Pool Startup New Water?

[atkinson40]

My pool had Cyanuric Acid off the scale Maybe 4-5 hundred. This I imagine was because I was using tabs to chlorinate. I drained the pool and am now refilling it. What do I do to get the pool chemistry correct after its filled and how do I chlorinate w/o raising the Cyanuric levels back up?

Thank You

Kevin Atkinson

[PoolDoc]

1. Get a K2006 and monitor CYA levels monthly (or even just 3x per summer)

2. Operate with chlorine levels that are based on a % of CYA levels. For clear, algae free water, as a starting point, FC should be 1.5 OR 5% of CYA.

3. Use OTO testing with the K1000 for normal quick checks (2 - 3x per week, if the pool is in control).

4. Use a mix of stabilized chlorine (trichlor / dichlor) and unstabilized chlorine (cal hypo, bleach [ sodium hypochlorite ], salt water chlorination). Bleach is the only one of those that is trouble-free. Cal hypo adds calcium, which can be managed. But that is something else to 'do right or suffer'! Salt corrodes things.


Get a HTH 6-Way Test Kit (~$23) (made by Taylor) from Amazon or Walmart . . . to start. Do NOT use the stabilizer / CYA test until AFTER you've added stabilizer. There are only 3x tests for CYA in that kit. The HTH 6-way contains the K1000 mentioned.

Good luck!


PS. Next time, ask before you drain. There are other options!

[atkinson40]

Thank You PoolDoc,

How do I know how much stabilizer I should add?

I have the K-2006 kit and a small 5 way test kit. Chlorine, Bromine pH, Acid Demand and total alkalinity. I'll get the HTH 6-Way kit.

My K-2006 kit came with 2 - 22 ml bottles of R-0013(or I bought an extra one somewhere). One bottle is empty and one full. With one full bottle I think I still have 3 CYA tests. The pool is about 20X40 and 11 feet deep below the board. If I get the HTH 6-Way, I should have another 3 CYA tests in it?

[atkinson40]

The filter grids that I bought some time ago are FS-2005, 60 sq foot. How do I know how much DE to add? The amount I add always seem to clog up the grids and reduce the flow. One top of the grids is broken so I will buy a new set on Amazon and replace before adding DE.

[atkinson40]

Could I use pucks to bring the stabilizer level up?

[PoolDoc]

Yes.

Dichlor is 55% chlorine, 50% stabilizer; trichlor is 90% chlorine, 55% stabilizer.

(Yes, I know those %'s don't add up right. Long history behind that, which I'm not going to explain here. Trust me, it will work out the way the %'s imply)

[atkinson40]

Thanks PoolDoc

My tabs say Triclor-S-Triazinetrione. I'll start chlorinating the pool with them and watch the CYA very closely. I'll check the PH. I have acid. I believe Borax was the agent recommended by you to raise the PH if need be.

I'll review my pool chemistry.

[PoolDoc]

My tabs say Triclor-S-Triazinetrione.

. . . one of the names for trichlor.