Dear Corona, some time ago we had a chat about my pool which had got stuck on chlorine and no amuont of ph+ would shift it. You suggested half emptying it, and trying again. Well, I put it to waste to lower the water after rain, and forgot. So now an empty pool, filling up nicely. It’s only 7x3 but a joy. What do I do now? It’s a shell pool, I keep it turning in the winter, and this is the first hitch I’ve had in 20 years! About time to chnge the water, you will agree. There’s a small bit of galet in the skimmer. I’m having a cataracte op on tursday, and it made me think of you! Advice please
No I didnt, thanks Stella.
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OK Kate,
Yes use your galets to chlorinate as usual, these will be adding cyanuric acid (CYA) chlorine stabiliser to the water which you do need. You need a level between 30-50ppm then switch to eau de javel from a brico shed around €13 for 20 litres.
Unfortunately dip strips cannot accurately measure CYA or indeed anything else come to that so a more accurate alternative is needed but as a very rough guess after around 6 galets youll probably have enough CYA in the water. Depending of the type of galet it could be 10 because there are two chemical makeups for galets, Diichloroisocyanuric acid or Trichloroisocyanuric acid, the back of the container will tell you but generally Dichlor are the cheaper ones because they have 1/3 less chlorine but 1/3 more CYA.
End of the science lesson for today.
Hope the opp goes OK, my Mum was scared but it was done so easily and she said on returning home “oh look at those cobwebs!”
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@Kate_Coleridge
Several folk in our commune have had cataracts “done” in the past 12 months… and they’re really pleased…
although some were quaking a little beforehand (understandable)… they are all now “fearless” and nudging their friends/family (whoever) to get their eyes checked and dealt with…
good luck!
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Thanks for the info, I assume I will now do the ph tests that I should have been doing all along, after the 6 galets or start at once? Cataract is a breeze, I’ve had the left one done last year and the transformation is extraordinary, especially the colours. no worries there. There is only 25 cubic metres of water in my pool, so I expect 6 galets will do but will look at the tubs, of which I’m afraid I have too many of, what a rip off when one can use javel. Merci!
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The galets are produced to mainly end up pH neutral in industry spec’d water (Alk and hardness) but yes better to keep an eye on things (pun intended!) 
Galets are convenient and have additional stuff in them like copper algaecide and a bit of clarifier etc but the CYA builds up too high.
god I’m being boring. so sorry. I’ll take a test when it’s full and see what it says (ha ha) I don’t want to get stuck as before when the chlorine shredded my cover every 2 years. The shells are certainly resiliant.
More often the suns uv than the chlorine. Other covers have higher uv resistance like the Geobubble, outlast other covers.
onward and upward. I’ll keep you posted.
Pool full, ph raspberry coloured the other pale yellow. Put in galet when yellow is low.? Eye op went well, but raspberry colour is real!
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A bit open to “interpretation” but yes, when yellow fades add more.
Glad op went well soon youll be able to tell raspberry from strawberry 