Calcium Hardness & Total Chlorine Question

Jump to latest Follow Reply
B

Billtkat

Well-known member
Apr 25, 2020
117
Oro Valley, AZ
2 questions about test results
1. My calcium hardness is running around 125. How critical is it to get to 200 ? Best approach to getting it up if so ? I have been using the shock that has no CYA impact but does raise hardness and could over a couple weeks get this up by dropping a bag in 1-2 times a week -
Also, my water is actually refiled via my home water softener . Just how my house is laid out so I am not getting the harder water we see in AZ being added via the water leveler -
2. On Total Chlorine, if I need to reduce it what is the best approach ? For example my free chlorine was 2 and the total is 2.55
Thanks, I really appreciate your advice -
 
If your water doesn't contain enough calcium, it will remove calcium from your walls. That can weaken your walls over time.

The sun and time is the best remover for excess chlorine. But a FC of 2 is quite low.... what is your CYA level?!
When testing FC and CC, use 10cc of pool water and 1 heaping scoop of powder. Then the total number of drops of 0871 reagent gets divided by 2 to equal your current level. Saves reagents and is easier to figure.
 
YippeeSkippy said:
If your water doesn't contain enough calcium, it will remove calcium from your walls. That can weaken your walls over time.

The sun and time is the best remover for excess chlorine. But a FC of 2 is quite low.... what is your CYA level?!
When testing FC and CC, use 10cc of pool water and 1 heaping scoop of powder. Then the total number of drops of 0871 reagent gets divided by 2 to equal your current level. Saves reagents and is easier to figure.
Click to expand...
CYA is 30 -
I know how to test FC with my kit and when I add back the regent is where I get the total C - normally I see no change or 1 drop of the 871 clears it back. Just took a little more so being that wondered how to impact the total . I know for the free I going to add about 36 oz of bleach
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Billtkat said:
2. On Total Chlorine, if I need to reduce it what is the best approach ? For example my free chlorine was 2 and the total is 2.55
Click to expand...

You should use the Taylor kit to measure the chlorine and not the pool store assuming the 2.55 was from them. Or maybe that was a typo?

Also, you don’t care about total chlorine. You just need to pay attention to FC and CC. The TC is just the addition of FC and CC.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Getitrite
YippeeSkippy said:
Yup. That's what you've been using if you say you're using "shock without CYA". That's CalHypo. Comes in various strengths, which PoolMath can tell you how much FC/Salt/Calcium each pound will give you.
Click to expand...
yes, thanks - Any idea or issue with total chlorine being higher than free chlorine ?
Bperry said:
You should use the Taylor kit to measure the chlorine and not the pool store assuming the 2.55 was from them. Or maybe that was a typo?

Also, you don’t care about total chlorine. You just need to pay attention to FC and CC. The TC is just the addition of FC and CC.
Click to expand...
What is CC ? I do test and i used the wrong description. When i test i add in the drops / by 2 to get FC. Then add 5 drops of another agent swirl and most often either no change or 1 drop of i think the 871 clears right up. Today it was like 4 /5 drops so different. My question was around getti g it back in line. Thanks !
 
Billtkat said:
yes, thanks - Any idea or issue with total chlorine being higher than free chlorine ?

What is CC ? I do test and i used the wrong description. When i test i add in the drops / by 2 to get FC. Then add 5 drops of another agent swirl and most often either no change or 1 drop of i think the 871 clears right up. Today it was like 4 /5 drops so different. My question was around getti g it back in line. Thanks !
Click to expand...
CC (combined chlorine) is the second half of that test. So you must have got 5 drops which would mean the FC is 2.5 instead of 2.55? Just confirming it was a typo since the anything beyond 1 decimal point is usually coming from a pool store test.

The 5 drops part of that test is the CC part. If it takes one drop to turn the sample clear again, then the CC would be 0.5ppm. If you wanted to know the TC (total chlorine) you just add FC and CC together. In your case it would be 3ppm (2.5 + 0.5). That’s why we care only about the FC and CC.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply