Question

[sparkly96]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I joined because i am constantly lurking on this board so figured i now have a question and might as well register. Anyway I live in NY Long Island to be specific. I have a 24 ft round above ground Doughboy pool that's 22 years old and still going strong. It's about 13,500 gallons and has a DE filter. We buy our chemicals at our local Leslie pool store and get our water tested there as well. I use test strips at home and get more or less the same results as Leslie's water tester. We used the pool opening kit and everything seems fine BUT i can never keep my chlorine levels in the normal range. I used 2 bags of shock sunday night and by wednesday my test strips said i had no free chlorine. I brought my water to Leslie to get tested and was told my chlorine (free an total) was fine (FAC was ar 1 and TAC 1 difference). My calcium hardness was low and was told to add 15lbs of hardness plus to the pool. My acid level reading on the test strips at home read 0 but in the store the acid level was at a 35.
I also added liquid chlorine to my pool last night and tested it with the test strips this afternoon and it was low again. Any advice would be appreciated

[Watermom]

Honestly, you need to get a good test kit and test your own water. Your pool store is not giving you good advice. An AG pool does not need hardness plus.

If you have been lurking for awhile, you know what I am going to say. Order a Taylor K-2006 or 2006C (link in my signature below).

You don't report a CYA reading which is something critical that you need to do know. Without knowing that reading, it is hard to give chlorine advice.

Welcome to the Pool Forum.

[PoolDoc]

1. You don't need calcium hardness in a vinyl pool. Period. Ever. Take it back, if you haven't used it.

2. Dealer testing is never reliable. CYA levels are critical, and strip-based testing for CYA is often wrong by a large margin.

3. Ignore acid testing, too. Is your pH OK. If so, the other bits -- alkalinity & calcium aren't critical.

4. . . . which is why you need to get a K2006, and test it your self. Amazon link for kit at good price is in signature

5. 22years on an AG pool? That's a great ad for Doughboy.