How much bleach - No kit

[Islander2C]

Hello everyone.
Since I live in Canada and I am unable to purhase a test kit from here, I have no way of testing my levels. I can however, take a sample into the pool store here and they will test for free as long as I purchase supplies there!
I would like to open my pool this year using bleach instead of pool store products. My question would be how do I know how much bleach to put in to get started (my water is green right now) and is that all I would used for the first few days? Just Bleach?
Would you recommend that I put in so many litres of bleach and then take sample into pool store to get readings?
I have an AG 27' 52" deep pool which is not heated.
How much bleach would I start out with?

[chem geek]

You should be able to purchase the Taylor K-2006 test kit shown here. The instructions for ordering outside the U.S. (including specific instructions for Canada) are shown below:

At the present time we are only equipped to handle domestic orders (all 50 states) on this website. Please print out the contents of your shopping cart and use it to place your order by telephone or fax. Contact information is presented below:

For all Canadian orders, contact Lowry & Associates in Newmarket, Ontario:
905-836-0505 (voice)
905-895-4539 (fax)
mlowry@lowryassociates.ca

For all pool/spa orders except Canadian, contact HornerXpress Worldwide in Fort Lauderdale, Florida:
954-938-5355 (voice)
954-938-5244 (fax)
hxworldwide@teamhorner.com

For all other orders, contact Taylor's customer service department and ask for an International Sales representative:
410-472-4340 then press 4 (voice)
410-771-4291 (fax)
customerservice@taylortechnologies.com

Assuming your 27 foot is the diameter and using the 52" depth, that should be 18,560 gallons or 70,250 liters. One gallon of 6% bleach will raise the Free Chlorine (FC) level by 6.7 ppm. One liter of 6% bleach will raise it by 1.8 ppm. If you use 12.5% chlorinating liquid instead, then you raise the FC amounts by about double. Look at this chart to see the amount of chlorine you need for shock level which depends on your current Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level. You probably need around 15 ppm FC which you need to maintain in order to clear your pool of algae. Without a good test kit, it will be very hard to know how much chlorine you have, but you can use Carl's "patented" shotglass method with a typical chlorine test kit that only measures to 5 ppm FC (OTO or DPD) that you can see at this post.

Hope that helps.

Richard

[Islander2C]

Hello again everyone. Just got the pump hooked up yesterday and got the pool running, when we sprung a leak on the filter and the little glass thing broke off and water went everywhere! So needless to say, that put a stop to things until we went to the pool store today to buy another little glass thingy (not sure what you call it). So I thought I would take my water in to be tested while I was there.
The lady said she would not test the water unless the pool was running for 24 hours. (Of course I lied and said it was) I just wanted to know what the numbers were so I could post them on here. They charged $15.00 per test if you don't buy chemicals from them.(rip off)
So of course a little lie again and said I had to check what supplies I had at home before I bought more.
Here are the readings she gave me and also their Ideal Range:
Test Results Ideal Range
ph 9.0 7.4 - 7.6
Alkalinity 70 100-120 ppm
Calcium Hardness 170 150-275 ppm
Total Disolved Solids 213 <3,000 ppm
Langelier Index 1.1 -0.3 to +0.3

Free Chlorine 0.0 1.0 - 3.0 ppm
Total Chlorine 0.0 1.0 - 3.0 ppm
Combined Chlorine 0.0 0.0-0.2 ppm
Stablizer 40 25 - 75 ppm
Bromine 0.0 2.0 - 4.0 ppm

They told me to add 3 kg buffer sprinkle around pool tonight
Tomorrow another 3 kg buffer sprinkle around pool
Tomorrow night 3kg shock
Next morning 2 litres Algon around pool

So my question is how do I figure out what 3 kg of shock is in bleach?
Is buffer baking soda? and what would 3kg of buffer be in baking soda?

Any help would be appreciated. I would really like to go with bleach this year instead of buying that expensive shock.

Thanks all
Mary

[Islander2C]

Sorry about how the post came out. Numbers kind of got junked together.
First set of numbers is my readings and next to them are the pool company's "ideal range" numbers.

[Watermom]

I don't know what buffer sprinkle is, but whatever it is, you don't need it. Your alk isn't bad at 70. We usually recommend alk from 80-125 and you are close. If you want to add just a little baking soda, you can. Or try it at 70 and if your ph is stable after you get it where you want it, leave it at 70 for now.

Likewise, I don't know what Algon is. You don't need it either.

Your calcium is fine. Your chlorine needs to stay between 3-6 with a cya reading of 40 which, by the way, is a good level. In your pool, each quart of plain, unscented 6% laundry bleach will raise your cl by about 1 ppm. CC reading of 0 is what you want.

The ph is too high at 9.0. You do want it between 7.2-7.8 with 7.4-7.6 being ideal. Add some muriatic acid carefully in front of your return jet. Maybe start with a cup. Wait several hours before retesting and redosing if needed. Better to do it in small doses rather than trying to hit it in one shot. Be careful not to get it on you or on your liner and don't breathe the fumes. Hope this helps.

[Islander2C]

thanks for the quick reply!
They told me that my Total Alkalinity is too low, and to broadcast 6.5 kg of BUFFER over the pool's surface.
My pH reading is high. However, since the total Alkalinity has been adjusted, the measured pH will adjust itself. Wait for 24 hours after the Total Alkalinity adjustment before re-testing pool's pH.
It also said my Free Chlorine Level is low and to increase my daily dosage of Super Pucks.

So if I understand you, I should only have to add 2-3 quarts of unsented bleach to my pool instead of using 3kg of "shock"? And do I just pour that into my return?

And do I use the bleach instead of the Super Pucks? I have quite a few of those pucks left from last year, could I use them up and just use bleach when it is time to shock the pool?

If this is correct....boy am I going to save alot of money this year for my start up. Last year I had to shock 3 - 4 times before I got my water clear and did it cost a fortune!

[Watermom]

Have you already bought this stuff? If not, don't. To raise alk, all you need is plain baking soda. I'm sure it will be way cheaper than BUFFER. I don't think the ph is going to drop from 9.0 down to mid 7s on its own. Add the muriatic acid as outlined above.

Your free chlorine is low. What you should do is test your water yourself. Get a kit and then you won't have to rely on a pool store. You should take 2-5 minutes each evening and test your ph and chlorine. Add enough bleach each evening to raise your FC back up to 5 or 6. That should keep you from dropping below 3 by the next evening when you test and add bleach again. Use just bleach instead of the pucks. The pucks will add cya to your pool. Your cya level is already at 40 which is ideal. Many pool problems are caused by these pucks. Continuous use of them will push your cya so high that it will cause you to have to keep your chlorine levels higher and higher or else your pool will turn green with algae. If it were my pool, I would not use the pucks. Save them for the few days when you might be out of town and not be around to add the bleach in the evenings. At this point, since your CC reading is 0, you do not need to shock your pool. If you maintain adequate chlorine levels, you really very seldom should have to shock.

By the way, how does your water look? Any more questions, ask away. Ther are lots of people here who can help you.

[Islander2C]

thanks again for such a quick response.
No I didn't buy and BUFFER. Thought I would wait till I heard from this forum on my readings.

How do I know how much bleach to put in for now? Do I pour it into the return?
And you suggested I add baking soda. How do I know how much of that?
Tks again for the replies

[Watermom]

Since you currently have no chlorine, I would add 2 of the 3 quart jugs of bleach. That should take you to about 6ppm. You can either add it slowly in front of a return jet or slowly pour it into the skimmer. Some people frown on putting it in the skimmer, but I always do it that way and so does Al. No problems. Whatever you prefer. As far as adding baking soda, add 2 lbs. slowly to the skimmer. Wait a few hours to let it circulate and then retest and see what that does for your alk and then decide if you need more.

[Islander2C]

Thanks! I'll add the bleach tomorrow. Just got the pump going again and leaving it run tonight!
Still to cold here to swim, so I am in no rush to get the pool ready other than I am tired of looking at green water!
It's a pale green though, and I can see the bottom of the pool. Doesn't look as bad this year as it did last year! No leaves because we had such a wonderful winter and pool didn't freeze over until all leaves were done falling! Got them all out before the pool froze!
Even though it is June, our temperature here have been low teens! Just Gross!