Help with getting levels right please!

[one4irish]

Watermom,

Forgot to answer how I added the stablizer. I did as you had said in a previous question I put out there...with the sock tied by the input flow. It did seem to go into the water pretty fast, less than a day. Is that normal?

[Watermom]

Yes, that is fine. When you return home next week, run a full set of numbers and we'll see what you get. Hope you have a good weekend.

BTW -- Whenever you make a post and realize you need to add something or see a typo or whatever, instead of making a new post, you can just edit the other one by clicking on the blue EDIT button on the lower right-hand side. There is a certain time frame where the software will let you do this, but I can't remember what it is.

[one4irish]

We are back and do not have a green pool! We have skimmed and vac pool, tested water, changed filter and now the pump is running. I did order the test kit Watermom suggested but it is not here yet, so I used my hth tester and here are my results:

PH 7.5
CL/BR 5/10
TA 190
TH 300

I know my TA is alittle high. Right now the water looks alittle cloudy but might just need the pump to run to clear that up. I do have some PH minus, which is what they say to use to bring it down, but will that bring my ph down too low?

I can not test my CYA yet, because I am out of testing stuff for that with my present kit. Once I get the Taylor kit I will test it.

[polyvue]

We are back and do not have a green pool! We have skimmed and vac pool, tested water, changed filter and now the pump is running. I did order the test kit Watermom suggested but it is not here yet, so I used my hth tester and here are my results:

PH 7.5
CL/BR 5/10
TA 190
TH 300

I know my TA is alittle high. Right now the water looks alittle cloudy but might just need the pump to run to clear that up. I do have some PH minus, which is what they say to use to bring it down, but will that bring my ph down too low?

You can utilize the Pool Calculator to determine how much pH minus (dry acid) to add but if you want to reduce pH do it a little at a time so you don't overshoot the mark. If the purpose is to reduce TA, muriatic acid (MA) might be a better choice -- the only choice you should consider if you have a Salt Water Chlorine Generator (SWG). Where the step-by-step reducing TA stickie suggests the PS233 test kit, you can substitute the Total Alkalinity test found in the Taylor K-2006.

If the CYA level is indeed about 30 PPM, your report of a [Free] Chlorine level of 5 PPM is right on the money. Of course, if the method you're using reports a maximum level of 5 PPM Total Chlorine, it's possible that it's a lot higher -- and that the cloudiness you report might show up in CCs. You'll be able to confirm all of this when you get your Taylor kit

[Watermom]

Glad it isn't green! Since it is cloudy, I'd probably shock the pool and run the pump 24/7. Also stick to bleach. No cal-hypo in your pool. TH is already 300 and don't want it higher.

Check this thread for how to lower alk.

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=191

Hope your kit comes soon.

BTW -- you have a chlorine pool, no bromine.

[CarlD]

If your goal is to lower T/A, you can use either dry acid or Muriatic acid. Again, the goal is to use LESS than you think and not over-shoot your target pH.

[one4irish]

OK Taylor test kit here and I retested all my stuff here is what I got:

PH 7.6
FC 1.4 ppm
CC .2ppm
CH 180
TA 160
CYA -still 0

I have added bleach to get my chlorine up. My TA is about where we started at the beginning of June. My question is 160 too high? And should I now add more stablizer since it has been June 13th when I first added it.