I'm back.....

[Watermom]

Test your fill water and post your results here. PH, alk, calcium hardness and chlorine levels.

[ellenicol]

Thanks.
I'm just about ready to turn pump and filter on. In a few hours. Tested the water

Ph 6.8
Alk 20
Chl 0
Cya (didn't test for this although I'm pretty sure there is none)

Ellen

[aylad]

You need to raise your pH to the 7.2-7.8 range, and quickly--anything below 7.0 can damage your liner. You can use 20 Mule Team Borax for this. Your Alk needs to come up to the 80-120 range. Baking soda will do this. However, you can raise both at once by using soda ash (Washing soda). You also need to get some chlorine in your water, approx 1-3 ppm for now. Add stabilizer, enough to shoot for 20-30 ppm, added either in the skimmer or in a nylon or tube sock tied in front of a return (don't retest or backwash for a week, since it takes a LONG time for it to dissolve). In the meantime, you need to test for and add chlorine daily, since with 0 CYA the sun will consume all of your chlorine.

Janet

[Watermom]

Probably for the first few days until you get a cya reading, you'll actually need to test and add bleach (chlorine) a couple times a day - morning and evening. After that, you'll be able to go to evening only.

[ellenicol]

Can you refresh my memory on where to find out how much borax and stuff I need to add to change my chemicals. I have the bleach calc, but I don't know how much borax to put in to change ph. Any advice or tips are apprecitated. Right now we are getting a thunder storm and I can't go out. I also am waiting for my dh to hook up the solar panels so I can get everything going. Can I add chemicals before I start the filter?? Thanks so much. I love how people are so helpful here. ~ E

[Watermom]

The upper left corner of the bleach calc has more calcs. However, there isn't one to tell how much Borax to add. How many gallons is your pool? If you are going to be starting the pump/filter in the next day, I'd just wait to add chemicals. Otherwise, you can add things slowly and then take a clean broom and stir the water around to mix them. (I wouldn't wait to long to hook up the pump/filter. The solar panels can always be added later.)