PH/chlorine levels out of whack already:(

Hi,

Well, I believe my PH and chlorine numbers are not good. In just 3 days my PH has gone from 7.7 to 7.0.
I tested the chlorine as was stumped again with the test kit. Upon adding 3 scoops of powder R-0870 my sample did not turn pink. Should I have kept adding powder?
I just assumed FC was 0. No pink.
I then added 5 drops of R-0003 and it turned very light pink. 1 drop of R-0871 and sample went back to colorless. I think my CC is 5ppm. This cholorine test seems to stump me when it does not do what it should:(

I have no idea if this is correct. I have been adding my dichlor granuales 1 TBSP per day for 3 days? Should I add anything else at this point to correct before everything gets away from me (and I pack it in)?

Should I not add any more dichlor, or just back off.....

EEEK!!

Carrie

The fact that it did not turn pink when you added powder means you have no FC.

Regarding CC -- if you used a 10ml sample then you have a CC reading of 0.5. If you used a 25ml sample then you have a CC reading of 0.2 --- both of which would be insignificant.

You didn't tell us anything about the size or type of pool in this thread nor your other readings and thus I cannot comment on the dichlor use, amount, etc. I know you have another thread somewhere here on the forum, but it is really difficult and time-consuming for us to have to go and find the other thread, read the history about the pool and the suggestions already given, and then come back to this thread to give advice.

If you can give the needed info, then we'll be able to advise you on what to do. All I can say with the amount of info in this thread is that you need to get some chlorine in this pool ASAP before it turns green. You also need to add some Borax and get the pH up between 7.2-7.8.

Repost with more details and somebody here can help. Thanks.

Hello,

My apologies Watermom. I appreciate the time that each and every person takes to respond to my posts and by no means do I want to make it more time consuming than necessary.

I have an Intex 12' x 30" vinyl pool for my little guys.
Upon filling the pool 3 days ago my numbers were:

PH 7.7
TA 40ppm
CH 40ppm
FC 0.4 ppm
CC 0

I used the 25ml sample.

I have been adding dichlor granuals 1TBSP each day. I was going to use approx 1lb over the next few weeks and then switch over to bleach. However, upon testing today I noticed that PH had dropped quite a bit to 7.0. and the chlorine has changed a bit also as mentioned above.

Not sure what to do.

What is the volume of the pool? If this is a new fill and you have little cya in there, chlorine doesn't stick around long. How many times a day are you testing and adding dichlor?

The pool holds a little over 1700 gal. I have been testing once a day and adding 1 TBSP dichlor each day. Missed testing yesterday. My little guy had to go for stiches:(

Thanks

As I mentioned above, until you have a measurable cya reading, you will lose chlorine fast in the pool. Adding 1 TBSP dichlor will raise the cl level in your pool by 1ppm. That isn't much and then without much cya yet, the cl will be gone quickly. I think for the first week or so you should probably be adding dichlor probably 3 times a day. Or maybe add more than 1 TBSP at a time. Maybe try adding 4 TBSP in the morning and see if that amount will allow you to keep from dropping below 1ppm by evening. Either way, the bottom line is you are not putting enough chlorine in the pool each day and that is why your FC seems to be at 0. You are risking an algae bloom by having this happen.

In regards to pH, dichlor is pretty acidic so it will drop the pH. You'll just need to test it several times per day and be ready to add Borax any time it drops below 7.2.

Hope this helps.

EDIT: One other thing --- 1 lb. dichlor should take your cya up to about 40ppm, so by the time the full pound has been added, you'll need to be keeping your FC between 3-6 all the time to keep algae at bay. For the first week or so, make sure the FC doesn't drop below 1. But, as you use the dichlor, gradually increase your minimum FC level. Maybe next week don't let it drop below 2 and then as you get closer to using the whole pound, don't let it drop below 3ppm.

Just a general idea of how much borax to add?

You can use The Pool Calculator to get a rough idea for dosages. When adjusting pH, it's only approximate. Be sure to put in your pool volume.

I think I would probably go with 1/4 cup Borax. Try to get it in there tonight if you can. Retest in the morning and add a little more to tweak it a bit if needed.

Hi,

I added 1/4 c borax last night and 1/2 cup this a.m. Brought my PH up to 7.4.
Upon testing for FC 25 ml sample turned pink upon adding 1 scoop. After 16 drops of
R-0871 still could not get to go colorless. I gave up! Is this normal and what do you do at that point? Other numbers were:

TA- 50ppm
CH 40ppm
CYA-Black dot never did go away... Maybe I did not let sample sit long enough. Did not appear to very cloudy either. I am not sure if I have enough CYA in the water at this point to register.

I am thinking about adding 1-2 TBSP baking soda to bring up TA.

Use a 10 ml sample when testing chlorine. You don't need the .2 ppm resolution that the 25 ml sample gives. .5 ppm resolution is more than enough!
You will use a lot more reagent

16 drops with a 25 ml sample is only 3.2ppm FC I would not worry about the TA or CH at this point.
Just concentrate on getting enough CYA and keeping the pH between 7.2 and 7.8.
Once you have enough CYA and switch to bleach we can worry about the rest of the water balance if there is a need to. There very well might not be!