(hopefully) One Last Question ...

[tsue]

Yep, she's tired. Somehow couldn't manage to add this to my original topic.

Richard provided me some fabulous information on balancing my newly filled pool. Retrospectively, I am wondering:

1) How long do I need to wait between making alkaline, ph and chlorine adjustments?

A few hours or a few days or not at all?

2) As soon as I balance my pool, I will begin the winter closing process. With having so recently adjusted water to appropriate chemical levels, will I need to also add products from a "winter closing kit" or are there some levels that will just require tweaking?

I have 38500 gallon inground concrete pool with sand filter. Working on raising TA, adjusting PH, adding chlorine, CYA and calcium.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

[chem geek]

Yep, she's tired. Somehow couldn't manage to add this to my original topic.

Richard provided me some fabulous information on balancing my newly filled pool. Retrospectively, I am wondering:

1) How long do I need to wait between making alkaline, ph and chlorine adjustments?

A few hours or a few days or not at all?

2) As soon as I balance my pool, I will begin the winter closing process. With having so recently adjusted water to appropriate chemical levels, will I need to also add products from a "winter closing kit" or are there some levels that will just require tweaking?

I have 38500 gallon inground concrete pool with sand filter. Working on raising TA, adjusting PH, adding chlorine, CYA and calcium.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

If you get your own good test kit then you can believe your starting numbers and calculate the required amounts. In that case, you can do all of the adjustments one after another and don't need to wait (you can wait a few minutes for some mixing between additions -- after 15 minutes with good circulation a chemical addition will be greatly mixed) -- the adjustments you are making don't interfere with each other and the chemicals will disperse in the water rather quickly if you add them over a return flow in the deep end with the pump running.

If you are relying on pool store numbers or unreliable test strips, then the chemical additions should be added in portions, such as half, then remeasuring since you can easily overshoot. Even with an accurate test kit, pH adjustments can be tricky and even The Pool Calculator is only approximate for this unless your numbers are roughly in the normal range and the adjustments are not too large.

[tsue]

Thanks again! And, yes, I did order the Taylor kit you recommended. Are the levels indicated we discussed sufficient for closing? I'm seeing some posts where owners are boosting chlorine levels prior to close and some where addition of algaecide is recommended. Any thoughts on that?

[chem geek]

Thanks again! And, yes, I did order the Taylor kit you recommended. Are the levels indicated we discussed sufficient for closing? I'm seeing some posts where owners are boosting chlorine levels prior to close and some where addition of algaecide is recommended. Any thoughts on that?

The levels we discussed are correct for closing in terms of the pH, TA, CH levels, but the answer for what you do with chlorine (and algaecide) depends on the type of closing you are doing based on whether your pool is in a freezing climate. This link in the Pool School tells you how to close an inground pool in a freezing climate. If your climate does not freeze, then you would normally maintain the pool with chlorine -- the only difference being that the pump run time can be significantly lowered from around 8 hours to 2 hours or thereabouts. In a climate that freezes, you will note that the only chemical preparation is a shock with chlorine followed a couple of days later by a large dose of PolyQuat 60 algaecide (with the pump running for 24 hours afterwards to ensure thorough mixing -- PolyQuat should be added evenly around the pool, unlike most chemicals, since it is do viscous).

Richard

[tsue]

Thanks again! And, yes, I did order the Taylor kit you recommended. Are the levels indicated we discussed sufficient for closing? I'm seeing some posts where owners are boosting chlorine levels prior to close and some where addition of algaecide is recommended. Any thoughts on that?

The levels we discussed are correct for closing in terms of the pH, TA, CH levels, but the answer for what you do with chlorine (and algaecide) depends on the type of closing you are doing based on whether your pool is in a freezing climate. This link in the Pool School tells you how to close an inground pool in a freezing climate. If your climate does not freeze, then you would normally maintain the pool with chlorine -- the only difference being that the pump run time can be significantly lowered from around 8 hours to 2 hours or thereabouts. In a climate that freezes, you will note that the only chemical preparation is a shock with chlorine followed a couple of days later by a large dose of PolyQuat 60 algaecide (with the pump running for 24 hours afterwards to ensure thorough mixing -- PolyQuat should be added evenly around the pool, unlike most chemicals, since it is do viscous).

Richard

Gotcha! Yep. In Michigan. Thanks for the link. I pledge to read the entire Pool School site before asking any additional questions. Enjoy your evening, or morning, whichever the case may be!