kjh9835's pool

[aylad]

I believe you can also order reagent refills from Amato Industries, but you can also get them directly frrom the Taylor site (taylortechnologies.com). I usually get mine from www.spspoolspas.com, since they have one of the best prices I've found. You might look at the instructions that came with your 5-way kit and see if there's a phone number there to reorder reagents, and compare their prices.

I would wait to start lowering your alk until the pool shocking is done, because the amount of acid you use at a time to lower the pH and alk depends on an accurate pH result, which you won't have when your chlorine level is above 10 ppm. With chlorine levels above 10 ppm, pH results tend to read falsely high, so you might end up accidentally lowering your pH by too much by depending on a false high number. Get your chlorine issues adjusted first, and then when you can let the chlorine drift back down to "normal" ranges, then start working on the TA.

Janet

[Watermom]

I would wait to start lowering your alk until the pool shocking is done, because the amount of acid you use at a time to lower the pH and alk depends on an accurate pH result, which you won't have when your chlorine level is above 10 ppm.

Good catch, Jan. You're right.

[kjh9835]

Water is still hazy. I vacuumed the bottom again but only got about 1/2 teaspoon of white granules and a few specks of debris in an hour so if the chemical residues are now gone and the water is still hazy, it must be the high alk level?

FC is still orange (so high, same as this morning)
ph 7.5 (same as this morning)
TA/CA 250 (same as this morning)

[aylad]

It is possible, but it is also possible that you're barely holding off a nascent algae bloom because your chlorine kept dropping before. If you can see this link http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...a-good-testkit), try testing your chlorine tonight after sundown and again in the morning before sunup, to see if you're losing more than 1 ppm of chlorine overnight. This is a ballpark, but maybe it'll be close enough. If you are losing chlorine overnight, then the haziness is probably due to algae trying to bloom, and you'll need to maintain shock level a little longer.

It is possible that the haziness is from overuse of clarifiers, and the only thing I know to do about that is shock the pool to try to break them down and filter it out.

It is also possible that the high alk is causing it, in which case you'll need to lower it with muriatic acid per the steps that you've already printed out--but make sure that you rule out overnight chlorine demand before you let it come back down.

Janet

[kjh9835]

Oops, posted before I was done.
I did not test the CYA level again.

Once the chlorine level is down then I'll start with getting the alk level down. My husband rigged me up aeration with his air compressor and I also think I can use a garden hose with shower setting on and put it just under the water level for more bubbles. I'll read more about that this evening.

How did the alk. level get so high anyway? Is it the well water?
I guess I could test it straight from the hose and see what I get?
Once I get the level down, is it going to be a continuing battle all Summer?
Is there a problem/damage to pool if it stays high?

Kathy

[aylad]

How did the alk. level get so high anyway? Is it the well water?
I guess I could test it straight from the hose and see what I get?
Once I get the level down, is it going to be a continuing battle all Summer?
Is there a problem/damage to pool if it stays high?

The alk level would get that high from either adding chemicals to raise it, or more likely from your fill water. You could take a sample from the hose and test it to see what you get, and that will give you your answer. If your fill water is that high, then you will be battling the high alk each time you have to top off the pool with fresh water. It's not necessarily a problem for now--it won't damage the pool, but it will contribute to milky water if your calcium levels get too high, and it may make it difficult for you to change your pH if you need to. IF it is indeed the cause of the haze, then your water may just be hazy all summer.

Since you're able to see the other links now, I'm going to wait until I know you've seen this post, and then I'm going to move your post back to where Watermom had it, so that it's in the right place in the forum, and may be helpful to others that have this problem.

Janet

[kjh9835]

Ok so my well water alkalinity is 450, luckily last year and not yet this year have I had to top off the pool BUT the vacuum hooks to the hose for cleaning the bottom of the pool so each time I clean it, the level will be going up. If that's the only reason my pool is hazy, I guess I'll live with it.

I can't see using the time consuming step by step process of getting it down only to have it possibly change again when I use the hose attachment or top it off if needed. My girls are teens and float around as I do, not alot of jumping/splashing, etc except when great-nieces come over and that was just a few times last year.

If I can keep chlorine in the pool for sanitary reasons and the pH balanced to prevent damage, I'll be content. I'd like a crystal clear pool but honestly I do not want to fight an ongoing battle just because the water is hazy. If I do get it to go down, maybe adding just a little bit of water while cleaning won't increase it that much. Next year, I'll know ahead of time to treat as it fills or as soon as it's filled and maybe I can ward off the haziness.

When you move this post, you can change the title to whatever you feel will help others and I'll find it by way of my name if nothing else.

Thanks again for all your help.

Kathy

[kjh9835]

This morning the FC is deep yellow (not orange) so I'm losing some overnight
pH is 7.8

Water still hazy. Cleaned bottom, splashed around, played with aeration just to see it work and rinsed filter out last night. This morning not as much gunk on the filter, I did rinse it again and left my pump running. It's very cloudy with thunder so rain is on the way which will just un-do anything I attempt now. Waiting on weather to clear.

Kathy

[kjh9835]

Yes the link showed up. No distilled water on hand but will get after work tomorrow. I'll monitor it that way until I can get a kit ordered end of the week.

Kathy