Run around at pool store

[Watermom]

First off, welcome to the Pool Forum! Secondly, stay out of the pool store. They exist to make money so of course, they are going to keep finding products for you to buy. My guess of what is going on with your pool is that you have used stabilized chlorine for a long time (trichlor pucks, dichlor shock powder) and the CYA level in your pool got really high. Then, over the winter, the CYA biodegraded and left you with a pool full of ammonia and an unsatiable chlorine demand. We see this every year and this year has been particularly bad. Any idea what your CYA reading was when the pool closed in the fall? Any idea what the CYA level is now?

We really can't do too much without a good set of current water testing results taken with a drops-based kit. The kit we really prefer is the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C which you can get through the test kit link in my signature below. However, it is only available online so you'll need something to use while you await its arrival.

For now, get a cheap OTO (yellow drops) / phenol test kit, or if available at YOUR Walmart (check availability), get the HTH 6-way DROPS test kit, which is compatible with the Taylor K2006. Test the pool as soon and you can, and post the results. If you get the 6-way kit, ALSO test the water you FILL the pool with and post THOSE results as well. (The HTH is the best available kit you're likely to find locally, but it's not the K-2006. It can only provide rough measurements chlorine levels above 5 ppm, and it measures "TOTAL" hardness, rather than "CALCIUM" hardness, which is not ideal.)

While you are at Walmart, buy several jugs of plain, unscented bleach (generic is fine) and a couple boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle).

It's much easier to answer your questions, when we know something about your pool. We often 'waste' the first few posts back and forth collecting information. So, please complete our new Pool Chart form -- it takes about 30 seconds, but will save much more than that.

Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results

Repost and let us know which test kit you get and give us some current numbers and someone will try and help you go from there.

[miker1755]

I am still locked out of a number of items in your signature, like test kits, pool chemicals using muratic acid etc.

[miker1755]

I wrote a detailed explantion of where I am but lost it! I think I have posted my pool spec 2 times and clearly don't know how to edit the info. Bottom line is I got the 6 way test from Wal mart with the following:

• Cl=5.0 after adding some granular Cl as the reading was 0.
• pH=7.3
• Hardness 540
• CYA 90+
• Alk 110

Tap / fill water:

• Cl 3.0
• pH 7.6
• hardness 170
• Alk 230
• cya 0

I am waiting on your recommendation with bleach and borax in hand. My pool is 17500 gallons 19' wide x 35 ' long with 5' depth in the middle & 3.5' at both ends. 2 hp pump, Nautilus ns-60 DE filter, Polaris 380 cleaner with booster pump.

[PoolDoc]

I've got to leave for a couple of hours -- I'll post more when I return.

For now, read the "Best Guess" page linked in my sig -- it explains a lot that's relevant to your situation. And, if you would, go ahead and complete the pool chart. The output makes it easy for me to see what you've got.

One other question: are you showing any scale formation? Your hardness is high enough to cause problems, especially if you have a heater or SWCG.

OK, I lied. One more thing: test your fill water. I need to know where all that hardness came from.

[miker1755]

My post of yesterday at 10:42 pm has my pool and TAP water test results from the HTH 6 way test......Tap / fill water: Cl 3.0 pH 7.6 hardness 170 Alk 230 cya 0. Regarding scale, I have some but not extreme in my opinion, primarilly on tile around the spillover from my raised spa into my pool. I have a heater but only use it to heat the spa in the winter so it doesn't get much use but I do have some heater questions I will save for when I am an admitted member off probation. I do not have a SWCG! Clearly with my level of knowledge I am no spammer or industry expert trying to show off my knowledge! It is really kind of funny as I have heard others complain about their problems with their pool and mine has always been relatively easy to take care of.....until now! I will re-complete the pool data chart but I already have, twice I believe, but am not able to edit for corrections / mistakes / missing info at the time. Sorry if that's a nusiance so delete the prior data found there under my screen name!

[PoolDoc]

My bad. Sorry; I should have searched the chart. This is something new, for us, and I've had no time to organize it further. Regarding the restrictions, we seem to have the spammer problem under control. Frankly the reason I haven't lifted the restrictions is just to keep people out, period. There are more of y'all than there are of us, and traffic has gone through the roof here. We're not sure why, but we can not keep up.

And, I'd rather keep people out altogether -- they can still lurk and read -- then let them in, and ignore them. We're trying to figure out how to handle the increased interest, without cutting quality, but it looks like any real answers will have to wait till next year. However, you now are among those with access.

Anyhow, here's what you should do, short term with your pool:

1. Make sure you understand the Best Guess chart.

2. Get some muriatic acid, maybe 2 gallons, at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Read the muriatic acid page, and then lower your pH to near 7.0, and keep it there. This will help stop scaling, and will gradually lower your TA. However, once you get to pH 7.0, it will require repeated additions of acid to keep it there. That's OK.

3. Do NOT add any baking soda (alk up) or sodium carbonate (pH up). If you should need to raise your pH, use 20 Mule Team borax ONLY.

4. Find a CLEAN white 5 gallon bucket, and get a gallon of fresh PLAIN 6% household bleach, so we can do a bucket test on your pool water.

5. Continue to shock each evening. If you currently have no algae, 1 -2 gallons of plain bleach nightly should be sufficient.

6. Let me know when you are ready to go on the bucket test. We can use that, to get an idea of what's wrong with your pool, and what it will take to fix it.

7. Finally, make as complete list with EXACT chemical names, of ALL chemicals you've used since opening. I'm particularly looking for info on the 'shock' material you've used AND any granular algaecides.

[PoolDoc]

This thread had lost its way, so I moved all the discussions about missing posts here:
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?16908