Using the TF100 kit for the first time on new pool.

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M

MOM&POP DIY

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Jan 31, 2009
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Today is the big day - time to work on the water balance.

We filled the pool with 1/2 city water and 1/2 well water 2 weeks ago. I have only added small amount of chlorine, but have a SWG and my salt level is now 3300. I usually can follow directions carefully, and work in the medical field, so I am used to performing in-house lab test. That being said, I question my results. It is about 55 degrees outside, and I did use cold water. My results look strange:

FC - 0.5
CC - 0.5
TC - 1.0
ph 7.5 (yes the water was cold)
TA - 40
CH - 80
CYA - the black dot never disappeared.
Salt - 3300.

Where do I start? Does the little black dot really disappear or what - it never did for me.

Any help appreciated.
Thanks
Mom
 
You should raise the TA level to about 70 and raise CYA up to between 70 and 80. You can go ahead and raise the TA level in one go, but the CYA level should be raised in two or three steps to make sure you don't accidentally go to high. I suggest targeting a CYA level of 50 for the first step, give it a week, test the CYA level and see how you did. After you raise the TA level you will probably need to lower the PH a little. Give the TA level a couple of hours to stabilize and then test and adjust the PH.

If you never added any CYA, or dichlor, or trichlor then the CYA level will really be zero and the black dot will never disappear, or fade out even slightly. When the CYA level comes up the black dot really will vanish in a "white-out" kind of effect. Also, as Butterfly said, the CYA test should be done with room temperature water.

As the CYA level comes up, the FC level will come up with it. You will want to keep an eye on the FC reading, daily at first, and turn down the percentage on the SWG as needed to keep the FC level from getting too high.

It isn't really a good idea to try and run an outdoor SWG pool without any CYA for more than a day or two. That is why your CC level is above zero. Fortunately nothing too serious seems to have happened, just don't put off adding CYA any further.
 
Mom,

I'm gonna' essentially say the same things as Jason and FPM........

1. Your numbers do not look strange to me but simply require some adjustment.

2. Your post makes me think you assumed CYA was already in the water....it is not. You need to add it and you need to go to the pool store or Home Depot/Lowe's to get it.

3. I assume you are not yet running your SWG. You will need to manually add chlorine (almost everyday) to keep it up at a safe level.

4. That safe level depends on how much CYA you put in your pool. 60-80ppm will be recommended. Read all about this relationship with chlorine in "Pool School"

5. You need to bring your TA up to around 70 as Jason said. Do so with baking soda. Use Jason's calculator to tell you how much you need.

6. Read the beginning articles in pool school until you have a good grasp of how to adjust all the things you test for and what the "norms" are.

7. Keep asking lots of questions

8. Take some pics and share that great project with everyone here on the forum :lol:
 
I am making baby steps.... with my pool. After reading the kind posts, I headed off to Lowes and Walmart. According to the pool calculator, I needed to add 160ish ounces of baking soda and 160ish ounces of CYA. The CYA I found came in 3 lb containers, and I was too scared to add 3 bottles, so I decided to just add 2 then test. Question: Do I need to wait a week before I recheck to see how much more CYA to add? I also did add baking soda.

I purchased some 6% walmart brand bleach - should I add some today? I did increase my swg to a higher output level. My water is not soupy, but not crystal clear either. When do I consider adding the borax?

Thanks!
 
Hi....you're doing fine. :hammer:

Don't turn up the output on the SWG just yet, give your CYA level a chance to increase. It's better to supplement daily with the bleach for now, till you are at recommended levels on everything... Test your FC level and then adjust, you want at least a reading of 2 on the FC so thats probably about 1/2 to 2/3 a small jug of the walmart bleach.

Yes, the CYA can take that long to read. How did you add it? 9 lbs will only take you to 50 and you should be at say 70 eventually so I see no reason not to go ahead and add the third container. I assume it was the granular form?

Don't worrry about the Borax yet, one thing at a time! :goodjob:
 
Granular CYA typically takes a couple of days to dissolve, but occasionally takes longer, up to a week in the most extreme cases. Because the CYA test doesn't generally come with very enough reagent for all that many measurements, and because adding too much CYA can be a real problem, it is best to wait the full week after adding CYA before testing the CYA level again.

frustratedpoolmom said:
I see no reason not to go ahead and add the third container
Click to expand...
True, there isn't any reason not to target a level of 50 to start. Still, it doesn't hurt to take smaller steps. Quite a number of factors can lead to needing a bit more or a bit less of any given chemical than the calculation indicates. Because CYA is so difficult to lower, it is best to creep up on the correct level, rather than risk adding too much and needing to replace water.
 
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