New Thread with my results of first test

[Tom.B]

Oops... That's right. Ph is 7.4 and TA is 90. Type-O... sorry.

The CYA of 33 is really an estimate of what the level is when the dot disappears. It's higher than 35, but lover than 30. It may, indeed, be a testing problem because I am still new to the testing procedure and it does seem a little difficult to get the exact same, consistent, readings.

CC consistency is odd? It's always be 0 or 1 dropwise drops. Yesterday it was actually 3, so maybe it should be 1.5 instead of 1. But I don't know what I am looking for the optimum value needs to be either.

And no... We are not covering it, nor have I located (or even looked) for a bleach source yet, but I guess it's time to do so.

[Watermom]

You really don't ever want your CC reading to be over 0.5. If it goes over that, we typically advise shocking the pool. If you are adding chlorine every other evening, is your chlorine reading dropping to 0 between doses? With that low of a CYA reading, I suspect that it might be and that could be causing the CC. Without adequate CYA, you lose chlorine pretty fast and it doesn't take long for algae to start -- even before you can see it.

Your pH and TA readings look fine.

[PoolDoc]

All in Walmart detergent / household cleaning section:

8% Bleach => www.walmart.com/ip/13023480
Borax => www.walmart.com/ip/11027366
(Current box is mostly white, not green!)
Washing soda => http://www.walmart.com/ip/19407690 (= soda ash = pH Up)
Baking soda => www.walmart.com/ip/17043412
(12# bag = sodium bicarbonate, sodium acid carbonate, Alkalinity Increaser; some stores now have a large box of store brand baking soda, that may be cheaper.)

All in Walmart recreation section:

HTH-6-Way-Test-Kit => www.walmart.com/ip/17043668
(re-branded Taylor kit -- includes CYA test. Not available at all stores.)
cheap-o OTO kit => http://www.walmart.com/ip/24791469
(actual label may vary -- but they are all cheapo kits made by Chinese companies.)
HTH OTO kit => http://www.walmart.com/ip/HTH-3-Way-Test-Kit/17043605
(Same as Taylor K1000, without the box. Not available at all stores)

Lowes:

muriatic acid => http://www.lowes.com/pd_450723-1327-332_4294610251__

[Tom.B]

I have a 4# bucket of what Leslie's gave me when I asked for stabilizer (even though it doesn't say it... I think it says conditioner... I am at the office right now... I will look later and report). I will add it tonight.

More to your point. No, it doesn't drop to 0, but I don't check it before I put it in every other night either.

How much bleach do you keep in your stock at home? And how much of the other stuff?

[Watermom]

Probably best to check the chlorine and pH each day especially until you get your CYA to where you want and you kind of learn how your pool is going to behave.

In regards to your question about what I keep on hand at home ------ I typically keep 2 or 3 boxes of Borax and baking soda. I use Walmart 8.25% bleach and probably buy around 8 jugs at a time and store it in a cool utility room in my basement. That lasts me a couple of weeks, maybe a little longer. I live 5 minutes from a Walmart so no reason to store up large quantities. My pH tends to fall rather than rise so never need muriatic acid.

[Tom.B]

So you're saying that I need to raise my CYA level? To what?

[Watermom]

Usually around 50ppm is good for most pools.

[Tom.B]

The CYA I have is Leslie's conditioner/enhancer and claims a 30ppm increase per 2.5 lbs. per 10,000 gallons. So I will add all four pounds and see where I am in 48 hours.

[PoolDoc]

CYA dissolves SLOWLY. If you add CYA via the skimmer, and backwash or clean before you've run the pump 72 hours . . . you may lose the majority of what you've added.

[Tom.B]

Can I continue to add Chlorbrite to the pool while I wait for the CYA to dissolve?