CYA question

[ac1007]

We got our pool put up this weekend and got our water tested by the pool place. Yea I know, probably not the smartest. All I have is a 6 way test strips and the OTO and PH drop test kit.

The pool place came out with these numbers
PH 7.3
TA 40
Stabilizer 0
CL 0

They did give suggestions as far as shock but I did learn from last year not to use shock, at all.

So I came home and put in 56ozs of baking soda, 33 ozs of bleach and and 22ozs of stabilizer.
Today the drop test is showing my PH as 7.2 and CL is good but the test strips are still showing no CYA.
What do I need to do? I don't have a walmart that sells the 6 way test so other than the CL and Ph drop test, all I have is strips for now.

I have a Summer Escapes 15x42 above ground pool.

Thanks

[Watermom]

Order a Taylor K-2006 from the testkit page in my signature.

Don't add any more CYA. That dose should take you up to about 50ppm which is as high as you want it to be. It is slow dissolving. Give it up to a week to totally dissolve. How did you add it? Did you buy liquid or granules? Since you've added CYA, you won't want to use any forms of stabilized chlorine meaning no dichlor shock powder nor trichlor pucks as they both have CYA in them.

Until that CYA starts registering, your chlorine will disappear quickly so you'll probably have to test and add some bleach morning and evening. Try and keep the chlorine between 3-6. After about a week, you'll be able to test and dose it with bleach in the evenings only. In your pool, each quart of 6% bleach will add about 4.5 ppm of chlorine. Use that as a reference to help figure out doses of bleach to add. Use your OTO test instead of the test strips. More accurate and more reliable.
The amount of baking soda you added should have added around 80ppm so that should put your alk at around 120. Don't add any more baking soda either.

Your pH is ok at 7.2 but if it drops, you'll want to add a little 20 Mule Team Borax (laundry aisle at Walmart) to raise it. Add only a cup or two at a time slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running. Wait a few hours and retest. You want to keep the pH between 7.2-7.8.

Hope this helps you get started. Welcome to the Pool Forum!

[ac1007]

Thank you.
I added the stabilizer by putting it in water and pouring it into skimmer/filter.
So right now, I should be set except adding bleach and watching the pH right?
If we are going to be gone over a weekend, what do you do about bleach? Last year I didn't use bleach at all, I used 1" pucks, so I still have some of those left. Should I use those?

I can't get to the link for the testkits in your signature. It says I still don't have access.

Thanks again,
Angela

[Watermom]

Yes, daily checks on the chlorine and pH. If you are going to be gone for only a weekend, you can just give the pool a good shot of bleach before you go and it should be fine until you return. But, I would bump the pH up before you go.

If you logout first and then try and click on the testkit link in my signature, does that work? Being logged out may not allow you to actually see this thread in this getting started section but you'll be able to see the entire forum and my signature is all over the place on the forum so you'll be able to find a thread with it. (PoolDoc and Aylad also have the signatures with the links so you can look for a post by any of us to try it.)

[PoolDoc]

I can't get to the link for the testkits in your signature. It says I still don't have access.

You should have access, now.

[aylad]

You can use the pucks over a weekend without any problem--short vacations are one of the times when they are very useful to have. I would raise the pH up to 7.8 or so first, though, because they're very acidic and will drive your pH downward. Another alternative might be to have a neighbor come by and pour in a gallon of bleach for you one night....