Help with pool!

[DavidD]

FC: off the chart high, pinkish colored (even half diluted)
Ph: Off the chart low (yellow color)

PH, PH, PH, PH! Start there. Sounds like they are DANGEROUSLY low. Also have her pick up 4 boxes of Borax. Get those numbers as soon as you can.

Dave

[illinipdx]

Here are the updated test results using the new Taylor K2006 test kit:

Fc: 14.8
CC: 2.2
PH: below lowest level (when we did the Base demand test we needed 95 drops)
CYA: >100 (since 100 is the first mark, we are guessing ~110)
TA: 30-40

What should be addressed first? Increasing PH with sodium carbonate, or Increasing Alkalinity with Sodium Bicarbonate? Won't the Sodium Bicarbonate actually increase both? I used the calculator, and it looks like we should use around 22 pounds of Sodium Bicarbonate for the alkalinity.

Just want to be sure before we start.

Thanks for the help!

[SoCalBoo]

Before you start adjusting your chemistry, figure out if you want a CYA level at 100+. Read up on ben's best guess chart and other posts about CYA levels. the problem with high CYA levels is that it takes higher chlorine levels to both sanitize and shock. while CYA is somewhat of a personal choice, I think you'll be hard pressed to find people with pools on this forum maintaining above 90ppm. You'll probably find a few, but I think you'll find most in the 40-60 range. Others feel free to chime in if you think that estimate is off. SWG can influence the desired level of CYA as well.

If you are going to want to lower your CYA level, only way to do it is a partial drain and refill. Since you will be introducing new water if you do that, might make more sense to do the drain first and then react to the new water chemistry. Might help your ph and alk. Would be a shame to work to get them leveled only to decide to drain and refill, and then have to deal with the new chemistry.

If you want to drain, you can figure out how much by 1) figuring out the size of the pool and 2) using the bleachcalc program found on mswsmith's postings (or use google search on 'bleachcalc') to calculate (go to other calcs).