Helping neighbor with pool

[aylad]

It is common to use that much Borax....trichlor and dichlor are very acidic, so there's no way to know how low her pH actually was. Keep at it with the Borax until you get the pH up above 7.0.

As the algae dies and begins to be filtered out, she's going to need to backwash her filter--probably more than once, so she really needs to get a new gauge on it ASAP.

Keep the chlorine levels up at shock level until you can measure at night and again in the morning before the sun hits the pool, and lose 1 ppm or less of chlorine. At that point, you/she can let the chlorine levels drift back down, but how far will depend on the CYA level.

[jilted]

Water update: You can see the deep drain now. Not perfect, but getting close.

Keeping FC up.

Even after the other half box of Borax, it looks like maybe, MAYBE, the color is starting to turn darker but still nowhere near 7.

There is a BORAX supply issue here right now, its been days and WALMART still has not restocked. I hate to get behind. If necessary, would you suggest we bite the bullet and pick up some pH+ from Lowes?

-stephen

[BigDave]

Did you ever get a reading you trust for TA? Baking Soda and Washing Soda will raise pH and TA so ... if the TA is low and you haven't any Borax, you can use either of those.

[jilted]

Nothing since the first try on the Taylor FAS-DPD kit.

According to the formula, just to get from nil to 40 ppm ALK for 35,000 gallons would be like 19 lbs! So maybe a few boxes just to compensate or what?

Thanks,
-stephen

[Watermom]

Your friend's pool volume is 35,000 gallons, right? Add larger doses of Borax. At least a box at a time and maybe even two boxes at a time until the pH starts to move. I *think* that an alk test that turns pink instead of green indicates really, really low pH. I need to verify this. At any rate, with such a high volume pool and adding a half a box at at time isn't putting a dent into it. Any other stores that carry Borax? Our grocery stores carry it and I think K-Mart. If not, you can use washing soda or soda ash if you can't find Borax. (They will raise alk and pH.)

[jilted]

I checked Winn Dixie last night with no luck. I was dosing Borax at the suggested rate of 1/4 box at a time to start and bumped up from there as 2 days passed with no progress in pH. I have never had to purchase Borax for myself so I had never looked for it anywhere! :-) Our KMart closed. We have a Target but I don't have time to run around town for their pool haha!

Also I have never had to purchase washing soda or soda ash is there a brand or anything in particular to look for? Available at same locations? Walmart etc?

Thanks,
-stephen

[Watermom]

I never used either since I always buy Borax. Washing soda is sold at Walmart, groceries, etc. called Arm and Hammer Washing soda. I agree -- let the neighbors do the running around part.

[jilted]

Water: Totally clear, not cloudy at all

They found some borax at target.

FC: Being kept high
pH: still not above 7, just added box number 4 this morning (the whole box) since I will be going in to work today and won't be able to test mid day.

So far, we have added 4 boxes of Borax and 1.5 bottles (3lb container) of ph+ that they had left over from previous year.

-stephen

[aylad]

If the water is now totally clear, then you can test for chlorine at night, then test again in the morning before the sun hits the pool. If there is 1 ppm or less chlorine loss, then you can let the chlorine levels drift back down--but how far will depend on a current CYA level. If you haven't started adding the CYA, now would be a good time...I would follow label directions to get the dose for 40 ppm, then add only half of that to an old sock and hang it in front of the return so it can start dissolving. It can take several days for the CYa levels to show up, so I wouldn't even test for it for 3-5 days.

Janet

[Watermom]

With pH below 7.0, you need to be more aggressively working towards getting it up than just adding Borax once per day. Have them pick up a cheap OTO/Phenol Red kit and they can test it themselves several times per day and each time add more Borax if needed.

Good news on the clear water!