Spring Opening Questions

[Watermom]

To add to Janet's great advice, make sure that a CYA reading is one that you get. We will need that to be able to advise you.

Welcome!

[PoolDoc]

Hi Tina;

+ Each gallon of PLAIN 6% household bleach will add about 2.5 ppm of chlorine to your pool: if your water is already "green-tinged", add 1 gallons to start.
+ Check and see if the Walmarts in your area have the HTH 6-way kit -- it is an EXCELLENT value, and compatible with the K-2006, which you'll need, but which will take a week or two to get.
+ Walmart will also have the bleach, and some 20 Mule Team borax -- both in the detergent section. I'd recommend getting 16 gallons of bleach and 6 boxes of borax. Add the borax 2 boxes at time, slowly to your skimmer with the pump running. Wait 4 hours, retest the pH, and repeat until the pH is above 7.2
+ Do NOT add baking soda; it will increase the chance of staining with the copper.
+ Remove the Floatron - unless you don't care about stains or green hair.
+ Do the white bucket test for copper: put 4 gallons of pool water in a CLEAN white plastic bucket. Add 1/2 cup of bleach, and 1/2 cup of baking soda. Mix, and cover. Wait 24 hours, and see if there's any staining or blue sediment on the bottom. If so, you have copper. If not, go ahead and add bleach 2 gallons at time.
+ Run your pump 24/7.

We call test strips, "guess strips" -- they can tell the difference between some chlorine and no chlorine, but that's about all.

[CarlD]

For reference, your pool is about 25,000 gallons (if the measures are exact--33' diam x 4' deep water--you have 25,600 gallons).

[cjblanton07]

Thank you so much everyone!

Well to start I do have a testing kit that came with the floatron that tests for copper. I test once a week or so and if it gets above a certain point I remove it for a few days to let the levels drop back down. So I assume I can test for copper using the drop test they sent?

I currently have left a 1lb bag of "shock" (65.05% sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione) and about 2.5lbs of "chlorinating granules" (71.8% trichloro-s-triazinetrione and 8% Boron sodium oxide).

I put 2.5lbs of the chlorinating granules in last night before bed and let the pump run over night.

Our wal-mart does not have the 6way test or the boarx I found the borax at ACE so I'll stop and pick it up there. Wal-Mart does have a 3way test that I'll get for the time being since it's only about $5. We live close to a pretty big city with several wal-marts so I may be able to find it there this weekend if I need to. But I'll start out with PoolDoc's suggestions of amounts.

Oh and do I start with the bleach first? How many gallons at a time? Through the skimmer as well? Then move onto the Borax?

Again thank you!

[PoolDoc]

+ You can find any stores in your area that carry the HTH 6-way testkit, by following the link, and then clicking the "Look for stores where you can Pick Up Today" link on the Walmart page.

+ Take the Floatron out, and stick to 2 gallon bleach (2 ppm) doses, via the skimmer, till the copper is gone. You'll probably need to do this in the evening, and again in the AM.

+ If you find any 60% algicide that has an ingredient poly [oxyethylene (dimethyliminio) ethylene (dimethyliminio) ethylene dichloride] . . . or that just starts with "poly", buy a bottle and use it.

+ Try to get a 6 way, and find out what your CYA level is. Order a K-2006

[cjblanton07]

Ok, the floatron came with a ion test kit. It was .5ppm (high) Took the floatron out and added 2 gallons of bleach this evening and will do the same in the a.m.

I got the 3 way kit just because I won't be able to get to town until this weekend to get the 6 way. I'll order the K-2006 asap.

While my husband added the bleach I tested and the CL was 5.0ppm - is this b/c he was adding bleach and it had already gotten over to the far side of the pool? pH was 6.8 if that very light yellow.

So I just need to continue to add 2 gal bleach p.m. and a.m. and test once a day for copper using my ion kit until all the copper is gone and then start adding borax to raise pH?

Thanks!!

[PoolDoc]

Let's keep the chlorine below 5, till the copper is gone.

Low pH is hard on liners. Don't over do it, but do add borax till you reach 7.0. (Not higher, till the copper is gone!)