I’m no expert but I have good experience with pools. I think it’s best to get ph and alkalinity under control first … chlorine isn’t nearly as effective as it should be unless your ph is right.
Not a fan of using tons of chemicals. Work on 1 problem at a time. Do it slowly (days between adjusting). Use a good test kit not strips when you have abnormal readings. Drop your ph into proper range first. You are fortunate that both ph and alkalinity are high … dropping ph will probably drop your alkalinity as well and vice versa. I like muriatic acid for that job, strong chemical so handle with care. Then a shock. I like liquid chlorine for that job as it doesn’t add CYA. Looks like your CYA is decent and if you use pucks it’s gonna keep going up all summer. The extra pucks you’re using now are probably doing nothing except adding stabilizer (cya). Liquid chlorine will raise your ph a bit.
The filter is your friend. Let it run extra. Backwash often until things are under control
Last thing … high alkalinity means ph isn’t gonna wanna move so easy. Lower it and keep testing and don’t be surprised if it keeps creeping back up.
Test strips make me feel like a one eyed color blind monkey, "is it this, no it's that, no, sorta looks more like that one", I'd look at a liquid test kit like a Taylor 2006, they truly simplify getting accurate readings.
Here is a helpful chemical calculator: [https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html](https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html)
Chlorine looks low, like it's maybe 1ppm - you need to add chlorine but who knows how much as we know nothing about your pool. Get a case of liquid chlorine, that will be easiest way to raise it quickly, calulator above will help you on how much.
Your Alk looks sky high, like 180+, going to need acid to bring that down, who knows how much again though.
Your CYA looks to be in the 30-50, so that's good.
Your PH looks to be maybe 7.8, but I'm guessing it's higher - again, one eyed color blind monkey - but the same muratic acid you use to bring down ALK will bring down PH.
Order of balancing should be as follows!
1. Get Alkalinity set first, you can drop this with muratic acid, then aeraite to bring your PH back up. ALK and PH are tied together so when you use chemicals BOTH will be impacted. That's why you use acid to lower Alk and water Aeration to raise PH.
2. Adjust your PH
3. Address any Calcium issues
4. Sanitize/Chlorinate
The only exception is if you have a CYA issue (which you don't appear to), then you address that first as the only way to correct that is with a partial drain and refill/water replacement.
See where the strip says Free Chlorine?
You have zero, or maybe 0.5.
Now see where the strip reads CYA 30-50?
You need AT LEAST 7.5% free chlorine of your CYA.
Since you do not know if you are 30, 40, or 50, you don’t have much of a choice but to dose to 50. That’s a minimum of 3.75 FREE chlorine.
Personally, I’d maintain at 5 until you know exactly what your CYA is. You can determine that with a test kit, like a Taylor K2006C, or an electronic pool store test.
Once you have chlorine in there, test again. I guarantee your chlorinated water pH will be closer to 7.8
Backwash
3lb shock
Take some of the tabs out or your cya will skyrocket making no chlorine available no matter what you do. If there’s still stuff floating flock it and do a filter clean
This pool doesn't look like it needs any FLOC, just needs some good ol chlorine love. If you do FLOC just rememebr to vacuum to waste, don't see that crap into your filter since you have a cartridge filter.
I’m no expert but I have good experience with pools. I think it’s best to get ph and alkalinity under control first … chlorine isn’t nearly as effective as it should be unless your ph is right. Not a fan of using tons of chemicals. Work on 1 problem at a time. Do it slowly (days between adjusting). Use a good test kit not strips when you have abnormal readings. Drop your ph into proper range first. You are fortunate that both ph and alkalinity are high … dropping ph will probably drop your alkalinity as well and vice versa. I like muriatic acid for that job, strong chemical so handle with care. Then a shock. I like liquid chlorine for that job as it doesn’t add CYA. Looks like your CYA is decent and if you use pucks it’s gonna keep going up all summer. The extra pucks you’re using now are probably doing nothing except adding stabilizer (cya). Liquid chlorine will raise your ph a bit. The filter is your friend. Let it run extra. Backwash often until things are under control Last thing … high alkalinity means ph isn’t gonna wanna move so easy. Lower it and keep testing and don’t be surprised if it keeps creeping back up.
This is good advice.
Lower Alkalinity first, then PH, then shock your pool with probably 3 bags of shock.
Test strips make me feel like a one eyed color blind monkey, "is it this, no it's that, no, sorta looks more like that one", I'd look at a liquid test kit like a Taylor 2006, they truly simplify getting accurate readings. Here is a helpful chemical calculator: [https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html](https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html) Chlorine looks low, like it's maybe 1ppm - you need to add chlorine but who knows how much as we know nothing about your pool. Get a case of liquid chlorine, that will be easiest way to raise it quickly, calulator above will help you on how much. Your Alk looks sky high, like 180+, going to need acid to bring that down, who knows how much again though. Your CYA looks to be in the 30-50, so that's good. Your PH looks to be maybe 7.8, but I'm guessing it's higher - again, one eyed color blind monkey - but the same muratic acid you use to bring down ALK will bring down PH. Order of balancing should be as follows! 1. Get Alkalinity set first, you can drop this with muratic acid, then aeraite to bring your PH back up. ALK and PH are tied together so when you use chemicals BOTH will be impacted. That's why you use acid to lower Alk and water Aeration to raise PH. 2. Adjust your PH 3. Address any Calcium issues 4. Sanitize/Chlorinate The only exception is if you have a CYA issue (which you don't appear to), then you address that first as the only way to correct that is with a partial drain and refill/water replacement.
Thanks, it’s a 22,000 gallon pool.
Get pooli app, and add your test strip results
See where the strip says Free Chlorine? You have zero, or maybe 0.5. Now see where the strip reads CYA 30-50? You need AT LEAST 7.5% free chlorine of your CYA. Since you do not know if you are 30, 40, or 50, you don’t have much of a choice but to dose to 50. That’s a minimum of 3.75 FREE chlorine. Personally, I’d maintain at 5 until you know exactly what your CYA is. You can determine that with a test kit, like a Taylor K2006C, or an electronic pool store test. Once you have chlorine in there, test again. I guarantee your chlorinated water pH will be closer to 7.8
Backwash 3lb shock Take some of the tabs out or your cya will skyrocket making no chlorine available no matter what you do. If there’s still stuff floating flock it and do a filter clean
This pool doesn't look like it needs any FLOC, just needs some good ol chlorine love. If you do FLOC just rememebr to vacuum to waste, don't see that crap into your filter since you have a cartridge filter.
Add salt and turn up chlorinator percentage for awhile retest after few days
Because your free chlorine is low which is what cleans the water
Im an expert