Still moving into new house but ran some taylor pool tests...

[St8kout]

Ran the tests two days in a row and pretty much got the same readings both days:
PH: 8
Free Cl: 0.5 ppm
Comb Cl: 0.5 ppm
TA: 190 ppm
Cal Hardness: 130 ppm
CYA: Now this one I'm not sure about. Is it when the black dot turns gray, or disappears altogether? Because it never disappeared with the tube filled up all the way to the top. It went gray around 50 ppm.

The circular calculator says Saturation is 0.5

So, PH and TA are high, and Calcium Hardness is low. I need to add acid and calcium chloride, right?
I put in about one third gallon regular Clorox bleach last night because I could'nt get a free chlorine reading at all yesterday.

My best guess using the Pentair pool volume calculator is 15,000 gallons not counting the 7' diameter jacuzzi off to the side. The pool shape is kind of weird so it's a rough guesstimate.

I'm open to whatever suggestions you have for me.

[kelemvor]

Here's the instructions for how to read the CYA test: https://www.taylortechnologies.com/C...P?ContentID=36 It sounds to me like you are probably reading it accurately at 50ppm. You should bring the pH down below 8 with hydrochloric acid, because most tests don't go above that and you could be much higher.

You need to get (and keep) your chlorine level at around 4 or 5. At 0.5 with 50cya you will eventually get a green pool. Here's the chart for figuring that out: http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/best...ine-chart.html If 15k gallons is accurate, then 1/3 gal of regular (6%) bleach would only add just under 1.5ppm FC. I'd get a whole gallon into it ASAP, and maybe a little more depending on the answer to this next question.

Is the water in the spa is connected to the pool via a spillover/waterfall (like mine)? If so, then you need to figure out the volume there and add them together when you do your dosing calculations.


If you haven't already read it, this page: http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/the-...pool-care.html will be well worth the time.


Edit: I think you probably meant Calcium Hypochlorite (cal hypo) rather than calcium chloride, right? You can add that to increase FC and calcium as you had already surmised. I'm just used to using sodium hypochlorite (bleach) so that's what I suggested.

[PoolDoc]

Taylor videos: http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?17157

[St8kout]

Thanks for the vid posting. With my test it never did disappear completely even when filled to the top of the tube, so it looks my my cya level is really low.

And yeah Kel, mine is connected to the pool by an waterfall-like opening. In fact, the main pool return lines might be somewhat clogged because the jacuzzi drains faster than the pool which is making it act like a skimmer. Don't know if it's supposed to be that way but it brings all the floating debris into it making it easier to scoop up with the net.

I hired a local pool guy to 'show me the ropes' about the equipment and everything (how to remove and clean the filters, and add DE) until I could take over. He's the one who cleaned out the green slime pit when the house was vacant for 4 months that I originally posted about here. He's quite popular and hard to book for an appointment, almost like a doctor. He added muriatic acid for the ph and TA, but then he put in some blue liquid he called 'kill it' (he's spanish and that is what it sounded like he was saying) and the pool became a foaming mess that took two days to clear up, but it is back to sparkling clean now. Told me to buy a floater for the chlorine tabs but I'll go with the bleach method for now, although I can see why just keeping a floater filled with tabs has it's appeal.

[PoolDoc]

If you've got tabs, use 'em. They'll add stabilizer. If not, and you have access to a Sams Club, get some of the their "PoolBrand" bagged shock, which is pure dichlor. Links below.

And, fill out the Pool Chart, so we can help with doses, etc.

Ben

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+ It's much easier to answer your questions, when we have the details about your pool in one place. 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

+ If you need stabilizer, and have access to a Sams Club, buy their 24 pack of 1# bags of dichlor shock. Each bag will add about 7 ppm of chlorine, and about 6 ppm of stabilizer, per 10K gallons of water. Otherwise, order dichlor from Amazon:

Kem-Tek Dichlor 22 lbs

We do NOT recommend buying dichlor locally, otherwise, at least until you are an EXPERT reader of chemical labels. The chlorinating pool chemicals sold at Walmart, Kmart, Costco, and most other local stores are diluted blends, sometimes with copper and other products with bad side-effects.

[St8kout]

Pool Chart Form completed and Kem-Tek Dichlor ordered through your link from Amazon.

I really should buy stock in Amazon. Spent a small fortune there already just this year. Their free shipping is taking longer and longer though. I used to get deliveries in 2-3 days when I first moved here (Vegas), but lately it's been taking 2-3 weeks on some items. Guess they are trying to encourage me to start paying for shipping Plus their prices are steadily creeping upwards compared to Home Depot.

I tested my tap water for the first time (for the pool chart form) and found that my drinking water has 3X as much free chlorine as my pool did the other day when it was 0.5, lol.

[PoolDoc]

I think the shipping may have to do with them trying to clear out pool inventory.

If you buy at Amazon a lot, you can get no-extra cost 2-day shipping for a year for $85. (Amazon Prime). It has a 1 month free trial, so you can try it, and then cancel if it's not worthy it for you. For me, personally, it's VERY worth it in December, since I tend to be a put-it-off shopper!

Home Depot sells some KemTek and if you get the right stuff, there, it's fine. (In fact, there's nothing special about KemTek, except that they are big enough to have their own gooped-up blends so they still have to sell the basic chemicals.!)

Of course the cheapest pure dichlor that we know about is the PoolBrand stuff from Sams Club. (Costco is selling a gooped up blend!)