Trying to learn to adjust chemicals

[onemsmom]

OK, here it is:

FC: 9 (I added a jug of bleach to raise that)
CC: 0
Ph: 8.0 + Acid demand test to 6 drops to get to 7.4
TA: 240-250
CA: 370
CYA: wasn't cloudy at all even at tippy top - so way less than 30

I didn't do anything yesterday other than add bleach over night - I added 3 jugs last night, so boy, it went way down by this morning!

BTW, I knew pucks wouldn't raise my FC enough to shock - I meant - would adding the pucks WHILE I'm shocking with bleach help to keep the FC up more easily - not so much fluctuation?

Thanks so much for your help.

Jennifer

[Watermom]

I would just hold off on using the pucks for now. After it is clear, you can use them for awhile until your cya gets to where you want it. Keep hitting it with bleach until you can go from sundown one night to sunup the next day without losing more than 1ppm. Also, run the pump 24/7 while you are trying to clear it. What kind of filter do you have? Do you still have that big pump on this pool? Is the water still green? Any improvement?

[onemsmom]

Yes, the big pump. Not much chance of my husband letting me change it until it explodes or doesn't work any more.

The water wasn't green, it was just starting to grow green on the bottom. I've been bleaching and I just vacuumed/swept sides. NOW the water looks a little green and quite cloudy.

I'll keep the bleach going until I get it cleared up as I did before.

Consistancy is not a strong point of mine, nor is my life condusive to it, but I am trying my very best. Now that the outside temp is heating up, I'm going to need to tackle the consistency thing, or I'm going to be seeing a lot of green and making a lot of trips out for bleach.

This might help - once my pool is clear & balanced again - do the chemicals & additives HAVE to be done at night? If I could do them in the a.m. or afternoon - that would work much better for me. I have so many evening activities with the kids and making/cleaning up dinner, reading, putting them to bed, etc.! The pool just doesn't get delt with before I collapse sometimes - and then by the next day - it's TOO LATE! BLEACH CITY! fyi, I live it blistering hot Florida if that affects answer.

Also, should I try to adjust pH now, or just deal with the algae bloom for now?

Jenn

Thanks,

Jenn

[onemsmom]

Nice and blue this morning. A little cloudy. Much improved.

Still shocking till I hit all of the goals,

Jennifer

[Watermom]

Glad it is looking better. Keep at it and soon will be all clear. Then, we'll help you tweak the other levels.

[aylad]

Sounds like you're making progress--Watermom's advice, as always, is right on the mark.

Just wanted to make a comment, though--it probably wouldn't hurt anything to throw a few trichlor pucks in a floater--they won't do anything to keep your chlorine levels up to shock level, as Watermom said, but it never hurts to have a residual. You are going to have to add CYA at some point anyway, and what you'll get from the pucks alone shouldn't raise it too high that you can't keep it under control, especially in Florida with the amount of sun and hot weather y'all get. You are close enough to having it cleared up that you're going to need CYA in the water to hold the chlorine there once you are at a point of letting the chlorine drift down. Besides, they will lower your pH, which needs to happen anyway......

Also, just wanted to add that the chem additions don't HAVE to be done at night, if it doesn't fit in with your lifestyle--the idea here is to get the pool care to fit into your schedule, not the other way around! The reason we recommend night time is that the chlorine has much more time to work without consumption by the sun than it does if you add it in the morning, but if morning is when you have time for it, then you can certainly add it then. As far as the other chems go, time of day doesn't matter at all.

JMHO...

Janet

[onemsmom]

Thanks! Yes, the morning is better.

The pool has been crystal clear for a few days now & met all requirements for being agae free.

Yesterday I adjusted pH by adding muriatic acid. Was that right? I hate that stuff.

Today:

FC 6
CC 0
pH7.6
TA 230-240

How do I get the TA down? My book says muriatic acid. Won't that lower pH???? I'm confused.

BTW, I threw a few pucks in yesterday.

Jenn