primo

When doing a pool drain for high CYA or high TDS would it work putting both a hose in pool on one side and putting pool pump on opposite side and leave them both run? Thus water level doesnt go down much yet still replaces water. Please advise. Thanks!

Thanks for your reply, The pool is 24000 gallon inground concrete with hydrazzo finish, DE filter with hot tub and rock features and waterfall. I use liquid chlorine and bleach. The unsoftened water definitely has Calcium. Have to find out PPM. In the past I always used the regular water (not connected to water softener) and wanted to know if using the soft water was ok to do. Thanks for your help.

Hi, I will be draining half of my pool (to lower CYA a bit). I have a Culligan water softner system in my house due to hard water. The question I have is: Can I use soft water to refill the pool? One hose bib is connected to the water softner and the other is not (regular hard water). What type of water is best to top off? Hard or Soft??? I apologize if this was asked before. Thanks for your help!

Thanks DSC! wish I had a cover as there are lots of trees around!

My pool is approx. 24,000 gallons and is a hydrazzo finish with D.E. Filter. I have been using liquid chlorine and bleach to add chlorine to my pool over the summer due to high stabilizer (CYA) levels. I will be going away for seven (7) days and want to know what I should do/add to pool before I leave. I didnt have time this morning to test my water myself so I had water tested by pool store this morning & results currently are: Satur Index 0.5 TDS 1400 TC 2.0 FC 2.0 PH 8.0 TA 145 Adj TA 105 TotHard 239 CYA 134 Salt N/A I tested my CYA three times two days ago using Taylor 2006 test kit and I am showing CYA between 75-85 (Pool store CYA test is wrong) I will completely test water myself tonight using Taylor 2006 test kit. In the mean time pool store is telling me my total alkalinity is low and PH is obviously high. How much should I shock pool assumig my CYA is between 75-85? I have not been using my chlorine feeder (holds the 3 inch pucks) due to the high CYA. Should I use the chlorine feeder (fill it) before I go away? Also, I will need to lower my PH before shocking. What should I do?

Why not just use the acid demand test in your Taylor K-2006. That is what the test is for and it will be more accurate than the pool calculator can be. If you have the test use it. The pool calculator gives you a "guesstimate" recommended amount of acid to lower pH out of necessity. The author of the pool calculator is the admin of the forum owned by the manufacturer of a test kit that does not not include acid and base demand tests (TF100). This kit is heavily promoted on said forum owned by the kit manufacturer, no surprise here. Your Taylor kit (and most of the better LaMotte kits) do include acid and base demand tests so you can calculate the exact amount of acid you need to add to lower the pH to a specific point. Thanks Waterbear!

Do you recommend the Aqua Chek Aqua Chek Trutest Digital Rdr? I do not recomend Aqua Chek digital tester. I had one and returned it as i felt it was very unreliable if not inaccurate results! I read the directions and followed and compared every Aqua check test to my Taylor tests and they were not even close! Believe me...I did many tests with the Taylor and the Aqua Chek side by side. In fact the Aqua Chek reader even contradicted itself giving different results when an additional test was done soon after. Yes, i rinsed each test kit after every test. I cleaned Aqua Cheks scanner bar after each test with a new Q-Tip every time and was careful not to slide the strip but lower it on a 45 degree angle onto the scanner bar as instructed. A nice feature Aqua Chek had was that it could save several test results but it only served as a constant reminder to me of how contradicting their tests results only now look! Sorry! I love my Taylor test kit because it works!

Not bad at all! Pretty pretty pretty good!! BULLSEYE! on the pool calculator! Shot for the 7.3 PH and used 24 ounces of muriatic acid. BULLSEYE 7.3 using taylor test kit! Using pool calculator again I shot for 10 FC added 167 ounces of liquid chlorine and later tested with the Taylor and BULLSEYE! FC 10. PH is now 7.5-7.6 This stuff really works! Thus, "the importance of a good test kit!" Thanks again! I am going to enjoy pool for the weekend!

Pool is approximately 24,000 gallons. I want to shock pool to bring chlorine level up. I have the muriatic acid to lower Ph first. I will use pool calculator to determine how much of the liquid acid to add to lower Ph to 7.2. Sound right?

Just tested water myself with Taylor test kit. 7-16-10. 4:20 pm Fc 3.5 Cc <.5 Ph 7.6 TA 175 CH 375 Look ok? Swimming tomorrow and Sunday is pool party Want to shock tonight with liquid chlorine. First I will bring my ph down a bit. I just picked up a gallon of muriatic acid. How much lower should I bring my ph first before I shock? Pool color is amazing clear and blue!

Thanks Chemgeek! I will do that. FYI, I did have the water tested from the pool store this morning. Here are pool store results from this morning: Temp 78 Sat index 0.5 TDS 1800 CYA 138 TC 3.2 FC 3.2 PH 7.9 Tot Alk 157 Adj. Tot Alk 116 Tot Hardness 260 Salt N/A As you can see from there test yesterday there Total Alkalinity went from 116 to 157 and there Adj. Total Alk went from 71 to 116. I did not add any Alkalinity increaser (they said to add 16 lbs of Balance Pak 100 I did not). Last night I added about 3 lbs of low and slow and brought my PH down to 7.5-7.6 Later I added a little bit of liquid bleach (maybe 2 cups). I tested b4 i went to bed and my results were: PH 7.6 FC 4 CC <.5 Tot Alk. 175 CH 275-300 What conclusipns can you draw from this?

It is very important that every pool owner obtain a good test kit and test there water even if they are taking there water to pool store for testing. The pool store test can be wrong as I just experienced. I am using a Taylor K-2006 complete (fas-dpd chlorine) test kit (which this forum recommends) and I cannot say how glad I am using this to test my water. I tested my water today at 5:00 pm EST and then took a fresh sample to pool store to compare testings. My test revealed the following: PH 7.7 FC 3 CC <.5 Alk 175 -180 CH 275-300 CYA 100 The pool store results: Temp 80 TDS 1300 PH 7.8 FC 1.1 TC 1.1 Alk 116 ( too low!!! and advised me to add 16 lbs of Balance Pak 100) Adj. Total alk 71 Tot hardness 325 Sat index 0.3 Cya 151 I disagree with the pool stores Alkalinity testing too low. In fact I just tested the alkalinity again (3 times today) and I am getting alkalinity coming up bit high at 175-180 every test I did! WTF?!! I can see being a little off either high or low one way but not a completely opposing reading saying alkalinity is low. So I am going with my reading on alkalinity and leaving it alone and just bringing down my PH a bit as I will be shocking with liquid chlorine later. I know CYA testing done at pool stores are difficult if not wrong most of the time. How true!! But how can they be so off with my alkalinity???? Salt n/a

I have been using the Nature2 cartridges for the past 6 seasons with no problems. However, after reading these posts and others regarding metals in the water from N2 and possible staining I have decided not to use N2 and was glad i was able to return my new (unused)N2 cartridge for a refund! I have been on the BBB method this season with great results and more money in my pockets! Thanks to all the great help here

Be advised that the Nature2 Cartridges have 3 small slots in the bottom of their cartridges that line up with their cartridge holders "tabs" (work together).

Agreed! ChemGeeks word is gospel! Ha!