stabilizer and hardener

[woman.n.a.shoe]

Over the past 3 days we have added 6 stabilizer tablets and 2 1/4 lbs of hardner and neither are rising. The ph keeps having to be added. Since we just put it up again no one has been in it. Does anyone have any ideas why we can't get these levels up?

hardness 100
total chlorine 3
free chlorine 3
ph between 6.8 and 7.2
total alkalinity 120
stabalizer 0

Thanks,
Alicia

4000 gal above ground intex pool

[KurtV]

Over the past 3 days we have added 6 stabilizer tablets and 2 1/4 lbs of hardner and neither are rising. The ph keeps having to be added. Since we just put it up again no one has been in it. Does anyone have any ideas why we can't get these levels up?

It will take a few days for the stabilizer (aka cyanuric acid, CYA) to dissolve. Be patient because it's much more difficult to get out than it is to add it if you overshoot.

You don't need to worry about your calcium hardness; more of it won't do anything for your vinyl pool.

What are you using to raise your pH? Most people here use plain, old 20 Mule Team Borax with great effectiveness.

hardness 100
total chlorine 3
free chlorine 3
ph between 6.8 and 7.2
total alkalinity 120
stabalizer 0

Thanks,
Alicia

4000 gal above ground intex pool

Everything actually looks fine except for your pH and CYA. Just wait for the CYA and keep slugging the water with Borax, a little at a time, until your pH comes up.

[woman.n.a.shoe]

Thanks for your help. As for the ph, we had already aquachem ph add but as soon as it is gone we are going to start using boric acid.

Thanks again,
Alicia

[Davenj]

Won't presume to address your problem. The consensus here is to ditch the test strips and get a good drop test kit. And post your results. Sorry I can't help.

[Watermom]

Thanks for your help. As for the ph, we had already aquachem ph add but as soon as it is gone we are going to start using boric acid.

Thanks again,
Alicia

Boric acid is not the same thing as Borax. Use 20 Mule Team Borax to raise your ph. Not boric acid.

[smallpooldad]

Agree with good test kit. Get the one sold on this site or a Taylor Technologies kit. Test strips are not very accurate. As far as the CYA test kit the big tube with the plunger is good from Pentair/Taylor; just make sure that you pour and do not squirt the test liquid into the CYA test kit tube or your will get a false low reading as the bubbles stir it up.

[waterbear]

How about YOU get your facts straight? So far you've been perpetuating the usual pool store nonsense and mis-information that we have been trying to help people avoid the pitfalls of.

Test strips are notorious for varying from strip to strip--that's not a precision issue, that's a reliability issue--and it is QUITE correct to say that an unreliable testing system is NOT accurate.

I have both the LaMotte and Hach strips--the good ones complete with CYA tests and fresh this season (and every season), and I can tell you flat out from LOTS of experience that they are NOT accurate. ONLY the FC test is fairly consistent and reliable. TC ALWAYS reads lower than FC, which is impossible, so how is THAT accurate?
pH is unreadable. CYA isn't even CLOSE to accurate. and total hardness? Meaningless.

I use strips because I know what they ARE good for, and what they are NOT. But I always prefer drop testing when I have time--and I usually don't--so the strip gives me a CLUE as to what's going on.

I also use 3 different FAS-DPD kits (including Ben's), several OTO kits, a DPD kit, and the ubiquitous WalMart 5 Way Test kit.

I've tried various strips and ONLY these two are worth more than used oil filters. The rest are total garbage.

Carl,
Once again we agree to disagree (but if you read what I write below you will find we are on the same page as far as the important things concerning test strips). I have to agree with Ugaguard that strip are accurate but not precise! (I know, it's semantics....but it's true)
Test strips are accurate in that the reagents will react and produce the proper color when given the correct developement time. They are not precise because they are almost impossible to read and if you let them develop too long the colors will change! Also the graduations on the color charts are just too wide for any practical info on the pool chemistry. This is why they are not good for more than a quick check to see if you are in the ballpark! The CYA test on the LaMotte is next to usless and the Aquacheck test does not give you a precise reading at all! The graduation of the comparator is just too large. I also have several types of test strips..I find the LaMotte 6 way are more consistant but harder to read than the aquacheck, and more time sensitive as to when to read them. The LaMotte 5 way are totally useless! (they don't use the same reagents for some of the same tests!)
The ONLY test strip that I have found that is consistant and easy to read is the AquaCheck White salt test strip, which I have found to be within 150 ppm or so of a calibrated salt meter. It is based on the same chormate/silver nitrate chemisty as the drop test and each bottle is individually calibrated.

[SoCalBoo]

just out of curiosity, is ugaguard the newest incarnation of ugadawg, who I believe has been banned?