New to pool forum - TA problem

[Gregg]

Hello all, new pool owner here, but have owned a hot tub for awhile so know most of the simple chemistry issues with water balance.

New 33' round pool (28,000 gallons).

We are on pristine blue.

I took my water in for a sample today, my TA is still sky high, like 240. My pH is 7.2 and Calcium is good at 220.

I just added another gallon of muriatic acid, running my pump on high presently with my outlet aimed at the surface to aerate. I'm hoping to get my pH back up once it drops from the additional acid.

Two questions:

I was told not to add acid in quantities more than 3 cups at a time, 3 times a day. A chemist from prestine bluetold me nonsesne, just dump an entire gallon at once. This is my 3rd gallon in 3 weeks I've added and I don't see any issues doing this.

My second question is that I added my normal weekly chemicals to my pool this morning after vacuuming, and this afternoon my water is cloudy. Any ideas what would cause my water to become cloudy? What should I do to correct?

Weekly chemicals are: 3lbs of prestine power (potassium monosulphate) 8 oz of prestine clear and prestine clean. Weekly prestine blue additions are around 17-20 oz.

Thanks in advance!

[waterbear]

We are on pristine blue.
This is just copper sulfate and is NOT an EPA approved primary sanitizer!
I took my water in for a sample today, my TA is still sky high, like 240. My pH is 7.2 and Calcium is good at 220.

I just added another gallon of muriatic acid, running my pump on high presently with my outlet aimed at the surface to aerate. I'm hoping to get my pH back up once it drops from the additional acid.

Two questions:

I was told not to add acid in quantities more than 3 cups at a time, 3 times a day. A chemist from prestine bluetold me nonsesne, just dump an entire gallon at once. This is my 3rd gallon in 3 weeks I've added and I don't see any issues doing this.

My second question is that I added my normal weekly chemicals to my pool this morning after vacuuming, and this afternoon my water is cloudy. Any ideas what would cause my water to become cloudy? What should I do to correct?
You have a vinyl liner pool. Low pH can and will damage the liner. Period! You do NOT want to drop the pH below 7.0 at any time so lowering TA becomes a process of:
1. drop pH to 7.0
2. aerate the water to ougas CO2 which causes pH to rise
3. When pH is above 7.4 test TA If still to high repeat from 1.

I would not really trust a 'chemist' from a company that sells copper sulfate as a pool sanitation system and it is obvious that he does not understand the effects of low pH on a vinyl liner!. Pristine Blue is EPA registered as an algaecide (because copper sulfate is registered as an algaecide). It is NOT a sanitizer.

My second question is that I added my normal weekly chemicals to my pool this morning after vacuuming, and this afternoon my water is cloudy. Any ideas what would cause my water to become cloudy? What should I do to correct?
Yeah, your water is most likely cloudy because you don't have any sanitizer in there and something is growing. Copper is not a santizer, MPS is not a sanitizer at pool temperatures (but is one at hot tub temperatures in the presence of silver ions)
Weekly chemicals are: 3lbs of prestine power (potassium monosulphate) 8 oz of prestine clear and prestine clean. Weekly prestine blue additions are around 17-20 oz. You have been putting in copper sulfate--pristine blue (an algaecide) MPS--prisitne power (an oxidizer), Pristine clear-- a clarifier, and pristine clean--a scale treatment to help stop copper stains BUT you have nothing in your water to stop the growth of microbes quickly. Copper has very slow kill times. THIS is why they also sell Pristine Extra, which is just dichlor (chlorine) and why they say that their system is 'compatible' with bromine and chlorine. It is because it MUST be used with a primary residual fast acting santizer if you want safe and clear water!



Thanks in advance!

Hope this helps!

[Gregg]

So, do i need to go and purchase some chlorine and how much should I be adding?? I'm sorry - new to pool chemicals, and didn't get ANY guidance other than the chemicals I mentioned on what to use

Do you even recommend using this pristine blue stuff??

Can I switch over to a product like Baquicil?

Thanks in advance!

[Watermom]

We do not recommend Pristine Blue and we also do not recommend Baquacil. I'm going to let Ben or Waterbear (who are more familiar with Pristine Blue than I am) talk to you about switching to just chlorine. I don't think there are any 'gotchas' about doing so, but not sure.

Welcome to the Pool Forum, by the way!

[Gregg]

Our pool was recently set-up. The water has only been in for about 3 weeks now. I know my metal (copper sepcifically) are high. I know one thing: draining the pool is NOT an option. 28,000 gallons by truck was $1000.00 - so i need to either make prestine blue work with adding this prestine extra stuff or hopefully straighten out the water with other chemicals.

[Watermom]

Did you know ........ contrary to popular belief, it is not chlorine that turns blonde hair green and stains pool surfaces green, it is copper that does it.