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Thread: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

  1. #21
    Sherra is offline Lifetime Member Weir Watcher Sherra 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    The abridged version is the higher your CYA reading the more chlorine you have to add to "sanitize" the pool. Which is why pucks/sticks aren't recommended on this forum because the longer you use them the more CYA is added to your pool (even though the ingredients on them don't come right out and say they have CYA in them, when they say "dichlor" or "trichlor", then they have CYA in them) and the higher you have to keep your chlorine level just to kill the normal everyday stuff that's in the pool.

    Since you have no CYA, then you need less chlorine to do the job. I would suggest putting some CYA in your pool though...start out with just a little...enough to get about 20 PPM. I don't remember how many gallons your pool is, but doing reverse calculations from you saying BleachCalc said 2.5 gallons for 10 PPM, then I'm guessing 15,000 gallons. There is a Cyanuric Acid calculator in the BleachCalc, so use the amount it says when you plug in your gallons and 20 PPM. Easiest way is to put the amount it says in a sock, tie a knot in the top and hang it in front of your return jet. That way if you have to backwash during the time it's disolving (it can take a week or so to dissolve) then you're not washing it out of the filter. If you pour it in through the skimmer then you can't backwash for at least a week or else you're rinsing the undisolved granuals right out of the filter.

    Depending on the size of your pool, you should be able to retest around a half hour (smaller pool) or an hour for chlorine. I'd wait a week to test for CYA.
    Sherra
    Kershaw County South Carolina
    18x34 IG 2' radius rectangle vinyl liner (approx 27,500 gal) 1 1/2" pipes installed March 2006
    (previous AG pool owner)

  2. #22
    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    What do you mean by pucks/sticks? Are you talking about the 3" chlorine tablets I put in the chlorinator?

    Where do I buy CYA to add to the pool? I'm sorry I have so many questions, but I have so much to learn in order to do this right.

    I just don't understand how 2-3 gallons of chlorox is going to kill the algae and clear my pool when 15 gallons didn't do the job. Can you help me with this?
    Pam, Illinois

    "17'x33' oval 14.5K gal IG vinyl pool; liquid chlorine; Hayward Pro Series, M-S-244T sand filter; A.O. Smith Centurian, Switchless, 1.40 HP pump; Right now 24/7hrs; Pool Solutions PS234
    Serial #6511, Drops / Powder; Community well; summer: none; winter: mesh; ; PF:8.3"

  3. #23
    Sherra is offline Lifetime Member Weir Watcher Sherra 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    Yes, the pucks are the 3" tablets you put in your automatic chlorinator. You can get CYA at any pool store, and usually this time of year you can get it at Lowe's/Home Depot/Ace Hardware and sometimes Wal-Mart/K-Mart. It's sometimes labled at Stabilizer or Coniditioner. Look at the ingredients though...you're looking for cyanuric acid.

    It's not so much that 2-3 gallons is going to kill it all by itself. It's adding that 2-3 gallons over and over again to MAINTAIN the shock level that's going to do it. Plunking in 15 gallons one time isn't going to do it...that's allowing the chlorine level to yo-yo up and down. Think of it like antibiotics...for most things you don't just take one big dose of antibiotics and what you've got is miraculously gone...you've got to continue to take the antibiotics consistently over a period of 7-10 days to make sure the "crud" is gone.
    Sherra
    Kershaw County South Carolina
    18x34 IG 2' radius rectangle vinyl liner (approx 27,500 gal) 1 1/2" pipes installed March 2006
    (previous AG pool owner)

  4. #24
    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    Ah, Sherra, now it's starting to make sense. Thank you!

    I just checked my levels, the chlorine is at 3ppm 2 hrs after putting in 2.8 gal chlorox. My PH is still at 8.4 - has not come down at all - put in 12 oz muriataic acid 2 hrs ago.

    What about the fact that I'm putting the chlorox in during the middle of the day? Doesn't the sun leach it right out of the water?

    Another crisis, when I walked out to re-test just now, I discovered that my pump had stopped running. I checked the breaker and it was not tripped, but my pump in completely dead. Now what? How do I determine if I need a new pump? I've just called the pool store and they think the motor is old and probably needs a new motor. They think it is overheating or has low voltage, etc. Is this probable? I don't know the age of the pump because it was here when we bought the house 5 years ago.

    Edit - Ok, the pump is running again, must have overheated. We draped a tarp over the area to try to cut down on heat from the sun...don't know how much good that will do, but it's running again.

    If I don't use the pucks in the chlorinator, then how do I maintain the chlorine level all summer long? Just by using the chlorox whenever the level drops? Also, I read somewhere on the sister site that I should not use the oxygen based shock as it can cause algae growth. I've always used the pucks, the oxygen shock and algaecide weekly to maintain the pool during the summer. If not these, then how do I go it. I also have always had an algae problem in the spring and usually by August, I have yellow algae growing, so maybe it is from that oxygen shock product.
    Last edited by Pamsel; 05-31-2006 at 03:36 PM.
    Pam, Illinois

    "17'x33' oval 14.5K gal IG vinyl pool; liquid chlorine; Hayward Pro Series, M-S-244T sand filter; A.O. Smith Centurian, Switchless, 1.40 HP pump; Right now 24/7hrs; Pool Solutions PS234
    Serial #6511, Drops / Powder; Community well; summer: none; winter: mesh; ; PF:8.3"

  5. #25
    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    Ok, just added another 2.8 gal of chlorox and another 12 oz of muriatic acid. Am going to go mow the lawn and check levels again in an hour or two.
    Pam, Illinois

    "17'x33' oval 14.5K gal IG vinyl pool; liquid chlorine; Hayward Pro Series, M-S-244T sand filter; A.O. Smith Centurian, Switchless, 1.40 HP pump; Right now 24/7hrs; Pool Solutions PS234
    Serial #6511, Drops / Powder; Community well; summer: none; winter: mesh; ; PF:8.3"

  6. #26
    Sherra is offline Lifetime Member Weir Watcher Sherra 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    What about the fact that I'm putting the chlorox in during the middle of the day? Doesn't the sun leach it right out of the water?
    Yes, the sun will eat it up pretty quickly. Adding it in the evening is best...especially since it appears you have no CYA to help hold the chlorine in during the daylight hours. But it's still best to try to keep the levels up consistently when you're fighting in algae outbreak.

    With a pH of 8.4 it may take several doses to bring it down to normal range. Your Alk is really high too...keep testing it. The acid will bring the Alk down, you need to get it down closer to 100. If the pH dips below 7.2 during your Alk/pH reduction process you'll need to bring it back up to the low 7's again. There is a thread dedicated to lowering your Alk.
    Sherra
    Kershaw County South Carolina
    18x34 IG 2' radius rectangle vinyl liner (approx 27,500 gal) 1 1/2" pipes installed March 2006
    (previous AG pool owner)

  7. #27
    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    Hi Sherra,

    Well, I just checked my levels again. Chlorine now reading a strong 5 ppm (which, btw, is the highest my test kit goes and I had a heck of a time finding any kit that tested all the levels. Do I need to get another kit that will test chlorine to higher levels? Alk & PH do not appear to have dropped down at all yet. Do I just keep repeating the applications every couple of hours, after I test?

    BTW, I appreciate all your help more than you can know ~ also Marie and Janet! This pool has been a nightmare every spring for 5 years! I truly don't know what I'm doing, so just follow the directions of the pool supply store, where each person gives me a different answer and nothing works until I've fought it for weeks and weeks and spent hundreds of dollars! I believe I have finally found people who truly know what to do and who can help me learn how to take control of my pool myself.
    Last edited by Pamsel; 05-31-2006 at 05:31 PM.
    Pam, Illinois

    "17'x33' oval 14.5K gal IG vinyl pool; liquid chlorine; Hayward Pro Series, M-S-244T sand filter; A.O. Smith Centurian, Switchless, 1.40 HP pump; Right now 24/7hrs; Pool Solutions PS234
    Serial #6511, Drops / Powder; Community well; summer: none; winter: mesh; ; PF:8.3"

  8. #28
    mbar's Avatar
    mbar is offline Lifetime Member Whizbang Spinner mbar 3 stars mbar 3 stars mbar 3 stars mbar 3 stars
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    We all understand! It takes a while for all the chemistry to make sense - especially when you listen to pool stores. Look through the swimming pool tips on the pool solutions web site:
    http://www.poolsolutions.com/tips/10things.html
    It will help explain pool chemistry better for you. Getting the test kit from this site also makes taking care of your own pool easier. You will find that once you get your water balanced, it will be very quick to check your levels and keep a clean pool. When you get the chemistry straight in your mind, you will understand how to balance your pool. Feel free to ask any questions - all you really need to keep in stock is bleach, borax, baking soda, muriatic acid, and stabilizer (for the beginning of the year) and a sequestering agent if you have any metals in your water.
    Northeast PA
    16'x32' kidney 16K gal IG fiberglass pool; Bleach; Hayward 200lb sand filter; Hayward pump; 24hrs; Pf200; well; summer: none; winter: mesh; ; PF:7.5

  9. #29
    Pamsel is offline Registered+ Thread Analyst Pamsel 0
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    Marie, I was told by the pool people that I have to use the oxygen based shock product because I have a vinyl liner. A friend of ours who has had a pool for years told me he only uses muriatic acid and liquid chlorine and never buys from a pool store, but he does not have a liner. Can I safely use muriatic acid and liquid chlorine all summer long to maintain a clear pool?
    Do I not need to use the "oxygen shock", algaecide and the pucks at all?
    Pam, Illinois

    "17'x33' oval 14.5K gal IG vinyl pool; liquid chlorine; Hayward Pro Series, M-S-244T sand filter; A.O. Smith Centurian, Switchless, 1.40 HP pump; Right now 24/7hrs; Pool Solutions PS234
    Serial #6511, Drops / Powder; Community well; summer: none; winter: mesh; ; PF:8.3"

  10. #30
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    aylad is offline SuperMod Emeritus Burfle Ringer aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars aylad 4 stars
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    Default Re: My Green Pool Saga - Help!

    The pool people are in this to make money....we're not. You don't need the oxygen shock at all. If you maintain proper chlroine levels, you won't need the algaecide, either, but some of the forum members dose with it (ONLY if it's 60% Polyquat--no other kind) when closing their pols. And no, you don't have to use the pucks at all, either. In fact, when your stabilizer levels get to the point where you're holding chlorine in the pool, the pucks are actually detrimental. With a vinyl-lined pool, you can safely and efficiently maintain a crystal clear pool using bleach, muriatic acid, Borax, and baking soda. My pool is vinyl in-ground, open year-round, and that's the recipe I use, with a little boost from the trichlor pucks.

    Janet

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