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Thread: Refilling an inground pool-- where to start with chemicals

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    Default Refilling an inground pool-- where to start with chemicals

    In ground pool
    20,000-25,000 gallons
    sand filter

    After reading the forums all day, I've realized we've been doing pool maintenance all wrong. (CYA levels were through the roof) Out of desperation we just drained, power-washed and are refilling the pool. I want to start things out right though.

    I just got sold 3 gallons of stabilizer and a bucket of Chor-Brite-- which I've just realized is going to put me back on the path of high CYA levels. I plan to return it all to the store.

    I'm thinking I want to get (cheaper) solid stabilizer and then use bleach for the chlorine. I do have about 20lbs of tabs leftover that I'd like to use, so I thought I'd figure that into my overall CYA needs. If I aim for lower CYA levels, I figure the tabs will bring it the rest of the way up, eventually. Right?

    Using the pool calculator, it estimated 7-8 lbs of stabilizer and 182 oz of bleach. I think I may start with the 4 lb bucket of stabilizer and recheck the levels after a week to see how it works and add more if necessary.

    My question is... does that sound about right? I'm going to buy a really good pool testing kit, but I may have to order it online. So I don't currently have any water test result numbers to share. (unless I take a sample of the new water into the store, which I can when I return this stuff)

    Also, we're having problems with black algae. I scrubbed as much as I could with bleach before we started refilling and it really helped. Part of the problem is the plaster is cracking and needs to be redone, we just have to put that off for a couple more years because of the expense. But the black algae LOVES the cracks! The guy at the shall-not-be-named pool store said it would be easier to treat the black algae when the pool was refilled. (I'm not sure I can trust him anymore though!) What's the best way to combat the black algae?

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    Default Re: Refilling an inground pool-- where to start with chemicals

    Adding 6 lbs. of stabilizer (it is not solid, but granular) will add about 35ppm of CYA. So, if you plan to use the trichlor tabs, that will give you some room to add additional CYA via tabs. In your pool, each gallon (4 qts.) of 6% bleach will add about 2.5ppm of chlorine. Use that as a reference to help you figure out how much bleach to add each time you test. Try and test 2 or 3 times per day and each time raise the chlorine level back up. With a fresh fill and no stabilizer yet, I would say take your chlorine level up to about 10-12ppm and try and hold it there as best you can. You want to maintain the high chlorine reading until you can go from sundown one evening until within two hours of sunrise the next day without losing more than 1ppm of chlorine.

    Go ahead and order the Taylor K-2006 kit through the test kit link in my signature below. It is only available online. So, you'll need something to use until it arrives. See if your Walmart has a HTH 6-Way kit (NOT test strips) or at the very least, an OTO/Phenol Red kit (yellow and red drops.) Both of these kits only test chlorine levels up to 5ppm but you can force it to read higher with a dilution method explained here: Testing Without a Good Kit You do lose accuracy with dilution, but it is better than nothing until you can get the good kit delivered.

    Post some numbers for us when you get a kit and tell us what kind of kit you bought.

    Please take a minute to put your pool's information in our pool chart. It makes it easier for us to help.
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    Default Re: Refilling an inground pool-- where to start with chemicals

    Quote Originally Posted by DesertSwim View Post
    What's the best way to combat the black algae?
    You can't really eradicate black algae that's deep in cracked plaster; you can only manage it.

    1. For now, 3 gallons of PLAIN 6% bleach in the pool every evening, added via the skimmer -- assuming you have no trichor tabs in a feeder.
    2. Backwash or clean your filter (if it's not clean) and then add the stabilizer to the skimmer. You'll need to allow 3 days (or equivalent) of CONTINUOUS circulation, to dissolve the stabilizer. (So, if your pump is on a 6 hour timer, 12 days!)
    3. Meanwhile, get a good test kit ASAP
    4. Put your tabs in a floater; after a few days, your chlorine loss may drop enough (from stabilizer) to use only the floater. Do NOT pour bleach over tabs in the skimmer.
    5. Brush your pool regularly, especially the areas with black algae. -- THIS WILL BE A PERMANENT TASK, till the plaster is repaired and the algae is eradicated. --


    + Here are links to the kits we recommend:
    HTH 6-Way Test Kit @ Walmart
    Taylor K2006A (3/4 oz bottles) @ Amazon
    Taylor K2006C (2 oz bottles) @ Amazon

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