First start with K-2006

[Vtattebury]

Hi folks--

Well my kit came and I'm opening the pool. Water was nice and clear with some sediment on the bottom.

I started with 2 lb. of dichlor shock powder, and got 8 FC w/.2 CC (almost non-existent).

PH was very low <7, and took 12 drops of base test to raise it to about 7.4.

TA was 20, so I added about 9lbs Arm & Hammer and. Brought it up to about 90.

CYA was 30, and then up to 40 the next day.

I've added Borax for the PH, but haven't retested since I applied it.

Am I on the right track?
--Thanks

[PoolDoc]

Yeah, but don't worry about the alkalinity, till everything else is fixed.

Dichlor will raise your CYA level rapidly, so be careful. Use plain 6% bleach when you can.

[Vtattebury]

I forgot to add that I usually use the Costco's 3" tabs for maintenance. I have to use tabs because I'm out of town ALL THE TIME, and my wife doesn't want to mess with chemicals. I see that they have a little bit o'copper, but I've still got most of the bucket left from last year. Any big problems with me using it up this season?

We didn't have any green hair last year. :-)

DuPont Trichloro-s-triazinetrione 93.5%
Copper sulphate pentahydrate 1.5%

[Watermom]

I would not advise using those tabs with copper. Eventually, you will have problems as the copper levels rise.

[Vtattebury]

Ok, guess I'll have to go shopping then. Any body have any tab recommendations without extra junk?

[PoolDoc]

Vtatt;

It's hard to dispose of chlorine tabs legally, except via your pool. If you didn't have problems with copper staining or green hair last year, I'd recommend that you DO use the tabs up, but VERY carefully, also using of bleach (added to the pool) as a chlorine source, to keep the copper levels down. Also, put the tabs in the skimmer, not in a floater. That way some of the copper will end up staining the dirt in the filter, and then being washed out.

Because of the copper in the backwash, be careful where the backwash goes. You do NOT want it to go in a stream, where it could kill things.

Also, in addition to using a mix of bleach (to shock, added to the pool, not the skimmer!), use borax to push your pH up toward 7.8. This will also help remove the copper on the filter.

Also a CAUTION: your low pH helps keep copper soluble. You may have a LOT of copper in the water, now. When you raise the pH, the copper will tend to come out, causing stains. If you can get a copper test done, do so. If you've got copper in the water, do NOT raise the pH yet, at least not beyond 7.2, and do NOT start using the tabs yet. Instead, get a liquid stain / scale product, and dose your pool with it. It will temporarily keep the copper soluble, but then will break down slowly. If you run your filter 24/7 and gradually raise the pH, the copper will tend (no guarantees) to come out on the filter.

Alternatively, you can buy the CuLator product:

1 ppm Culator, direct from Amazon
1.5 ppm Culator, sold by Amazon, shipped from Periodic
4 ppm Culator, sold by Amazon, shipped from Periodic

We *think* these work but haven't absolutely established that yet. The company claims the CuLator will remove the copper, even when it's sequested by a liquid stain scale product. If you get the CuLater, you probably want to use it with this:
Poolmaster 16242 Poolmaster Skimmer Basket Liner
to keep it from being ruined by pool goo. (Put the CuLator UNDER the skimmer sox!)

Finally, if you DO get the CuLator, do NOT put chlorine tabs in the skimmer with it -- we're not sure what would happen. Instead, put them in another skimmer (if you have two) or in a floater.

[Vtattebury]

Wow-- I'll have to sit down with this and a fine-tooth comb! Thanks for the info, but it looks like I've got my work cut out for me.

FYI, I've been able to raise my ph slowly with Borax (sitting at about 7.2 now), and the FC has held at 13 for two days with no readable CC, so that pretty much means I've got "clean" water, right? CA was 35 last I checked (yesterday morning).

[PoolDoc]

Yeah, cleaning up stains is icky-picky stuff, and if you get the order wrong, you can lose the ground you gained.