New Member, yucky pool

[PoolDoc]

Please record any new test results with the form below:

Pool History Entry Form for old bat
Pool History Results for old bat

Also, if you'd enter your pool information here:

Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results

Those extreme alkalinity and calcium levels will be hard to work with. We can probably work out a process to clean them up, but it will take a little bit of doing -- and some good info.

Please do all these things:

+ List, by exact brand and product name, the chemicals you have on hand.
+ Complete the pool info chart (second set of links). Your actual pool gallons are about 4,900 & PF=24
+ Tell me if you have access to Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, at Walmart of where-ever.
+ Don't worry too much about stabilizer right now.
+ Keep your pool from getting slimed by adding 1/4 gallon each EVENING.

[Old Bat]

Hello,

Well I'm using that HTH purple cap stabilizer. And I only put in 9oz. per the cap measure. Didn't want to put too much. Today I was kind of milking the sock to get more into the water. I am so confused all the time. The more I read the worse it seems to get!

And so far we are just using plain store bleach 6%. I've added about 3 1/2 gals. No, wait those are only 96oz. bottles. I started with 1 1/2 gals and add about 1/2 gal every couple days. I still have a lot of shock left from last year, but don't know if I should use some of that or not. I think Ben said to just use the bleach.

[Old Bat]

Hi Pool Doc,

I want to retest tomorrow for the alk and calcium. Still seems like those numbers are impossible. And I still only have the 6 way kit from WalMart. Don't think I can afford $87 yet for the Taylor 2006. Would ordering just the FAS DPD kit alone work out? And with the 6 way I only get enough reagent for 2 CYA tests, so could order more of that reagent while I'm at it.

As far as chemicals on hand.

I have the HTH stabilizer/conditioner
Bleach
20 Mule Team Borax
Muriatic Acid
Baking Soda

Last years pool chemical leftovers, (I will have to get back to you on this, they are out in the dark dangerous deck box, will inventory when it's light out)

Now I can't fill out these forms completely just yet without the proper test kits. I will attempt it, but not sure of how it works, will it save it somehow? And our pump gauge is busted, so I go by feel on the return jet.

[Old Bat]

Oh Ben, yes I can get washing soda. And what does PF=24 refer to? Sorry for lameness.

[PoolDoc]

It's a factor for calculating your chemical doses. For example, stabilizer is usually 100% concentration, so 1 lb of stabilizer will add 24 ppm of CYA to your pool. And, a gallon of 6% bleach has about 1/2 pound of chlorine gas (100%!) in it, so a gallon of bleach will add about 12 ppm of chlorine (24 x 0.5) to your pool.

[BigDave]

Not lame. PF is Ben's sizing shorthand for pools. It is the number of your pools required to make a milion pounds of water.

This facilitates quick dosing calculations. An easy example:

1 lb granular stabilizer
x 100% Stabilizer available in granular stabilizer
x 24 Your pool factor
======
24ppm stabilizer added to yur pool by adding 1lb granular stabilizer

[Old Bat]

Retested for what I could this AM. Expected to find that I had perhaps done the test wrong the first time.

No such luck. Alkalinity titrate 550!
Hardness is 630! Unbelievable.

Ph is 7.2, Chlorine via the OTO is 1.

But on the bright side the water is nice and clear. For now.

We used to run a water softener. Our leach field then plugged up. After some research found that the high magnesium content in our soil reacted with the sodium in the softener cycling and turned to thick sludge. Quit using the softener. Needless to say, we go through a lot of lime away and stuff around around here.

[Old Bat]

I bought 2 boxes of Arm & Hammer washing soda. Didn't know how much I was supposed to get.

[PoolDoc]

Hi OB;

I think the A&H is something for later. You've got clear water; you need stabilizer; you need to get your basic pool routine down; you need to learn to use muriatic acid (link in my signature); you need to be comfortable operating your pool . . . and THEN we can look at doing lime softening, which is tricky.

Among other things, you'll have to be ready to vacuum out all the calcium, which will mostly end up on the bottom of your pool.

For now, if you just keep your pH at the low end of things (with muriatic acid), and do NOT use cal hypo as a sanitizer, you should be able to operate just fine.

Later, once I'm a little caught up here on the forum, and once you are comfortable operating the pool, and controlling the basics, THEN we can make it really complicated for about a week.

[Old Bat]

Thanks for the reply, I've read the muriatic acid how tos and will review them again. That is scary stuff to me. But we've used it before for other stuff.

But I need to know about how much muriatic acid to use in my pool. I'm unclear on that.

Also, where should I try to get my stabilizer level at? Because you say you can get too much. Don't want to make things harder. And I only have one test left for CYA.

PH seems to be creeping slowly higher. Like .2 per day. Why is that? This morning's PH was 7.4 and chlorine was between 3 and 4 with the OTO test.

Do you have any ideas on why the alk and hardness both tested even higher the 2nd time I did those?

And if I'm vacuuming calcium dust that should probably go to waste right?

So, please help me get my pool routine down, I'm so clueless with this. As I said we've screwed it up many years in a row! Should I continue with adding 1/4 bottle bleach each evening? And please tell me how much acid. Thanks so much for helping.