water has tested positive for CC only a few times. All were 0.5 except for one. That was when we had some young boys in the pool and they decided to use the pool as a toilet.
Hope this helps.

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So you are saying LOL, that if small children are in the pool this can concievably raise the combined chlorine count??? Hmmm, the results I have are before any one has had a chance to use the pool. I'm still waiting to use the pool :( And its 90 degrees out today in the NE of USA.
Bekka

[QUOTE=cwstnsko]Since you have CC, It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring the FC up to shock level. [QUOTE]

I need to ask... does CC mean Combined Chlorine total ????