Opened pool and problems...

[PoolDoc]

20 Mule Team Borax, 4# 12 oz -- that's the only size I've ever seen.

Add chlorine this PM, test, and test again in the AM.

No rush, but you will be needing at least a gallon of muriatic acid. (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) Pick it up when it's convenient. I'd recommend you get a heavy garbage bag, and put the acid inside THAT when you carry it in your car.

[chumpy36]

I tested 15 minutes after application of the bleach and The chlorine reading was well off the scale of my test kit that ends at 5ppm.

At 10pm tonight, it had gone down to about 6ppm (a guess - maybe 7) based on the color.

Should I pour more bleach in? I have 10 more gallons. I've used 10

Thanks

Jason

[PoolDoc]

Just wait till tomorrow.

Ben

[chumpy36]

And should I smack it with all ten gallons I have left?

thanks

[Watermom]

Do you have new numbers?

[chumpy36]

Do you have new numbers?

I tested Chlorine this morning with my normal kit and came up with about 5ppm FAC. Combined is way off the scale. I wasn't sure what to do this morning and I didn't want the chlorine to go too low so I hit it with the rest of the 10 gals I had this morning.

Will test again in the morning when I get back to the house.

Thanks

[PoolDoc]

Just get into the "add bleach in the PM, test in the AM" routine, till your FC is nearly equal your TC (ie, your combined chlorine is less than 1 ppm, when your free chlorine is greater than 5 ppm).

Don't try to hurry things up with a 'super' dose of chlorine.

Don't start adding other stuff, unless the pH gets way off. You can probably test pH accurately in the evening BEFORE you add more chlorine -- but when the chlorine is more than 5 ppm, your pH test is not necessarily accurate.

Just take your time, and stay on course.

Good luck,

Ben

[cyclingbro]

I am not an expert, but liquid chlorine may help. After I started heating the pool I had chlorine loss and a cloudy algae build up. The liquid chlorine cleared it in minutes and returned it to normal levels. I used 2 gallons in a 25k pool. I did not start off as bad as your pool was though. Good luck.

C

[aylad]

I am not an expert, but liquid chlorine may help. After I started heating the pool I had chlorine loss and a cloudy algae build up. The liquid chlorine cleared it in minutes and returned it to normal levels. I used 2 gallons in a 25k pool. I did not start off as bad as your pool was though. Good luck.

C

just to clarify, this poster is using liquid chlorine........aka bleach. Both are sodium hypochlorite--the bleach is 6% strength, and the other is 12%. The 12% version is not available in all states.

Janet

[chumpy36]

ok, the last two days of testing seem to indicate the chlorine levels have stabilized a bit. I think.

Two nights ago, the readings were

FC 11ppm
CC 5.5 ppm

I added bleach in the amount the pool calc said would get me to 15 but either my volume is off or I made a mistake in the form. The next evening (last night) the readings were:

FC 19ppm
CC 0

This morning I tested again and it was:

FC 15ppm
CC 1

Pool is still very cloudy. Doesn't seem to be improving much. Pump pressure does rise. I am using DE in addition to the sand. I'm wondering if at this point the filter needs the sand replaced or maybe is channelled. The pool sand was replaced 6 years ago.

Any ideas about what to do now?

Thanks