Need help and encouragement, please

[aylad]

Okay, here we go.........

First of all, stay away from the pool store's advice--I wouldn't buy anything at all from them unless it's a drop-based test kit. Some people here use the Taylor kit, most of us use the kit that Ben sells on this forum (the PS234--click on the Poolsolutions logo at the top of the pate). At the very least, go to Walmart and get the hth 5-way kit that sells for around $15. It'll be enough to get you started!

You need to raise your chlorine to 12-15 ppm, and KEEP IT THERE for several days. I suggest you use plain, generic, unscented bleach, because it's cheap, easy to get in large quantities , and won't create some of the other problems with your water that the other forms of chlorine will. For your pool size according to mwsmith's bleach calculator (you can download it from his sig in any of his posts), each quart of 6% bleach should raise your Cl by about 1 ppm, so your initial dose should be about 3 gallons. You can add it slowly through your skimmer, or slowly in front of a return, or dribble it around the perimeter of the pool, stirring as you go, whatever works for you. You need to have your pump/filter running 24/7, then you're going to need to test your Cl levels 2-3 times daily, and add whatever amount it takes to get back up to the 10-12 ppm mark. The more often you test and add, the quicker it's going to clear up. Right now, low CYA and large amounts of gunk in the pool are going to consume your Cl pretty quickly, but it won't be long before you'll start seeing some Cl residual, and some improvement in your water.

You also need to get your pH up ASAP (like now!) before the acidic condition starts breaking down your liner. I'd start with about 1/2 the box of Borax, pouring slowly into the skimmer, breaking up any clumps. Give it 3-4 hours to circulate, then retest and add as needed. Your pH needs to be 7.2-7.8. It also won't hurt to go ahead and add about a pound of baking soda via the skimmer to raise your TA some. These initial additions probably won't get to the target numbers, but it's better to "sneak up" on your target numbers than to overshoot.

Everything else can wait for now. Welcome to the forum, and good luck!

Janet

[duraleigh]

Janet, Mylissia,

I think Janet entered a wrong number in bleachcalc. I get almost 7 gallons to raise Cl to 15ppm.

[aylad]

Thanks Dave, for catching that mistake--I entered 17K instead of 27K. 7 gallons it is!

Janet

[mylissia]

Okay.
Seven gallons of bleach in this evening- about three hours ago- and I appear to have a chlorine level somewhere between 10 and 20- Not real confident in my proficiency with the shot glass method yet, but pretty comfortable that it is in the 15ppm range.

I added half of the box of borax and four pounds of baking soda this afternoon- oops. I don't know what made me think that was a one pound box. . . . My pH is now around 7, alk between 40 and 80.

I had Leslie's test for me earlier today (before I added anything), and they came up with results consistent with those I posted last night, except the CYA, which they said is 40.

The pool does look somewhat better today, I thought I could even see the bottom, but I may have been imagining things.

Thanks for your help so far. Any further advice? How much of a setback will my oopsy on the baking soda be?

Mylissia

[mylissia]

Arrrgh!!!!
After all that yesterday, I am back to square one, apparently.

This morning's results:
Chlorine: 1
Free Chlorine .5
pH 7
Alk Between 40 and 80
CYA 40 ish.

More Borax, baking soda and bleach? I'm off to town to replenish supplies, will check back here before I do anything. . . .

Mylissia

[CarlD]

No.
7.0 is a low pH, but won't hurt your liner and the chlroine will be more effective with the lower pH.

Now, what you need to do is just hammer that pool with bleach--keeping it between 12 and 15ppm. Check your water 3x/day for bleach levels and add when below 12. Just watch the pH but don't do anything unless it fall below 7. The you should add 1/2 box of Borax.

The other numbers are OK--fine-tuning isn't necessary to solve your problem. Lots and lots of bleach....

Plus do the usuals: run your filter 24/7, brush daily, vacuum to waste daily.

I KNOW you don't feel like it, but you ARE actually making good progress.

[mylissia]

Thanks for the help. I will continue to pour in the bleach, and will keep an eye on the pH.

Stay tuned for updates.


Mylissia