Just ditched the pool service

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RedScare

RedScare

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Feb 1, 2015
105
The Woodlands TX
Pool Size
12000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
As the title suggests, I just cancelled my pool service, after doing much of the work myself all summer. I had purchased a brush, a net, a hose and vacuum head, and have kept the pool reasonably clean on my own. I finally purchased a TF-100 test kit last month, and after practicing a bit, call the pool service and said, Adios.

So here is where I am at. I ran my numbers, and want to run them by the experts before I add or do anything.

FC - 19
CC - 2
TC - 21
pH - 7.2
TA - 70
CH - 500
CYA - 75

My pool uses a Trichlor auto chlorinator. It is currently set at 4. I have read the pros and cons, and am strongly considering turning it off and adding chlorine myself.

So, what do y'all think? I guess it goes without saying that my numbers may be off as I am new to testing. All advice appreciated. :)
 
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Welcome.. Your CYA is already at the point of being "edgy" in order to easily maintain. I'd bleach it from here on out for the summer. Why is your FC at 19? Just 9 or 10 as a Target level should do you. See the chlorine/cya chart in Pool School. Then again, I see your CC is 2. Are you in the middle of the SLAM process? If not, you probably should be!
 
RedScare said:
As the title suggests, I just cancelled my pool service, after doing much of the work myself all summer. I had purchased a brush, a net, a hose and vacuum head, and have kept the pool reasonably clean on my own. I finally purchased a TF-100 test kit last month, and after practicing a bit, call the pool service and said, Adios.

So here is where I am at. I ran my numbers, and want to run them by the experts before I add or do anything.

FC - 19
CC - 2
TC - 21
pH - 7.2
TA - 70
CH - 500
CYA - 75

My pool uses a Trichlor auto chlorinator. It is currently set at 4. I have read the pros and cons, and am strongly considering turning it off and adding chlorine myself.

So, what do y'all think? I guess it goes without saying that my numbers may be off as I am new to testing. All advice appreciated. :)
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Re-run the FC & CC tests. Make sure you use the right factor when converting drops to ppm. 19 FC is high, but 2 CC is really high, and not good at all.


If CC is really and truly 2 ppm, you're in for a SLAM.

That said... yes, stop with the pucks already. Your CYA is already almost to the unmanageable stage, and the pH is at the bottom of the safe zone. Triclor raises CYA and is acidic. If 7.2 is as low as the test block reads, you might be lower than 7.2. :shock:
 
Earlier this summer, it appeared that I was getting some algae on the southern (shaded) wall of the pool. I suspect that the pool service turned up the Trichlor in order to combat that issue. Virtually all of my practice tests prior to today have shown hard yellow or orange on the chlorine test. Am I correct in believing that this is the source of the high FC?

Kim, the water is very clear. It has been clear pretty much all summer, at least since I replaced my skimmers and some collapsed pipe that was inhibiting circulation.
 
RedScare said:
Earlier this summer, it appeared that I was getting some algae on the southern (shaded) wall of the pool. I suspect that the pool service turned up the Trichlor in order to combat that issue. Virtually all of my practice tests prior to today have shown hard yellow or orange on the chlorine test. Am I correct in believing that this is the source of the high FC?
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Yes. And also the high CYA and the low pH. The only good news is that if you're already at 19 FC, it won't take so much bleach to get up to the shock level of 31 to SLAM away the algae and the CC.
 
OK, I have turned the Trichlor to 0, and will remove the pucks shortly. I retested FC. This time, I held the bottle vertically, as instructed in the video, and my total came to 16.5. CC was either 0.5 or 1.0. (The 2nd drop came out too quickly to be sure.)
 
It appears from my reading of the various sections of pool school and pool chemistry that my main problem is CYA that is on the high side. It also appears that the best solution to this issue is to drain and refill a certain amount of water. Am I on the right track here?
 
RedScare said:
It appears from my reading of the various sections of pool school and pool chemistry that my main problem is CYA that is on the high side. It also appears that the best solution to this issue is to drain and refill a certain amount of water. Am I on the right track here?
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Yes, but if you're not having any problems - meaning CC is less than .5 and there's no algae anywhere - it's manageable without draining. You just need to maintain adequate FC for that CYA level, which is 6 minimum and a target of roughly 9 FC when you add bleach daily. Can;t use the OTO quick test, but still no problem. You will lose some CYA to splashout and backwashing, so there's no real reason to rush to drain, unless a SLAM is called for. On the flip side, daily testing is easier if the FC is lower, which means a lower CYA. And a partial drain will lower the CH some as well.

It's really what you're comfortable with, unless, as I said, a SLAM is called for.
 
So far, since the pool is clear, it doesn't appear that I need a SLAM. However, as I allow the FC level to drop toward a more manageable level, things may change. But, it doesn't seem like any of this is non-reversible. For now, I am going to pull those tablets, go buy some bleach, and keep testing.

Right now, I do need to get that pH up, right?
 

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RedScare said:
So far, since the pool is clear, it doesn't appear that I need a SLAM. However, as I allow the FC level to drop toward a more manageable level, things may change. But, it doesn't seem like any of this is non-reversible. For now, I am going to pull those tablets, go buy some bleach, and keep testing.

Right now, I do need to get that pH up, right?
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Depends. What is the lowest number on your pH tester? If you're not below that, you're fine.
 
This morning, I tested the FC/CC again. FC is down to 15.5. CC still at 0.5. However, there is starting to get a layer of algae along the bottom and sides of the pool. The Trichlor was turned off yesterday, so this is to be expected. My question is how much bleach should I add? The pool calculator still recommends 0.

Thanks to all for your responses.
 
RedScare said:
This morning, I tested the FC/CC again. FC is down to 15.5. CC still at 0.5. However, there is starting to get a layer of algae along the bottom and sides of the pool. The Trichlor was turned off yesterday, so this is to be expected. My question is how much bleach should I add? The pool calculator still recommends 0.

Thanks to all for your responses.
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If you have algae, you need to perform the Shock Level And Maintain process. Note that it is a process, not a one-time megadose of chlorine as the pool store would advise. That is easier with lower CYA. So if CYA is really and truly 75, you need to raise FC to 29 and keep it there for several days, as long as it takes to pass all three tests. Do not neglect to brush the hidden areas, like behind lights and beneath ladder rungs and under steps. If you have any thoughts about reducing CYA and CH by draining, now would be an excellent time to do it. Lowering CYA to something more like 60 would also lower your shock level to 24.
 
Apparently, I was mistaken on the algae. It was just some dirt on the bottom of the pool. I decided to drain and refill in order to get the CYA down. I drained yesterday, and refilled overnight. I just finished testing. The numbers are as follows:

FC - 8.0
CC - 0.5
pH - 7.5
TA - 110
CH - 400
CYA - 60

I thought I drained 1/3 of the pool, but when I recalculated, it was more like 20-25%, a number that is confirmed by my new chemistry.Overall, however, it appears that the drain and refill was a success. The CYA is not as low as I was aiming for, but is tolerable. Everything else is pretty good. And the water looks very good.

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Question: Pool math says not to add anything. At what point should I add some bleach anyway? I am getting fidgety not adding any chlorine. I guess it was that much overdone with the Trichlor?
 
Well, since it is 102 for the 7th straight day, I think I will!

Really, I was just looking for someone to reassure me that the chlorine did not need to be as high as it has been, so thank you for that reassurance, as well as a target number.
 
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