My water is a mess, I don't know where to start

[PoolDoc]

+ cal hypo = granular calcium hypochlorite. The good stuff will show a percentage of 65% or HIGHER.

+ 6 gallons is fine; that would be about a 12 ppm dose.

[mel.hoffman]

Okay, got the borax in, going to wait about an hour and then hit it with the bleach. This is a total newbie question, I know that you told me to get a K-2006 test kit, does this kit allow you to test higher levels of chlorine? The kit that I have only allows testing up to 5 ppm and that was the best they had in the store. So as of now, I won't be able to tell if my FC and CC are at the right levels. Any suggestions until I can get a good kit delivered?

[Watermom]

I know that you told me to get a K-2006 test kit, does this kit allow you to test higher levels of chlorine? The kit that I have only allows testing up to 5 ppm and that was the best they had in the store. So as of now, I won't be able to tell if my FC and CC are at the right levels. Any suggestions until I can get a good kit delivered?

YES! That is why we like it so much. The Taylor K-2006 allows you to test high chlorine levels up to something like 50ppm if I am remembering correctly. You need to order one ASAP!

Until you get it, you can force a cheaper kit to read a little higher with a dilution method. It is not super accurate and is not meant to replace having a good kit. Read about it here: Testing Without a Good Kit

[mel.hoffman]

Thank you Watermom! I will go read that now and get my kit ordered asap. I know having an accurate reading isn't critical for tonight since this process can take a very long time to complete, so I will probably try that in the morning. It's getting dark here and I am a mosquito magnet!

Update on the pool: I added the bleach when the pH was at about 7.2. I know the pH will continue to go up as the borax has more time to circulate through the pool. 6 gallons of bleach in, bottom of the pool was brushed and only 1 pair of shorts and a t-shirt ruined. I am going to leave the cover off overnight as Ben suggested and test again in the morning. Tonight the pool was still a blue-green color, with what looks like a gross, slimy, white-ish film on the top. I can see down about 4.5-5 feet and then the water is too cloudy to see further.

Thanks for all your help!

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Kit ordered!

[PoolDoc]

6 gallons of bleach in, bottom of the pool was brushed and only 1 pair of shorts and a t-shirt ruined.

Not ruined; converted to "pool care clothes"!

[mel.hoffman]

So it turned out that I didn't need the dilution test after all. Went out at 6:35 a.m. and tested. Pool is the same blueish greenish color and has that slimy white-ish coating on the top, it looks like an oil slick on top of my pool.

I still have a question about chlorine testing, after I put the chemicals in the testing water do I read them immediately? They darken up as times goes on and I'm not sure which is the correct reading.

TC: about .5
pH: about 7.0 much lower than I had hoped after all that borax, do I add more today?

Also, my husband has a question about this process that I don't know the answer to. If all of our stabilizer is gone, why can we not add new stabilizer now?

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Would it be beneficial to do the bleach in the morning as well? I know that the sun will eat it up, but I could always close the cover to help prevent that. I just want to try and stay ahead of this.

[PoolDoc]

+ Add borax till you get above 7.4

+ You can add stabilizer now, but it will slow the clean up process -- and you'll have to use higher levels of chlorine, which you can't test yet.

+ Yes, you can add bleach in the AM, if you don't mind the wastage. Doing so will speed things somewhat.