Pool refill, TF-100 results

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Pfeifer6

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May 26, 2014
24
Richmond, VA
We drained and cleaned our pool due to metal staining and high CYA. The new water has these results:

Chlorine (FAS/DPD): 0.5
CH= 50ppm
TA= 30ppm
pH= 7.0
CYA= 0

I can find out how much and what to add from the pool calculator but which ones do I correct first? I'm planning on using the BBB method but we do have some leftover trichlor tablets also.

Thank you in advance. :)
 
First, start your CYA right away - sock method near a return with an initial goal of 30. At the same time, use bleach to keep your FC at about 2 ppm until your CYA starts to build, then increase your FC to the appropriate level as based on the Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart.

You can also begin to aerate if you can to increase PH slightly to 7.2-ish. 30 minutes after the bleach, TA could also go up to at about 70.

Hope that helps.
 
Thanks! I will go get some CYA today. I'm not 100% sure it's actually zero though. I'm assuming it is, since it is tap water...and the test tube on the TF-100 only goes down to about 20. The test solution was completely clear after mixing so I could see the black dot no matter how much water I added right?

Anyway, I guess I'll fill a sock with the recommended amount of stabilizer and go from there.

Does it matter what time of day I add the bleach? Guy from pool store said adding chlorine in the morning is the same as pouring it all on the ground since it is burned off in the sunlight. Also, it's going to be raining off and on the next few days with some heavy showers possibly.
 
There shouldn't be any CYA in tap water so it should be 0. You still should use the bleach even though it's mostly going to get burned off by sunlight because with no bleach, the bad stuff will take over and it will not be safe to swim in. So until your CYA is 30 or so you might have to add bleach twice a day to keep the FC up. Save the trichlor for when you go on vacation or if you needed to raise CYA just a little. I know you don't have a saltwater pool but it works the same way, just your CYA is lower than mine. In rainy months like it has been so far this year, the CYA will dip down to 55 or 60. So a puck or two in time will get me back up to 70 to 80. Plus I can give SWCG a little bit of a rest by dialing it back to 40% run time.
 
I called local pool store to ask whether they had CYA and how much. The guy went off on how I should not add CYA and WHY ON EARTH would I do such a thing and all I need to do is use Cal-hypo shock once a week and chlorinate with Trichlor tabs. He went on to say that CYA is not actually needed in the water at all even though you will get somet benefit from what is added from the tablets. He said to bring my water on in and he will get it straightened out and if I insist on buying some CYA he will sell me some. I was afraid to even mention the BBB method or whatever- I guess pool stores typically frown on that? This is the second pool store I've found to be less than polite regarding what they think I should be doing with my pool. I'm thinking I'll go to the other store in our area today since even though they have been rude in the past I won't have to deal with the guy I just talked to on the phone.
 
Pfeifer6 said:
I called local pool store to ask whether they had CYA and how much. The guy went off on how I should not add CYA and WHY ON EARTH would I do such a thing and all I need to do is use Cal-hypo shock once a week and chlorinate with Trichlor tabs. He went on to say that CYA is not actually needed in the water at all even though you will get somet benefit from what is added from the tablets. He said to bring my water on in and he will get it straightened out and if I insist on buying some CYA he will sell me some. I was afraid to even mention the BBB method or whatever- I guess pool stores typically frown on that? This is the second pool store I've found to be less than polite regarding what they think I should be doing with my pool. I'm thinking I'll go to the other store in our area today since even though they have been rude in the past I won't have to deal with the guy I just talked to on the phone.
Click to expand...

That attitude and the fact that the supplies are cheaper are why I much prefer Home Depot for things like stabilizer or calcium (not chlorine as it tends to be degraded).
 
Yep. The pool stores like ignorance because they can get money out of those people. They sure did from me ... for a while. Not any more. :) Also, along with your local hardware store, you can get granular stabilizer at Wal-Mart in a 4lb container (purple lid). About $15 I think.
 
Another vote for Lowe's, HD, local hardware store, etc. There they just ring you up, thank you, and don't give attitude and bad pool advice ��

The only thing I've ever bought at official pool stores is a long metal pole and a vacuum head (too impatient to wait for Amazon, where the same items would have cost less).
 

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Man I wish I checked for responses before I took my baby and 3 older kids out to the pool store...only to have the owner basically refuse to sell me any CYA. Told me bleach is pointless because I'd have to buy so much of it and that I need to get Cal-hypo and use tablets. Wouldn't that (eventually) raise the CYA too high again? I know the tablets are not as bad as the granular stuff from Sam's that we were using but after having to replace all the water we are hesistant to use anything with stabilizer in it on a regular basis.

Thanks for letting me know about Lowes and other stores that sell this stuff! Had no idea. Just tested with OTO and after adding ~40oz of bleach a few hours ago (trying to get it to 2ppm using the pool calculator) it's still basically zero. I'm guessing the sun is burning it off with no CYA in there? The pH was 6.8 and it had looked like about 7 when I tested it this morning. Correct pH first right? I have some borax on hand. Then some baking soda? Or do the bleach first?

I really appeciate all the help and realize some of these questions can be answered by looking through this site- but I simply don't have the time to do that. Just hurriedly typing this while the baby is asleep and then my other three are temporarily occupied.
 
Pfeifer6 said:
Man I wish I checked for responses before I took my baby and 3 older kids out to the pool store...only to have the owner basically refuse to sell me any CYA. Told me bleach is pointless because I'd have to buy so much of it and that I need to get Cal-hypo and use tablets. Wouldn't that (eventually) raise the CYA too high again? I know the tablets are not as bad as the granular stuff from Sam's that we were using but after having to replace all the water we are hesistant to use anything with stabilizer in it on a regular basis.

Thanks for letting me know about Lowes and other stores that sell this stuff! Had no idea. Just tested with OTO and after adding ~40oz of bleach a few hours ago (trying to get it to 2ppm using the pool calculator) it's still basically zero. I'm guessing the sun is burning it off with no CYA in there? The pH was 6.8 and it had looked like about 7 when I tested it this morning. Correct pH first right? I have some borax on hand. Then some baking soda? Or do the bleach first?

I really appeciate all the help and realize some of these questions can be answered by looking through this site- but I simply don't have the time to do that. Just hurriedly typing this while the baby is asleep and then my other three are temporarily occupied.
Click to expand...

take everything you bought from that pool store and return it asap. why would you give your money to someone that treats you with disrespect? get your money back and buy what you need from home depot, etc. seriously, take that stuff back and get your money.

next steps are to get stabilizer (CYA). Walmart has a 4lb one for under $15. buy bleach while you are there as well. you can get your pH up as well, buy the borax at Walmart as well. I think a 4lb is like $4 or something, not sure.

without CYA, your 2ppm of FC will not last very long in sunlight. you will have to keep adding it until you get the CYA dissolved. definetly make sure to get a dose of FC in before bed time. with no sunlight loss during the night, all the FC will be put to use killing algae in the water
 
Try Pool Math

http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html

To get an idea of how much borax to put in, and go ahead and add some.

And put in some more bleach (assuming you still have some). If you add it later in the day, as you will be at this point, that gives you a chance to see how chlorine levels are holding overnight.

Get the CYA started as soon as it's convenient for you to buy some from a less combative retailer, LOL.

If the "granular stuff from Sam's" that you mention is dichlor (read the label; I know Sam's does sell plain dichlor, without extra junk), and if you still have some of that handy, you could put some in the pool to add both stabilizer (CYA) and chlorine, both of which you need at the moment.

Look at Pool Math, down near the bottom, to see how much of each is added for a given quantity of dichlor.
 
DaninFLA said:
take everything you bought from that pool store and return it asap. why would you give your money to someone that treats you with disrespect? get your money back and buy what you need from home depot, etc. seriously, take that stuff back and get your money.

next steps are to get stabilizer (CYA). Walmart has a 4lb one for under $15. buy bleach while you are there as well. you can get your pH up as well, buy the borax at Walmart as well. I think a 4lb is like $4 or something, not sure.

without CYA, your 2ppm of FC will not last very long in sunlight. you will have to keep adding it until you get the CYA dissolved. definetly make sure to get a dose of FC in before bed time. with no sunlight loss during the night, all the FC will be put to use killing algae in the water
Click to expand...

Thanks, but I didn't actually purchase anything from the pool store. Turned around and left! I do have more bleach on hand but was waiting to see what everyone said about which order to add things in. I'm thinking I will add some borax to get the pH up a bit and baking soda as well and then do the bleach after I get the kids in bed tonight. Our normal routine has been going down to the pool around 8 p.m. or so and adding chemicals so we don't get interrupted by the kids and the chlorine can work overnight, of course our cya was so high that it wasn't doing much.

So I'm going to add borax and baking soda now, and bleach and get cya started this evening. Sound right?
 
Sounds about right. Remember, you don't need much Borax since your PH was already at 7.0. Just bring it up a little. Aeration (if you have any) will also raise PH. You can add the required stabilizer/condition now if you want. Even the baking soda 30 min after that. Those won't effect your nightly swim time. Doing the bleach last after everyone is done would be a good thing. However if no one is in the water now, you could put about 1/2 gallon in now (FC from zero to 3 ppm) just so the water has something to keep it sanitized for a bit. The sun might use it up fast, but it's better than nothing. Then tonight before bed, hit it with about one gallon that should take your FC to about 5-6 ppm.

- - - Updated - - -

Remember to keep the pump running for about 30 min after adding chemicals to mix it up good.
 
Thanks again for the help. I'll keep going with this and having the TF-100 kit is great along with the info on this site. My husband was a little floored by the price of the kit, since he has prior experience maintaining pools (in his childhood home and at one of his first jobs) using a basic pH and chlorine OTO kit. I'm hoping to show him that it will pay off in the long run by not having to guess and buy random stuff all the time. We've spent all kinds of money on chlorine, clarifier, pH increaser, algeacide, random "miracle" products, etc. All I think because we had no idea what was going on with the water and just threw chemicals at it to "fix" it. Culminating in a total drain and refill. :-/ At least it is clear now! Kids and I really enjoyed it this afternoon. :)
 
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