Newbie needs help/advice

[poolgal]

ok just been in the pool box and found some test strips (I know they prob aren't the best but its all I have right now)

just took this:

hardness = 1000
FC = 0
PH = 7.2
Alk = 180
CYA = 0

Di

[poolgal]

Forgot to add we have a DE filter

Di

[CarlD]

ok just been in the pool box and found some test strips (I know they prob aren't the best but its all I have right now)

just took this:

hardness = 1000
FC = 0
PH = 7.2
Alk = 180
CYA = 0

Di

I HOPE those numbers are wrong...in fact, I believe they are impossible and either you read the strip incorrectly, or the strip is tainted.

Hardness(CH) should be 200-400ppm. Scaling can occur above 500ppm and partial draining and diluting is the only cure.

But Alk is 180 and with CH at 1000, you should be getting clouds and clouds of calcium percipitating out.

Alk also is too high for your pool--it should be 80-125. Again, scaling can occur.

FC = 0 means you have NO chlorine and NO protection against algae and other contaminants.

CYA=0 means your chlorine has no protection against UV breaking it down, often in as little as 15 minutes.

I would IMMEDIATELY pour in 3 gallons of regular bleach, and get some CYA ASAP and add it--just enough to bring you to 30-50ppm, no more.

If you have tri-chlor pucks, now is a good time to use them because they will constantly add chlorine AND CYA. But they will lower your pH, which, at 7.2 is a bit low. Still, start with the 3 gallons of bleach.

For your situation, high Alk, low pH, no FC or CYA, I would either use pucks, or add bleach and CYA.

But I would also aerate my water and keep aerating it. With pucks, that's all I'd do, just keep pH between 7.0 and 7.2 and Alk should come down.

If you do NOT use pucks but use bleach, I'd still recommend aeration, but everytime pH rises above 7.2, add Muriatic Acid to bring it back to the 7.0-7.2 range.

But mostly, I'd get a better test kit (you clearly already know this) and maybe have a pool store test the water in the mean time.

If CH IS that high, I don't see any alternative to draining off 2/3 of your water and refilling.

The 3 gallons of bleach should help right now and, with your pool, can't hurt anything.

[waterbear]

TEst strips test total hardness (calcium and magnesium) not calcium hardness. You need to test for calcium hardness. Depending on your water makeup it is possible to have a very high total hardness but have a much lower calcium hardness. Also the strips have very poor resolution (the numbers on the color chart scale jump from 250 to sometimes 400, if you have a GOOD brand of strip, and then to 1000 ppm with no readings inbetween!) and the hardness colors are difficult to read with any kind of accuracy since they are such close shades of blue and purple.

[poolgal]

Ok last night I added CYA, then about 2 hours later I added 3/4 gallon bleach
this mornings test:
10am
FC 2.5
ph 6.8
alk 130

then I did the test strips
h 1000
fc 0
ph 7.2
alk 180
cya 0

so results = test strips are corrupt just like CarlD implied!

Just the fact that the pool is holding chl for the first time in days implies I'm at least on the right track now!

But I would also aerate my water and keep aerating it. With pucks, that's all I'd do, just keep pH between 7.0 and 7.2 and Alk should come down.

Ok I looked at the return jets and ours look like they don't move, and they point down. Any ideas on how to aerate the water with these type of jets? Or is this a case of "user error"? lol!

thanks!
Di

[poolgal]

Also the strips have very poor resolution (the numbers on the color chart scale jump from 250 to sometimes 400, if you have a GOOD brand of strip, and then to 1000 ppm with no readings inbetween!) and the hardness colors are difficult to read with any kind of accuracy since they are such close shades of blue and purple.

Yep totally! Just looked at the strips and the jump is considerable! From 400 it then goes straight to 1000. I'm trying to convince DH we need Bens kit! For all the $ we've spent on strips and crappy drop tests we could have bought Bens kit multiple times over!

Di