Need help with pool chemistry

[dcb1101]

Water test after the baking soda (still just using the test strips):
Hardness: 100ppm
FC: 0.5ppm
pH: 7.6
TA: 120ppm
Stabilizer: 0

[Watermom]

To get to the Testkit link, try this. Log out and go to the forum. Find most any post written by PoolDoc or me and click on the link from our signature there. (The problem is that until your membership is upgraded, then you can't see the rest of the forum.)

Get an OTO/Phenol red kit asap and test that pH. Like I said above, we don't trust test strips. If your pH really is that low, that is a critical problem! Any pH reading below 7.0 is acidic and can damage your pool and equipment. Test the pH with this kit ASAP and if it is indeed below 7.2, get some Borax in there!

CYA does not increase TA. Baking soda increases TA.

Your volume should actually be closer to 10,000. (Sorry about my mistake above.) So, if you added 2.5 lbs. of CYA, then your CYA should be around 35ppm. Find your manual for your SWCG. Most manufacturers have recommended CYA levels specified in the manual. It will definitely be higher than 35ppm.

Shocking is a verb, not a noun. Shocking simply means raising your chlorine level up to a high enough level to sanitize the water. Although some places still sell bleach that is 6% sodium hypochlorite, most places are now selling 8.25%. Pool store liquid chlorine is the same stuff --- sodium hypochlorite but just at a higher concentration like 10 or 12%.

Hope this helps. Let us know if you have further questions.