Sunday, April 28, 2013

Did a really stupid thing Friday

But hopefully learned my lesson. It's all about learning about this pool. After two pool parties with kids in and out for hours ... the pH of the pool went thru the roof. To bring down pH you add acid. I bought a powdered pool acid but it does not dissolve quickly so sits on the bottom eating away the plastic ... or at least the color.

I didn't buy a floater but those are usually used for Cloro tablets. So I made an acid floater out of a yogurt container. A bunch of ice pick holes in the bottom, put some powder in and enough water to float it upright. The mistake came when I checked it the next day, opened the lid with my face about a foot away. It nearly knocked me down with the fumes. I didn't feel it in my lungs but coughed for half the day and I'm sure it brought on the allergic type cold I had for two days.

So now I read that with a really high pH you are probably better emptying 1/2 the pool or all of it and starting over. I'm also reading that a pool can be maintained with cheaper and easier to use products like; sodium bicarbonate, muriatic acid and bleach and if I can't maintain a balance with them then empty the pool and start again. When the rains start the battle should be constant.

pH and Cloro test

3 comments:

Tancho said...

After years of adjusting the chemesty of the pools, I switched to Bromine tablets, , they are more stable and safe to use, check them out.

John Calypso said...

Have to go with Tancho - Bromide tablets - That acid regime can be very dangerous and some how the dangers of seems to be improperly explained.

sparks said...

Thanks I will. Thought hey might be a generic multi-purpose thing but all the Google responses are about pool care. Hope not a rare item here

The construction of the house finished in April 2011 and I'm pretty much settled in. As of March 2014 I'm in preparation for rain mode for this coming summer. That includes sealing and painting things and dealing with drainage issues from last year.

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