New Pool Owner, Starting BBB method & Other Test Kit

[OahuGuy]

I'm a first time pool owner. Not too long ago, I went out to home depot and bought a vacuum, brush, chlorine tablets and test kit - all before finding this forum. Honestly, I didn't use any of the stuff beside regular chlorine tablets until just recently, when I noticed some yellow algae on the walls of the pool.

Long story short, I got my chlorine levels up by adding bleach to about 2.0, and have a ph reading that's well below the chart, not even 6.8 and Alkalinity at 30ppm.

I added baking soda (2lbs) and Borax 20oz according to http://www.poolcalculator.com/ because I could not find how much to add...so far testing has not changed (maybe PH still too low?. I'm using the 5-way test kit I got at Home Depot because it brand new.

Do I need to buy a new test kit right away? Will this one work to get the ph up?

How much Baking Soda and Borax should I be adding? And how long to I wait with pump running to test again? 15,000 gal pool.

Aloha

[CarlD]

Hi. We need more information, such as the size of your pool, in gallons, what the walls are made of (vinyl, fiberglass, concrete/tile/etc), and hopefully, what size and brand pump and type of filter you have. You know, deets.
"6.8" is the lowest pH most kits read so yours may be FAR lower. If it's a vinyl pool it could damage the liner so you MUST get the pH up fast. If it's concrete, there's little danger. You need to keep adding boxes of Borax until you get a pH reading higher than 6.8--even 6.9 is better because it means you're back in the measuring zone.

You CAN substitute Arm&Hammer WASHING soda (in the yellow box, not the orange one) for both the Borax and Baking soda as it will raise both pH and Total Alkalinity. It's the same as expensive pool store stuff like "pH Up!" only far cheaper and easier to get.

If you have algae, a chlorine level of 2 isn't going to cut it. You'll need to get it much higher, depending on your stabilizer (CYA--Cyanuric Acid) level. You could need a chlorine level of between 10 and 25 (depending on the stabilizer)

Meanwhile, at low pH levels, chlorine is much more effective than at higher phs. BTW, your reading is a total chlorine(TC) reading and a FC (Free Chlorine) vs TC is better.

We recommend that EVERY pool owner purchase a Taylor K-2006 or K-2006C test kit, or equivalent (Leslies FAS-DPD Chlorine service test kit is the same as the Taylor, only in a Leslies box and more expensive). You can order one by clicking the link in PoolDoc's signature. There's at least one other equivalent kit on the market, but ultimately, they are all based on Taylor Technologies.

Hope this helps.

[OahuGuy]

Thanks Carl

Pool details: 15'x30' 15k gal rectangle pool tile pool | Pentair Triton II TR60 sand filter | Pentair IntelliFlo VS-3050 variable speed pump, on 3

I'm going to look for the Washing soda, and I need to visit my pool store and get stabilizer (that's the only think I can't seem to measure with my 5-in-one kit now) I realize based on the poolcalculator.com the amounts of baking soda i was adding was way low, added more and new readings below after an hour. Making progress!

Current Readings:
FC = 2 (don't know how to test for CYA levels?)
pH = low about 6.3 (noticeable increase from testing)
TA = 80 (up from 20 by adding baking soda and Borax)
CYA = not sure how to measure w my kit? need Taylor kit?

Isn't the chlorine level suppose to be 2-4, that's what the kit reads? I saw the BBB chart in the forum, but am not clear on how to interpret it. I know it's all based on CYA levels, so knowing that seems a first step.

I plan on buying the Taylor kit, and supporting the community, just curious to understand the diff between it and the 5-stop one I have. Is it the ability to test CYA?

From my tests moving forward...,
1) I need to add more Borax to raise the pH, TA is on the low end but it will increase a bit with Borax, right?
2) slowly add more bleach to bring chlorine levels up a bit (to what tho? I need to know the CYA level first, right?
3) get stabilizer, learn how to test for CYA level, please advise.

Mahalo

[BigDave]

Everything CarlD told you is right on and I hate to contradict him, but, low (potentially very low) pH is hazardous to concrete, plaster, PVC pipe and fixtures, any metal, almost everything that touches your poolwater. Very few poolwater chemistry problems warrant a FIX IT NOW but unreadble low pH does.

Follow CarlD's instruction to bring the pH in range, order a K-2006, and start reading all you can at poolsolutions.com and here (but not logged in as a trial user).

Don't panic! Learn and follow the poolcare method taught here and you'll have control over the pool in no time.

[PoolDoc]

Very few poolwater chemistry problems warrant a FIX IT NOW but unreadble low pH does.

What he said . . . so, add a box of borax daily, till your pH exceeds 6.8 WHILE you are working on the other bits (getting kit, learning, etc).

[CarlD]

I yield to Big Dave's knowledge on hard-sided pools. Get your pH back up! But vinyl pools are even more sensitive to low pH and too high FC levels (not a worry for you).

[Watermom]

I saw the BBB chart in the forum, but am not clear on how to interpret it. I know it's all based on CYA levels, so knowing that seems a first step.

Once you know your CYA level, you need to keep your chlorine between the minimum and maximum value listed in the Best Guess Chlorine Chart. And, if you have an algae bloom, the shock level needed to kill it is also based on your CYA level.

I plan on buying the Taylor kit, and supporting the community, just curious to understand the diff between it and the 5-stop one I have. Is it the ability to test CYA?

The 5 in 1 kit cannot test for CYA. Also, that kit can only measure chlorine levels up to 5ppm. The Taylor K-2006 or 2006C (better buy), gives you the ability to test higher chlorine levels. Do yourself a favor and go ahead and order it. You won't be sorry.

Welcome to the Pool Forum, by the way!