50,000 Gallon Monkey On My Back

[korinian]

Everything seems to be working. The dead algae is collecting on the bottom of the pool and I'll vacuum to waste. I was getting the TC number from the DPD-FAS test. I didn't realize it was redundant if you combined the FC + CC. Sorry about the confusion. I've downloaded and installed the beachcalc program.

I've dumped 3 more boxes of borax in the pool and the pH hasn't even twitched. Apparently, my pH was ridiculously low. I'll continue to pour borax in and keep the chlorine up. Thanks for all the help.

[mwsmith2]

Yeah, keep up with slugging the borax in there. Your pH got shoved way low by using those tablets. 50K/gal is a lot of water to get to move the pH. It will move, but it might take a while. Using bleach will also help pull your pH up. So, in the future you will be trying to keep your ph down rather than up. Luckily, that's easy to do with muriatic acid.

Michael

[korinian]

I'm now officially a bleach convert. Just thought I'd post my numbers throughout the opening of the pool. The pool is sparkling clean now. I don't know if this will help anyone else with a big pool or not. Thanks again to everyone for their help in this conversion.

I only had enough stuff to test CYA once. CYA was 100 on 4/15/06. I'm waiting on the new kit.

4/14/06 PM FC-0 CC-0 TC-0 pH-?? Alk-?? Took pool cover off. Added 5 lbs. of dy-chlor II and loaded skimmers with 3' tabs.

4/15/06 PM FC-3 CC-0 TC-3 pH-6.8 Alk-40 CYA-100 Added 4 gallons of bleach. 1 box borax.

4/16/06 PM FC-13 CC-0 TC-13 pH-6.8 Alk-50 Added 1 box borax.

4/17/06 AM FC-10 CC-0 TC-10 pH-6.8 Alk-50 Added 2 gallon bleach. 1 box borax.

4/17/06 PM FC-11 CC-0 TC-11 pH-6.8 Alk-50 Swept to waste. Added 1 gallon bleach. 2 boxes borax.

4/18/06 AM FC-12 CC-0 TC-12 pH-7 Alk-40

4/18/06 PM FC-12 CC-0 TC-12 pH-7 Alk-40 Added 2 gallons bleach. 1 box borax.

4/19/06 AM FC-12 CC-0 TC-12 pH-7.2 Alk-30

4/19/06 PM FC-14 CC-0 TC-12 pH-7.2 Alk-30 Added 2 boxes borax. 2 boxes baking soda.

4/19/06 PM2 FC-14 CC-0 TC-14 pH-7.2 Alk-100 Swept to waste.

4/20/06 AM FC-14 CC-0 TC-14 pH-7.4 Alk-100


Times:
AM - 7:00am
PM - 4:30pm
PM2 - 7:00pm

Boxes are = 4lbs.

THANKS AGAIN!!!

[MarkC]

How big was your box of baking soda. I'm very surprised you went from 30 to 100 with only two boxes of baking soda in such a big pool. Mine usually takes 15 pounds on startup.

[korinian]

They are 4lbs boxes. I was surprised also. I don't know if all the other chemical "magic" impacts the Alk level or not.

[mwsmith2]

Borax will raise your alk too, but to a lesser degree. Alk also tracks along with pH. So, as your pH rises, so does your alk. Good work though!

Michael