Digger's Pool

[Watermom]

10 gallons will take your chlorine too high. You can do 5, though. That will take you to 12. I posted right at the same time you sent your last post. Scroll back up above yours and find mine and read it.

[Digger]

You are a doll baby, thanks so much. I was wondering if I should keep all in here, wasn't sure when it referred to other things. Got that now. I feel like a real duh! I GOT IT, LOL. Okay I am going to retest right now. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! In my stupid defense, I thought I was adding the water, etc. because this wasn't the right kind of test kit. I am using Wal-Mart, HTH, I guess? I ordered the Taylor recommended one for about $80, with extra refills yesterday. Okay, will go try another reading, I am guessing pretty low, now that makes sense, couldn't figure out adding the water, etc. GOT IT!! smile. How much do you rec. dumping in at a time. I have been doing in front of the two returns as someone said, is that best? Also where can you get cheaper sand, or just stick to the pool places? NOTE for others to share, I got 6% bleach one gallon at Big Lots for $1.50 a gallon.

[Watermom]

The reason for the dilution method (shot glass) is to force a test kit to read higher if your chlorine level is higher than the maximum the kit can read. It does lose some accuracy with the dilution, but is better than nothing. Glad you ordered the good kit. That will make things a lot easier for you.

You have a large volume pool at 25,000. You can go ahead and add all 5 gallons at one time, but just pour it in very slowly in front of the return jet. Bleach is denser than water and if you pour it in too fast, it will sink and can damage the liner. By pouring it very slowly, it quickly disperses into the water. After you add it, wait a couple of hours and then retest. (Your chlorine should be pretty high so this is when you'll need to use the dilution method.) Then, you can add more bleach --- however much you need to get it back up to 10-12 ppm. The more often you can do this, the faster this pool will clear and those grandbabies can swim!

I don't know where else to get sand. Maybe someone will chime in with ideas about that but you do need to get pool sand. "Play sand" like you would use in a child's sandbox will not work. Sounds like you got a good price on that bleach.

Gotta run and be a mom for a bit so off the forum for a little while. But, I'll check back in later and see how you are doing.

By the way --- no apologies needed for putting posts in other places and don't feel like a duh. This is a pretty big forum and sometimes it is a little confusing trying to decide where to post. That is one of the things the moderators do --- moving things around to help organize threads. Not a problem.

[Digger]

I did the test again and it is just slightly tinged. Yesterday the pool place had 1 with no FC? It appears the PH is okay, maybe a little high? about 7.8 or .6. I have the Kreepy cleaner running, and had it running all night. Should I pull that out so it can filter 100 %? How much should I dump in to even get a reading. I am ready to dump about 5 at a time at least, but that is what we have been doing and it is going no where, other than it burnt out the Baq.

[Digger]

Thanks so much for advice, I have a hard time following where my replies are so thanks for the guidance. I will only put 5 in like we have been doing. Thanks again. The times are always off from the posting, or are you in California, maybe? Okay, later!

[Digger]

Okay, I am going to get off here too, even though I have alot of educating to do here, smile. Got to tend to my business things too. I am going to dump, slowly, thanks for tip, 5 gallons in and retest in a few hours. Enjoy your children!

[Digger]

I checked my readings about 2:30, it was a light yellow, so read about 3?? I don't get it? I put another 5 gallons in. The water is no longer green, it is a cloudy blue. Can't see the deep end yet due to cloudiness. I never got around to posting this, smile? I checked the water again, it is still not real high, maybe pushing a 3 1/2-4 at the most? We put the Kreepy back in. Someone gave me info. on a place that has liquid chlorine that is 12% at a giood price, what about that?

[Watermom]

12% liquid chlorine is the same thing as bleach only a higher concentration. That would be fine. (But you'll put less of it in the pool.) Keep adding chlorine. Go ahead and add 7 gallons and see what that does for you. It is being used up so quickly that I doubt it will take the chlorine level high enough to be bad for your liner. Keep at it. Retest after 3 hours and add more bleach if it isn't high. Keep doing this -- testing and adding bleach every 3 hours if you can. Hopefully over the weekend, you'll finally get it clear. Are you watching your filter pressure and backwashing as needed? (Backwash whenever the filter pressure increases 8-10 psi over your clean filter pressure.)

It takes a lot of chlorine to convert a baq. pool to a chlorine one. Keep at it! And, run pump 24/7. Also watch your pH.

[Digger]

thanks for your reply, we added more, and are going to check again, here before retiring tonight. I have been checking my filter pressure, and backwashing, thanks for reminding me though. I prefer alot of information, than not enough, LOL! I have kept with it all day, and been testing and adding, we are going for the 12% tom., it seems like it will be economical. I am questioning the potency of the Big Lots bleach, hard telling where it was stored/ Thanks again, hopefully we will see more of the bottom this week-end. I feel positive about it.

[Watermom]

Good for you for your efforts to read and learn a lot about pool care this week. You are doing a great job. Let us know how things look tomorrow and what your numbers are. Especially important will be how much chlorine you lose overnight so be sure you write down what your cl reading is before going to bed so you can compare it to the early morning testing.