Using a Nature 2 system with the BBB method

[tdkorson]

how much borax to start with and how many gal of bleach each evening?

[Watermom]

Add a box of Borax slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running, breaking up any clumps. Test it a few hours later (or tomorrow if you add it this evening) and add more if needed. You need to get the pH above 7.0. Once your pH starts moving, go with half box additions.

Do you have current testing results for chlorine and for CYA? We need those to really be able to advise well on bleach amounts. How high have you been taking the chlorine when you shock it? I can tell you that in your pool, each quart of 6% bleach will add 3ppm of chlorine to the pool.

[tdkorson]

one cup of Borax did the trick. My PH up to about 7.7

Last night I added 4 bottles of bleach (1.42 gals per bottle) and now the chlorine OTO test shows off the scale high.

[Watermom]

I'm not sure how a cup of Borax in a 20K gallon pool raised the pH up from 6.8 to 7.7??? Maybe you meant one box. Or tester error or something, but oh well. As long as the pH is above 7.0, that is what is important.

Your 4 bottles of bleach would have added 17.2ppm of cl to the pool. Until your test kit arrives you can use a dilution method to test the water which is described here: Testing Without a Good Kit

[tdkorson]

I just found the report the pool place did A little over a week ago


0 s acid
40 alkalinity
7.1 ph
0 chloine
125 hardnesss


Since then I have added 4 lbs chlorine per evening
16lbs of baking soda to get started
And a cup of borax last night

I'll stop and get some stabalizer this evening

I'm not sure how a cup of Borax in a 20K gallon pool raised the pH up from 6.8 to 7.7??? Maybe you meant one box. Or tester error or something, but oh well.

--TESTER/cheap TEST KIT ERROR.

[tdkorson]

The pool is still cloudy. I can see the bottom of the shallow area, but not the deep end. I was not able to get stabilizer so my stabilizer is still 0, but I'm shocking at night.

1. How long should it take to clear up shocking nightly. It has been over a week already.
2. How much bleach should I add nightly?

[Watermom]

There is no way to know for sure how long it will take, but the more consistently you keep it at shock level, the faster it will go. How high are you taking the chlorine each evening? Test an hour after shocking tonight. Then, test again in the morning within 2 hours of sunup. See how much chlorine you lose. If it is more than 1ppm, then add enough bleach to get it back up to 15 or so. In a 20K gallon pool, each gallon (4 quarts) of 6% bleach will add about 3ppm of chlorine. Run your pump 24/7 and backwash when your filter pressure rises 5-10psi over clean filter pressure.