Help some Cheeseheads please!

[Poconos]

GOFN1,
Welcome to the forum. For now I'd just concentrate on getting the chlorine up. The pH and TA are indeed high but nothing that needs to be addressed now. A question though....since you just inherited this thing are you sure the previous owner used chlorine as the sanitizer and not Bacquacil a.k.a. Bacquagoo? Because if they did then you have a totally different situation.
Al

[GOFN1]

Poconos -

Thanks for the welcome. I am finding everyone so far very helpful.

The previous owner used what we think is called a "pool frog" chlorine dispenser?? Does that help? We have yet to use any of what they left behind.

I thought we read this in another thread but just going to throw out the question - When adding the bleach to the skimmer do I have to set my filter to anything but filter?

Thanks,
The Cheeseheads

[Poconos]

Nope...just pour it in. Until you get the algae under control measure the chlorine a few times a day and keep it at 15 like Mas985 said. It will get eaten up pretty fast. There is a calculator available to help you figure how much bleach to add. Look for any post from MWSMITH2 and look in his signature for the link. For lack of any other guide just throw in a small jug (3 quarts), circulate for a couple hours and measure. I don't know what that pH- stuff is...never used it and never paid attention to posts about it. Someone else will kick in about it.
Al

[GOFN1]

Ok. Clear on the bleach=chlorine thing. Many Thanks!!

I googled Baquacil and I see nothing around this house that leads me to believe she used that.

I have infront of me

Pool Frog Bac Pac - She left a ton of these. Active ingredient is 99% Trichloro-s-Triazinetrione with available chlorine listed as 89%.

hth Liquid Chlorinator - She left 2 jugs of this. Active ingredient is 10% Sodium Hypochlorite..

Does this help?

Thanks to everyone who replying...it is very appriciated.

The Cheeseheads

[Poconos]

Yeah...a chlorine pool. Good. Don't know about the frog things but the 10% probably isn't anymore but use it up anyhow. Won't hurt anything. Higher concentrations of bleach degrade fairly fast and no idea how long the stuff has been around.
Al

[aylad]

Yeah, that helps..it means that you probably have a chlorine pool instead of a Bacquacrap pool, which is good news! You've already been given the best advice--get your Cl level up to 15 (using the bleach), and keep it there by daily testing and additions to get it back up to 15. If you can do this 2-3 times a day, it will clear faster.

Before you use the pH minus balancer, (which you don't need to worry about 'til after the green is gone, anyway), could you please post the ingredients? I'm concerned with the "balancer" part that it may contain CYA, which you're not gonna need if you're using trichlor.

Janet

[GOFN1]

Can I just say how great the internet is??! It is GREAT! My husband took a 2 hour pool lesson at Pool supply store and didn't get HALF this much info and it has'nt been quite 2 hours since our orig posting! Thanks again!

Ok The pH Minus says it contains:
Sodium Bisulfate 82%
Inert Ingredients (Sodium Sulfate & Water) 8%

[GOFN1]

Before you use the pH minus balancer, (which you don't need to worry about 'til after the green is gone, anyway), could you please post the ingredients? I'm concerned with the "balancer" part that it may contain CYA, which you're not gonna need if you're using trichlor.

Janet

I thought I responded with this but I don't think I did...pH minus contains

Sodium Bisulfate 92%
Inert Ingredients 8%

On the back it says all it contains is Sodium Bisulfate, Sodium Sulfate and Water.

[GOFN1]

Returned home from running errands and the pool is less cloudy than this morning! I can see the bottom again. My husband was going to start to vacuum...is that the next right step?

Once we get the Cl level using bleach to 15ppm is that where we should always keep it? From then I tackle the other levels?

So today...Should we add just one more gallon or two again? Someone replied back that we will add approx a gallon every 3 days but that was said I believe for when this is all under control.

Also can we only add the bleach at dusk or can it be added anytime?

Regarding that testing kit - is the kit only good for one season? Here in WI our pool season is pretty short. Researching the kit it looks around $75 but sounds like it could take a month to get here. Just not sure if it seems worth it to buy this season???

And of course the most important question...when will the pool be ok to swim in?

Oh and one more thing...Watermom - what did you mean when you said I don't have bromine? I just was typing what was located in the testing kit so I just put it on there. Is it on the test kit for another purpose? Do other pools and I just don't? Just trying to learn more...

[Watermom]

Trichlor is just a type of chlorine that has cya in it. Since your cya is only 30, you can use the trichlor after you get the pool clear. But, you'll need to monitor your cya reading and when it gets to 50, stick with only bleach. Trichlor isn't used for shocking which is what you are being advised to do for now. So just use bleach now.

10% sodium hypochlorite is just strong bleach. Household bleach is 6%. However, if it has been sitting for awhile, it isn't going to be full strength. You can go ahead and use it however. Just make sure it doesn't list any other stuff besides sodium hypo. It may not raise your chlorine level significantly if it is really old and weak, but it won't hurt to use it up.