Need Help!

[wxwmn02]

Here are the #s. They seem a bit off so I may need to get them again. However, the pool is being refilled now so I expect them to be different.
FAC = 9
TAC = 1
PH = 7.1
Alk = 80
CH = 500
CYA = 65

[Watermom]

I think you need to do a partial drain and refill. But, do NOT totally drain this pool! if you can drain about half, that should get your calcium level and your cya levels down to a more manageable reading. Then, I would not use any more cal-hypo. Stick with bleach. Watch your pH. It is pretty low. Don't want it below 7.0. or it can damage your pool. May want to add a cup of Borax to the skimmer slowly while the pump is running and see how high that will raise it. Anywhere from 7.2-7.8 is ok.

Your chlorine numbers are not quite right. FC + CC = TC. So, your FC can't be 9 and your TC 1. Maybe try that test again.

EDIT -- I just now reread your post and noticed you said it is being refilled. How much did you drain? After it is refilled, retest and repost with new numbers, but still -- keep an eye on that pH. It is pretty low.

[wxwmn02]

We only drained it to just pass the skimmer. It's now refilled so I will have to get the new readings tomorrow. I can always drain it again and refill it for a 2nd time if the new chem levels are high. I didn't think that chlorine levels were right. Hopefully I can figure them out tomorrow.

What is Borax? Where would I find that?

[aylad]

Borax is commonly found in the laundry aisle at WalMart, Target, grocery stores, or some have also seen it at Lowe's and some hardware stores. It's called 20-Mule Team Borax, and is still in a green box at our WalMart, although their website has it pictured in a new white box. It's used to raise pH without significantly raising TA.

Janet

[wxwmn02]

Here the chem levels.
CH = 230 or 540. The directions said wait for the color to turn from red to blue, however the water never really turned to a blue color. it did change from redish pink to a purple. I kept adding drops for it to change over to blue, but instead it kept getting to a lighter shade of purple. So the first # is when it changed over to a purple and the 2nd is when it got to a really light shade of purple.
CYA = 42
TA = 60
PH = 7.2
FC = 8.4
CC = 1
TC = 9.4

I don't feel very confident in my #s because their idea of red is my idea of pink and basically their color scheme was not what I was expecting.

I know that my TA is low and I can add baking soda to bring that and the PH up, right? Would you suggest doing that?

Also, the water is still cloudy so maybe the high CH is correct?

[CarlD]

No, I'd say the 230 is the real number. It's the CHANGE in color that matters, not the shade. It may be as high as 300, but once it changed to purple you were there.

With the FC, DEEP pink is more usual than true red, at most a scarlet.

I don't think the CH is your problem. With a TA of 60, moderately low pH and a vinyl pool, even if you were really at 500 for CH it shouldn't cloud up. But you've put in clarifier and other stuff that can make it worse.

Still, if the cloud is white and milky it's probably not algae, but if it's darker or green it is probably algae and I think it is.

So... you STILL need more chlorine. With your CYA level you need to boost your pool to 15ppm for your free chlorine and keep it there. My BEST clue is you are still showing a CC of over 1ppm--you are fighting something so you need to shock your pool up. Use only bleach or liquid chlorine--neither Tri-chlor tabs, Di-Chlor powder, or Cal-Hype powder are appropriate given your numbers.

Good luck!

[Watermom]

More information makes it easier to help. Now that we have a CC reading of 1 which you weren't able to report before, and are now reporting calcium hardness of 230 rather than the 690 noted above, it changes things. It does tell us that you are most likely fighting an algae bloom. Follow the advice Carl gave above. Try and keep your high cl sustained. Test at least twice (and 3 or more is even better) times per day and each time add enough bleach to get back to shock level. Also run the pump 24/7. If you can maintain that high cl without letting it yo-yo up and down, it should take care of killing the algae and the filter can filter it out. When you get to the point where the water is clearing up, you have no more measurable CC and you aren't losing more than 1ppm of chlorine overnight, then you can let the cl level drift down. Keep us posted how it is going.

(BTW -- another example of how having a good test kit will help you figure out what is going on. Otherwise it is just an educated guess, at best.)

[wxwmn02]

How long after I add bleach, can I check the #s again? We had rain here today which basically negated everything I did. Current #s are as follows...FC: 5.2, TC: 5.6, CC: .4, PH: 7.4, TA: 90, CH: 350, CYA: 45

[aylad]

I would let it circulate for an hour or so before you retest.

Janet

[CarlD]

If those numbers hold (CC of .4), then I think shocking your pool up to 15ppm (FC) and holding it there for 24-48 hours should show significant progress.