First Attempt

[Salsiccia]

Thanks to a lot of reading here and some excellent advice from some very knowledgeable and friendly folks here, I have taken the plunge and ordered a Taylors K-2006C kit - hopefully it will be here mid to late next week.

As an interim measure I have tested using a new pack of AquaChek Salt strips, and 4-in-1 strips. I know they are nowhere near the accuracy I can expect from the Taylors, but its more about testing my understanding of the process and I want to validate that my thinking is right!!

Results are:
FC: 0
pH: 6.8
TA: 40
CH: - Not tested -
CYA: 0
Salt: 3400

Note, those numbers definitely won't be accurate as the test strips are purely colour matching and I may have picked the wrong square due to my feeble eyesight

So my thinking (with some help from the PoolMath page and the wisdom on this site) is:
#1 priority is fix the CYA - planning to add 2kg of Stabiliser. Probably needs more, but I want to go slowly and don't want to go too high. Aiming for 70-80 here.
#2 priority is fix FC - planning to add 1 litre of liquid chlorine I just happen to have. Aiming for 4-6 here?
#3 priority is add some salt to get up around 4200 (I'm in Australia and my SWG recommends 4000)

I'm going to leave pH and TA until the CYA is better as I know CYA will mess with pH. Please feel free to tell me if this isn't a good idea - you guys know *way* more about this than I do.

Then when my Taylors kit arrives next week it will hopefully give me much more accurate numbers than the "guideline" approach of the coloured strips.

I'm still not really clear on which additions I can make at the same time and which ones I need to spread out and allow time in between so I need to research that, but I reckon that doing the 3 changes above will improve things for when I can test properly with the Taylors kit.

Any comments / advice / criticisms on my thinking is most welcome !

Sal

 

[Hawknz]

Hi Sals,

Good on you for getting a decent Kit, i've noticed by the other threads.

I think your priority should be getting chlorine into your pool.. if your FC is 0 , your not far off a green pool if it isn't getting that way already.

You need to dump some chlorine in there ASAP, use pool math to gauge how much, but it will be an estimate given the result only from strips, but I would think more is better than less in this situation, especially given your CYA is 0, your chlorine will also get consumed faster by sunlight

You'll need chlorine as high as those strips read, I cant remember off hand how high they go, but I dont think its anymore than 5 ? you'll need atleast that.

Your SWG won't be and isnt designed to be able to make chlorine fast enough , hence why you'll need to add liquid now!

Then I'd get your Salt upto 4k, its easy enough to throw a bag of salt in and sweep it around, it dissolves fast enough, this will also help your SWG work efficiently.

Then your CYA, remember depending on what type you use it can take upto a week to fully dissolve, but i'd be cautious about the potential of you getting a green pool, which means you will need to backwash more frequently and hence lose the CYA in the process.

Quicker you can get chlorine in there, the better off IMO

Good Luck

 

[Jezza]

Sal,

Yes I would be waiting for the K2006C to arrive before doing anything significant or adding anything other than liquid chlorine.

If your FC is really at 0, your possibly going to have to SLAM the pool, which means that you will want your CYA to be lower than the normal recommended level for SWG pools. I would consider sticking in a few litres of liquid chlorine each day to bide you over until you can ascertain your true FC level with your Taylor kit which will not harm anything in the interim but will keep things from getting worse if you have algae.

If your pH is 6.8 that will also need to come up as a priority but again to what extent will be based on whether you need to SLAM.

In summary, when you get your Taylor's kit you need to ascertain straight up
1) FC and CC levels
2.) pH level
3.) CYA level

That will then determine what your plan of attack will be.

 

[Salsiccia]

Thanks Hawk, I'm tossing the Cl in right now good point.
If this thing goes green my life won't be worth living at home !!!!!

 

[Salsiccia]

Hey Jezza,

Good points, thanks for that. I've just dumped 1 ltr of liquid chlorine now and am vacuuming. Will test again later tonight and potentially top up.

Good point to wait for the Taylors so I can get real numbers too.

Thanks guys, appreciate your input.

Sal

P.S. - Low salt light has just come on so will drop a bag of salt in now as well.

 

[Salsiccia]

You'll need chlorine as high as those strips read, I cant remember off hand how high they go, but I dont think its anymore than 5 ? you'll need atleast that.

...

Then I'd get your Salt upto 4k, its easy enough to throw a bag of salt in and sweep it around, it dissolves fast enough, this will also help your SWG work efficiently.

Then your CYA, remember depending on what type you use it can take upto a week to fully dissolve, but i'd be cautious about the potential of you getting a green pool, which means you will need to backwash more frequently and hence lose the CYA in the process.

Thanks again Hawknz - my test strips report Chlorine up to 10 so that gives me some room.
I've thrown in 1 litre of Cl so far and will monitor every couple of hours - I assume that's a reasonable interval? - pump is running now.

Also added 25kg of Salt and a bit of Stabiliser too, just to see if I can move it off "0" and help protect the FC. Luckily its grim and overcast here in Melbourne today so sunlight is down !!!

 

[MarianParoo]

Did you do anything about the low pH? That is also a top priority. We don't like to make chemical recommendations based on strips, for sure, but if you can tweak it a bit higher, you're probably still safe.

 

[Salsiccia]

Hi Marian,

No, as yet I've not addressed the pH.

I have just retested again though using a 2-in-1 kit and also a 4-in-1 kit that I have had for a couple of years. In both of those the pH came back as 7.2 to 7.4 so at this stage I am hoping the 6.8 score from the strip is due to the generl inaccuracy of the strips.

Obviously my shiny new Taylors kit will give me a more accurate score so I'm very keen for that to arrive ! I did pay for express shipping so hopefully it will be in my hot little hands very soon !

I do have to go to the pool shop tomorrow for a replacement diaphragm for my cleaner so if pH is still down then I'll pick up some stuff there - hopefully my last visit !

Sal

 

[MarianParoo]

Hopefully that is a good pH measure. If you find that you need to raise pH, don't buy from the pool store. You would just need washing soda or baking soda depending on that TA. Let's hope your kit comes soon!
Oh, my bad. Not baking soda...
- - - Updated - - -

Did you get the k-2006 or the K-2006C? When you get it, use the 10ml sample size for testing to save on reagents. The directions are on the lid.

 

[Salsiccia]

Thanks Marian - I went for the 2006C - decided to upsize!
Thanks for the tip on saving on reagants. I've already started looking at what reagants I think I'm going to go through quickly so I can get replacement orders in in a timely manner.
Its a bit painful being all the way over here, but I figure with some planning, once I understand my usage I can stay ahead of the curve.

 

[MarianParoo]

You are not going to need more 0010, 0011L, or 0012. That is not needed much for vinyl liner pools. 0007,8, and 9 should be okay, as well as 0004, 5, and 6. The CYA and FC are the ones you will go through the fastest.

 

[Salsiccia]

That's pretty much what I thought too.
I see the CYA can be bought in much larger bottles - I don't know if the dropper top screws off the reagant bottles for replacing the contents or not, but I bet someone here does - lol !!!

Do you guys usually just keep buying replacement reagant every year or so or do you buy a complete replacement kit every couple of years?

 

[duraleigh]

1. Has anyone in this thread asked what OP's water looks like? That would certainly modify the advice given if his pool is green. (I am pretty sure it's not green but that question is one of the most important things to ask before giving advice)

2. After you test with the Taylor kit, getting your pH into the 7's is your most important task. Do not use Baking soda to raise pH. Pool School tells you that 20 Mule Team Borax is best (if you can get it) and then washing soda (soda ash).
Baking soda has very little effect on pH but is used to raise your TA. Your TA will come up when you increase your pH with the other products.

3. Are you running the SWG?

4. I would calculate a dosage of CYA to get that pool to 40 ppm. That'll stabilize your FC loss to UV and get you just about halfway for your SWG.

5. I don't see any value in dosing a 0 CYA pool with FC over maybe 4 ppm.....that's gracious plenty and will be just about right when you dose the CYA.

6.

I'm going to leave pH and TA until the CYA is better as I know CYA will mess with pH.

It will a little but not as much as you might think. I would suggest you test once again with strips and, if you get the same result, assume it is correct and then bring pH up to about 7.6. Your CYA addition will not have enough effect to bring pH out of the 7's and that will be a good range.

Don't underestimate the importance of getting your pH right. All these parameters intertwine and pH is a central figure.

 

[Salsiccia]

Hi Dave,

Thanks very much for your feedback, much appreciated as always.
To each of your points in order:

1) Pool water itself appears very clear. I do have a very fine layer of dust/dirt on the bottom of the pool which can clearly be seen through the clear water. I have a sock in the skimmer basket and am manually vacuuming slowly this afternoon.

2) Noted, thanks. Will attempt to find washing soda and will resort to the pool store as a last resort!

3) SWG is not currently running. It was until I added a bag of salt this afternoon - as per advice on this forum to turn off the SWG when adding salt and run the pump for 24 hours. I can easily turn on the SWG again now if you think its worthwhile. I brushed the salt after adding to the point where it was visibly all dissolved as per my normal practice.

4) Poolmath told me I needed 2.6kg of stabiliser. Because my readings came from strips and not a reliable Taylors / TF kit I am being overly cautious. I have added 1 kg of stabiliser thus far (mixed as a slurry) and am planning to retest later tonight and tomorrow. I have another 1kg ready to add if required.

5) Noted. I have added 1 litre of chlorine so far and the interim reading I took an hour ago seemed to be much better (approx. 3). Next reading in another 2 hours.

6) I have subsequently re-tested pH using a 2-in-1 kit and a 4-in-1 kit and in both tests it came in around 7.2 - 7.4. I am hoping the strip reading (which was done in the local hardware store using their strips) was flawed. I know I need my own proper kit - it's coming !!!

Thanks again Dave - believe me I totally understand that pH is key!

I will post the next readings in 2 hours.

Sal

 

[MarianParoo]

I edited my earlier post about baking soda. Don't know what I was thinking....! Maybe too much Christmas cheer with 2 parties tonight.

I have never used baking soda or washing soda in my pool, but I have used plenty of borax. Where was my mind? My sincere apologies for mentioning baking soda....

Duraleigh is spot on!

 

[Salsiccia]

lol - No worries Marian - it is that time of year after all !!!!!

 

[MarianParoo]

PARTY!!! I am relieved that you didn't follow my advice about the baking soda...

It is so hard to want to help and in a hurry, you post without double-checking. I have learned my lesson!

I am looking forward to when your kit arrives and we can really zero in on your chemistry.

 

[Salsiccia]

I can't wait for my kit either Marian - thanks so much for your help, its great to see the level of help available here !!

Trust me, I'll be here the moment my kit arrives with my first real numbers - lol !!!!

 

[Jezza]

I had assumed your pool was clear as you mentioned it in one of your prior posts but definitely a good idea to check. Perhaps keep all information about your testing in this one thread.

Personally if you have already added CYA I would be very reluctant to add anymore until your kit arrives next week. Good to see that your pH is good.

I bought a 1 pint of CYA testing chemical for my last order from USA and just refill my little bottles from my K2006 using a funnel after rinsing of course. The little caps on the top just pop off.

Keep us posted with the results of your full battery of tests with your new toy.

 

[Salsiccia]

Hi guys,

Next set of test results (still via strips, but pH double checked via 4-in-1 kit)

FC: 1 - up from before - progress
pH: 7.3
TA: 60
CYA: 0 - same as before, but only 5 hours after last reading so possibly too soon to tell
Salt: 4010 - closer to what I want (after adding 25kg)

Plan now is to add more liquid chlorine to attack the FC and check again tomorrow morning.

Sal

P.S. Added 2 litres of chlorine