pre start up heat/ph question

[not2high2fly]

I live on long island NY and will not be opening the pool for a couple of weeks. I have 2 questions, my ph is low so it needs to be raised before I can shock can it be done with my cover on (only the ph not cl)? And can I get a jump on heating the water before I remove the cover? Thank you

[Watermom]

How low is your pH? Do you have any chlorine reading at all? You could start heating but the warmer the water, if there is no chlorine in there, the faster the pool will turn green.

[not2high2fly]

No cl at all,ph and alk very low. Can I filter and add washing soda with the cover on? Thanks

[PoolDoc]

Can I filter and add washing soda with the cover on?

Yes, you can -- doing so is a good idea. But, if it's a liner pool, borax (20 Mule Team borax; same section as the washing soda) is a better choice.

[not2high2fly]

Can you tell me why? Doesn't washing soda raise both ph and alk(what I need) and borax only raise ph? Thanks

[PoolDoc]

Washing soda, and baking soda, are sorta like 'condensed carbon dioxide', and when the pH gets a bit lower (like 7.2) some of the carbon dioxide tends to leave the pool, lowering your effective alkalinity, and raising your pH. You have to put up with some of that on a concrete pool, because you have to set up the water so it doesn't tend to dissolve the concrete. Otherwise, it tends to do so, though slowly and over a lot of time unless the pH is quite low. Also, higher carbonate levels are somewhat 'encouraging' to algae.

By contrast, borax is there till you drain the water, and is a bit of an algistat, which makes the pool less 'encouraing' to algae. It also tends to make the water a bit 'nicer', both in appearance and in feel.

None of these characteristics are very strong, but they are noticeable.

[not2high2fly]

Getting started right now with borax. Thank you