Fixing alkalinity with the BBB method in Texas

[RossM]

Hi PoolDoc,

The Battle is getting better,

4-6-11
TA - 120
Hardness - 120
Chlorine - .5-5.0
CYA - 120-130

Last night I add 4-cups of clorine and this morning was @ 5.0 or better @ 2:00 pm it's at .5-1.0, is this due to my High CYA, per HTH instructions they recommend 20-50 ppm and say the only way to lower is to partial drain. Your recommendations as since I'm just now getting my TA, PH in line, I really don't want to drain and put more of my bad fill water in again.

P.S. I rechecked my fill water again just to be sure and the numbers where the same. thanks

[PoolDoc]

You don't need to drain; you just need to adjust your chlorine levels to compensate. Use this chart as a guide:

Ben's Best Guess Chlorine Chart

But, you will need a DPD-FAS chlorine test kit (drops based DPD test) in order to stay on top of things. As far as I know, you can either order a Taylor K-2006 (what my kit was based on) or the TFP approximate copy of my PS234 (defunct) kit.

Ben / PoolDoc

[RossM]

Ordered a K-2006 yesterday, via your link.

On 4-6, I added 2 lbs of Borax, later that evening the ph was 7.5 so I added 2 cups of MA and 3 cups of clorine. Since then everything has stablized. no more chemicals, YEA!!!

PH - 7.2
TA - 100
CH - 100
Chlorine - 5.0 + Won't get my new kit until mid April, so will try to maintain between 3.0-5.0.

P.S. I'm a industrial mechanic by trade and another good use for Borax is as a hand cleaner. Take a dap of any reagular dishwashing detergent and barely a few sprinkles of boarx (very very little) and it will work better than GO-JOE. I carry a water bottle of it in truck and my wife keeps a bottle of it in the shower for me on those really nasty days.

It also works great in the laundry (it's intended purpose) on my nasty clothes, though me wife does wash them a second time with just water to get all the soap out.

[aylad]

If you maintain chlorine at 3-5 ppm with a CYA of 120-130, you're going to end up with a pool full of algae. For a CYA that high, you need to target 8-15 ppm, and never go lower than 8!! In fact, the closer you can keep it to the 15 end of the range, the better.

Janet

[Watermom]

Since you'll need to run higher chlorine levels than your test kit can test to compensate for your high cya, the method described at the following link will be helpful to you. It is not recommended as a permanent testing method, but only a temporary way until you can get the better kit.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...5545#post65545

[madwil]

Borax is also used as a flux in soldering and brazing- while we're sharing multi uses for items!
cleans copper up, then allows the soder to "flow" properly...

[RossM]

Thanks watermom, I'll give it a shot.

[RossM]

During a bright sunny day water looks great but not that deep crystal, sparkling blue. At night with the pool light you can really see how cloudy the water is. Any suggestions??

TA-120
PH-7.4
CH-10 +

Still waiting on the new test kit.