New to BBB. Need help getting my Arizona pool chemistry right.

[Mirandy]

Have had a pool for years. Mostly had someone taking care of it-now the job is up to me.

Just got my K-2006 Taylor test kit. I live in Arizona and any help from you would be greatly appreciated.

My pool is an irregular shape about 13K gallons. The entire perimeter of the pool is scalloped so no one has been able to tell me exactly how many gallons. I have a Jandy VS FloPro Variable Speed Pump and sand filter if that makes a difference.

A few days before getting the test kit. I used about 22 oz muriatic acid. Which I’m guessing made the PH much too low.


I also poured in at least a gallon of Clorax (maybe more but can’t remember at this point) to kill algae I’ve been fighting with.

My pool stayed and still remains cloudy and a light green. So then I added about 5 lbs of Chlorbright granules with Algae control. 5 Clorax XtraBlue tabs. 3 in the floater and 2 in the skimmer.


Test results:

+ FC = 6.0 - Would like it to be 4.
+ pH <7.0 (ust added 4 lbs of Soda Ash to correct it.)
+ CYA = 250-300 CYA . . . I’m guessing.
[ It didn’t register on the test. Didn’t even reach the 100 mark. This has me very worried. How’d it get so high?! ]


Thanks in advance!

[PoolDoc]

OK.

Actually, things are pretty straight forward.

1. Go to the Walmart or whoever, and get 10 gallons of PLAIN 6% bleach (or 10% pool bleach "chlorinating liquid", if it's still available.) Add 2 gallons in the EVENING. Test your chlorine before you add the bleach, and again in the AM. Doing this will not only help you get rid of your algae, but will give us a data point on your pool volume.

2. Keep adding soda ash (available CHEAPLY at Walmart as "Washing Soda") till your pH is slightly above 7.0

3. Once it is, STOP, and test both alkalinity and calcium levels.

4. ALSO, stop using all the 4n1, 5n1, Xn1 products you have AND any tabs or products that contain trichlor or dichlor. If in doubt, ask me before you use it. EVERYTHING you've mentioned using, except the bleach, is adding to your stabilizer level, AND causing other problems. If you've got a friend with a pool, plan to give them that stuff.

5. AND . . . retest your CYA. But THIS time, fill a measuring cup 1/4 with pool water, and then 3/4 with tap water. Mix. Test. Multiply the results x4.

6. Finally, your FC level should be AT LEAST 5% of your stabilizer level, if you want to control algae. In your case, this means 10 ppm is the MINIMUM acceptable level! And yes, you can swim just fine with FC=15, when CYA = 200+

7. And about gallons. You supplied your address with registration. Look up that address on Google Maps satellite view. Is that your house? (You have a spa, right?) If it is, I can show you how to calculate gallons. But you'll need a tape measure like this: Komelon 6611IM 100ft Fiber Tape Reel

Good luck!

[Mirandy]

Dear Pool Doc,

First of all a big thank you for getting back to me I was thrilled to hear from you.

Yes, the address I provided is my home. No I don't have a spa. I think what you see is a planter (looks like a spa inside the pool but is a planter with an Ocotillo cactus.

I tested my water today and here are my readings before adding the 2 gallons of bleach today. I did add 1 gallon last night.

Free Chlorine: 4.2 ppm
Combined .4 ppm
PH 7.8 (is up by a lot, I added a bunch of borax last night before I received your email)
TA/alkalinity 160 ppm
50 ppm CH/calcium
CYA 100 -actually a little below that even (I did the 1/4 pool water, 3/4 tap water and the reading was much better than a couple nights ago. At least I'm less worried now.

I'm going out to add the 2 gallons of bleach now and will test the chlorine levels in the morning and get back to you.

Thank you-thank you for your time. And yes, I'm giving away my pool chems asap! Should I give away my PhosFree and Clarifier too?

MFB

[PoolDoc]

1. Don't give away the PhosFree. Instead, order a Hach / AquaCheck Phosphate Test Kit from Amazon. Once you get it, start adding PhosFree doses VIA THE SKIMMER every 2 - 3 days. Test your water a day AFTER adding the PhosFree. Keep going till you show no phosphates. Doing so will make it MUCH easier to get rid of the 'green'. (You can order the kit, and the tape measure at the same time. I'll post a diagram of what to measure, later today.)

2. If your first phosphate test shows levels above 1000 ppb (1.0 ppm), let me know.

3. Keep your chlorine around 10 ppm, till the 'green' is gone.

4. Otherwise, your chem levels look good.

[PoolDoc]

Upgraded membership and moved thread to the Chemistry Problem section. You may need to log out and back in to see everything.

PS.You can search use Google to search multiple pool sites, using Google's 'advanced search operators" to limit your search to specific sites. This page of mine will create the search links for you. Google knows my site -- and all the others -- much better than those sites internal search functions! And, if you need to post pictures -- of your pool, filter, pump, piping, what-not -- there are instructions on this page

Please note: the Super Search page does NOT search directly; it only CREATES special Google links, that enable a FOCUSED Google search!

[Mirandy]

Ok...the next day (yesterday) after adding the 2 gallons of bleach pool went to 13ppm free chlorine. Pool was sparkling clear. Had people over to swim last night.

This morning:

5.0 free chlorine
.5 combined chlorine

Pool was surprisingly cloudy.

Just added 2 gallons bleach again.

[PoolDoc]

Having a bunch of people swim can cloud your pool multiple different ways, some of which do NOT indicate any problem. For example, heavy use of sunscreen will do it for sure.

But, one of the problems that result from the use VS pumps is that they are almost ALWAYS too big for the filters they are paired with and can CAUSE poor filtration!

With sand filters, this has 3 major effects:

1. If you backwash on high speed . . . or even fairly high speed . . . you will blow sand out of your filter every time you backwash. If your filter is 24" or less, this has likely already been happening. AND, reduced sand = poorer filtration.
2. Also, if you don't match flow to filter, your BIG pump will force dirt THROUGH your little filter.
3. Finally, people often think INCREASING pump speed will IMPROVE filtration, and sometimes do this after heavy bather loads. But the OPPOSITE is true, per #2 above!