20k gal pool in Sol Cal. .....needs to be drained.

[PoolDoc]

At this point, if you dump 1/2 gallon of bleach in the pool nightly, you'll be fine. Do it late though: the sun will strip the chlorine quickly!

Also, start adding acid AND baking soda. You need higher TA (or really, carbonate alkalinity) since you have a plaster pool, and a pH that's at least a little lower. Read the muriatic acid page, linked in my signature block. MA is better for your pool, and cheaper, but the fumes are BAD!

Do you have access to a Sams Club? If you do, see if they have the PoolBrand dichlor or trichlor there. Meanwhile, get a floater (Walmart!) and start using your tabs. Tabs are very acidic, so don't push your pH below 7.6.

[pmaru77]

I have HD liquid chlorine a $7 per 2 gallons. If I use 1/2 gallon a day, that is $100 month. Where am I wrong here? Is regular bleach cheaper?
Or is the daily chlorine temporary?

[Watermom]

What percent sodium hypochlorite is your liquid chlorine?

[pmaru77]

10 %

I did the calc's on 24 units of water and it turns out to be 19.8K gallons so I was spot on at 20K gallons.
I probably did the same thing 10 years ago.LOL

[BigDave]

I would keep the floater full of pucks and supplement FC with bleach in the evening as needed. You won't have measureable CYA until you've used most of your supply of pucks so don't waste the CYA reagent.

[CarlD]

Sounds like BigDave is helping.

[pmaru77]

There is water in the pool, I'm getting a decent chlorine reading, pH is spot on...monitoring morning and evening.....treating it like a new baby. It's kinda cool starting fresh, and actually taking care of it and starting to understand how things work. Kind of like getting a new girlfriend and getting to know her.