Want to start out right!

[PoolDoc]

yer right. I should have noticed that. Thanks for doing so. -ben

[mortimay]

Wanted to send a huge THANK YOU to everyone here at the pool forum. I got my pool cleared in 6 days this year, compared to 8+ weeks last year. You guys ROCK!

Last night I added 2 gal 12.5% bleach and then checked, the number was FC 18ppm and the pH was 7.6. This morning at 8:00am I checked the chlorine and it was 12ppm. I just checked again at 11:00 and here are all my numbers:

FC 6ppm
CC 0
Alk 180ppm
pH 7.8

We added well water last night and also got some rain. Today has been overcast so no direct sunlight on the pool. I know I'm still fighting stuff. Due to some medical issues, I haven't been able to do much with the pool for the last week. The pool had a slight green to it on Friday. I've been shocking again and the water is now crystal clear, but I'm not holding chlorine overnight. Vacuumed to waste the ick on the bottom of the pool. I'll be able to keep up with it this week, and I'm hoping to have it swimable this weekend. What's my next step?

[PoolDoc]

1. Maintain chlorine levels.
2. Lower your pH to 74 - 7.6
3. Get some stabilizer in your pool.

Do you have access to a nearby Sams Club? If so, go buy their PoolBrand bags of dichlor shock. Using dichlor will add BOTH chlorine and stabilizer . . . and you need both. It will also tend to lower pH and ultimately, alkalinity, and you need that, too.

If you don't have access to Sams, you should EITHER

+ Buy this dichlor from Amazon:

Kem-Tek Dichlor 22 lbs

*OR*

+ Shop around for 15 - 25 lbs locally . . . BUT YOU HAVE TO BE A CHEMICAL LABEL INSPECTOR, to make sure you are NOT getting the blended and diluted goop that Walmart, Costco and most others are selling. Some of it has fairly harmless stuff that allows them to offer "enhanced" shock that's cheaper to make but they can sell for more, but some of it adds copper to your pool!

By the way, if you order form Amazon, you can get the Amazon free Prime trial:

Amazon Prime

and get free 2-day shipping for a month. But, if you don't want to keep it, REMEMBER TO CANCEL IT before the month is up. Personally, I'm a late shopper, so it saves me a bundle at Xmas.

[mortimay]

I purchased the Poolbrand Shock from Sams today. What is the best way to add to the pool? I know the directions say broadcast over the water, but it seems that in the past whenever I did that I ended up with granuals on the bottom of the pool. Could I put it in a sock in the basket?

Thank you!

[Watermom]

Dichlor is fast dissolving so it shouldn't sit on the bottom of the pool for long, but if you want, you can pre-dissolve it in a bucket of water.