Diluting for FC test????

[orthofish]

I am out of the DPD powder. Ordered more yesterday. New pool. I have added enough CYA to be 50. Shock level is 20. Numbers overnight were
FC 20 Last night
FC 17 6A.M. today
CC 0 6A.M. today
Brought back to shock level this a.m.
Question is, can I dilute my pool water enough to use the Taylor test and get an semi accurate idea of where I stand????
I feel like I have been winning the war on clearing up my pool since the war started Friday.(thanks to TFP) I really don't want to go backwards at this point.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

You can dilute 50/50 with water that you know has no chlorine in it, like distilled water. Double the result. It's not super accurate though, not enough to do an overnight test.

 

[orthofish]

So I couldn't dilute,say, 5:1??? That's what I would need to do to be able to see if I had close to 20ppm. Then multilple my results x5.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Nah, the accuracy would be way off.

 

[orthofish]

So what should I do till I get the DPD powder??

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Well, your CYA is/should be 40 based on what you added, right?

Why are you shocking to 20? (to speed it up?)

I would go ahead and shock to 12-16. Use the dilution test to test up to 10. You can go slightly overboard when determining how much chlorine to add, you'll end up above 10, KWIM.

So use the OTO, and if the dilution sample looks less than 5 (you want it to be a dark orangey yellow for it to be around/above 10... then add more if the results aren't where you want them. I hope that makes sense.

 

[orthofish]

Well, your CYA is/should be 40 based on what you added, right?
I added 2 more lbs Saturday cause the heat and sun has been relentless here in Tn.
Why are you shocking to 20? (to speed it up?)
With CYA at 50, that's what my target is.
I would go ahead and shock to 12. Use the dilution test to test up to 10. You can go slightly overboard when determining how much chlorine to add, you'll end up above 10, KWIM.

So use the OTO, and if the dilution sample looks less than 5 (you want it to be a dark orangey yellow for it to be around/above 10... then add more if the results aren't where you want them. I hope that makes sense.

Yes that makes sense, but with a target of 20 might not work. When I ordered my kit from Dave, I got it in 3 days, so maybe I'll get it Wed. I just don't want to go backwards.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I hear ya. It's hard, cause you are basically guessing. But I think you will lose the FC you add pretty rapidly cause of how green it was....and by the time the powder comes you should be in good shape. I don't think it will hurt anything these few times if you do go over.

 

[orthofish]

Thank you sooooo much FPMom