Just opened up the pool today.. Need help

A BBB guide to supermarket poolcare.
Use store-bought bleach, baking soda
and borax to replace proprietary pool chemicals.
senniss
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed 01 Jul, 2009 14:52
My Pool: 24' round above ground
4ft deep
Sand Filter
hmm..pump coming soon..lol
Location: South Carolina

Just opened up the pool today.. Need help

Postby senniss » Thu 02 Jul, 2009 15:39

Yeah i know.. Wayyyy late to open, but we've been busy..lol

Last year we started the BBB method and did ok.. but had trouble keeping levels where they should have been, so this year, I'm hoping you guys can help me learn how to do this myself and know what I need to adjust when.. I've read a ton of posts and have some knowledge, but still iffy about what I should add, etc.

So, having just taken the cover off the pool, here are our test results on a 24' round above ground pool that is 48" deep and has a vinyl liner.. we are using a sand filter and a standard pump (can get that info if needed).

Hardness: 250
Total Chlorine: 0
Free Chlorine: 0
PH: 7.2
Alkalinity: 75
Stabilizer: 0
Bromine: 0

We do have green (algae) in the water.. can still see the bottom, but it is murky.. we also had some dead algae or dirt that was in the water )obviously) when we shut it down last year that has settled on the bottom..

Before I do anything myself.. I need advice on what to add and how much, etc.

Does this sound right? What about the Algae?

a little over 4 lbs of stabilizer
4 1/2 lbs of baking soda
18oz of Borax
108 oz of bleach (6%)
19oz of Calcium Chloride

thank you so much!!


chem geek
Pool Industry Leader
Pool Industry Leader
Posts: 2381
Joined: Thu 21 Jun, 2007 21:27
Location: San Rafael, California

Just opened up the pool today.. Need help

Postby chem geek » Thu 02 Jul, 2009 20:20

Since you have a vinyl pool, I'd leave the CH alone. Also, your TA is fine where it is and will result in more stable pH if you are using hypochlorite sources of chlorine such as chlorinating liquid or bleach. I'd wait to raise the pH after you've shocked the pool with chlorinating liquid or bleach. Do you have your own good test kit (either the Taylor K-2006 or the TF100 from tftestkits.net)?

If your stabilizer is truly 0, then you'll want to add some along with some chlorine. The easiest way to do both at the same time is to use Dichlor where for every 10 ppm FC it also increases CYA by 9 ppm. I'd add 10 ppm to start with and then add more to keep the FC up. Keep track of the cumulative amount and figure the CYA level based on that and maintain an FC that is 40% of that CYA level, but at least 10 ppm until the algae clears.

If the pool is exposed to sunlight, then probably shoot for a CYA level of 50 ppm and see how that goes for chlorine loss during the day. Switch to chlorinating liquid or bleach after you've reached this CYA level.

Read the Pool School, especially the section on Defeating Algae.

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