New Pool Owner - Newbie at testing water - Need Some Guidance

[sunlove]

Bleach=chlorination
Borax= raise ph
Baking Soda=raise alkalinity

But yes you'll also need cyanuric acid (stablizes chlorine) and muriatic acid or dry acid (lowers ph).

More info: poolsolutions.com/gd/the-BBB-method-of-swimming-pool-care.html

Good luck! I'm sure someone will come along shortly to help you with your other questions

[aylad]

If your water is cloudy, odds are you just need to shock it to make sure you don't have a nascent algae bloom trying to happen. You will need to add CYA to the pool in order to keep the sun from consuming all of your chlorine, but the CYA in itself won't clear the water. Appropriate chlorine levels and filtering should clear the water. The liquid stuff is a good bit more expensive than the granular, but either one will work. If you're using strictly bleach for chlorination, then 30-50 ppm is a good range to shoot for. HOwever, if you have a SWCG system (I noticed you purchased a salt test kit?) then the CYA levels need to be higher in order to extend the cell life. That level varies by unit, but most of them want CYA in the 80-ish range.

You can either add it via old sock hung in front of a return, or add it through the skimmer and let it sit on the filter and dissolve. If you choose that route, don't backwash or clean your filter for at least 4-5 days, because it takes that long for it to dissolve. The label on the container should give you the appropriate dose for a 30 ppm level.

[sae99]

Thanks so much. I will give it a try.

[sae99]

Thank you for your feedback. Should I be buying Cyanuric acid instead of "Stabilizer"? I know it must be the same thing, but I am referring to the chemical vs. a pool product that you get at the pool supply store?

[aylad]

Stabilizer, Conditioner, and Balancer are all things that the companies use to label the bottle, but if you look at the ingredient list, cyanuric or isocyanuric acid is what you're looking for. If that's on the list, that's the right stuff. You can get it at WalMart, Home Depot, Lowe's, or just about anywhere else that sells pool supplies--you don't have to get it at the pool store.