Just getting started and need help.

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Ecosmarte Systems vs Saltwater vs Chlorine

Have you gotten your TF100 yet?

Please post a full set of numbers as soon as you can.

pH
FC
CC
TA
CH
CYA

You bought a floater without knowing what your CYA level is??? You should quit using tablets until you have a full set of tests ran.

 

[laurandavid09]

Re: Ecosmarte Systems vs Saltwater vs Chlorine

Have you gotten your TF100 yet?

Please post a full set of numbers as soon as you can.

pH
FC
CC
TA
CH
CYA

You bought a floater without knowing what your CYA level is??? You should quit using tablets until you have a full set of tests ran.

Have not received it yet. I am new to all of this, so I would appreciate it if you would explain what that comment means. So I should not be using chlorine right now or what?

Thanks.

 

[PaulR]

Re: Ecosmarte Systems vs Saltwater vs Chlorine

The tablets are almost certainly a form of chlorine nicknamed "trichlor" (the chemical name listed in the ingredients will include those syllables). The tablets are the second easiest kind of chlorine to use, after a SWG, the problem is trichlor adds stabilizer (cyanuric acid, abbreviated CYA) as well as chlorine.

CYA works chemically with the chlorine in the pool. One way to think of this is that the CYA creates a "bank" of chlorine, and pays out a little bit of it to keep algae away and sanitize the pool. Some CYA is a good thing because chlorine in the "bank" is protected from breakdown by sunlight. However too much CYA is a bad thing, because the bigger bank wants to have more of the chlorine in it, so there's less of it to deal with algae and stuff.

CYA basically doesn't go away by itself, so the more trichlor you use, the more CYA you have, the bigger the bank gets, and the less of your chlorine is doing its real job.

So, we're not saying "stop using chlorine" we're only saying "stop using trichlor" which really means "use a different kind of chlorine." Our favorite kind is called "liquid chlorine" at the pool store, and "bleach" at places like Walmart or Target. It basically adds nothing but chlorine to your pool, working with the CYA you already have instead of adding to it.

Hope this made sense...
--paulr

 

[laurandavid09]

Re: Ecosmarte Systems vs Saltwater vs Chlorine

The tablets are almost certainly a form of chlorine nicknamed "trichlor" (the chemical name listed in the ingredients will include those syllables). The tablets are the second easiest kind of chlorine to use, after a SWG, the problem is trichlor adds stabilizer (cyanuric acid, abbreviated CYA) as well as chlorine.

CYA works chemically with the chlorine in the pool. One way to think of this is that the CYA creates a "bank" of chlorine, and pays out a little bit of it to keep algae away and sanitize the pool. Some CYA is a good thing because chlorine in the "bank" is protected from breakdown by sunlight. However too much CYA is a bad thing, because the bigger bank wants to have more of the chlorine in it, so there's less of it to deal with algae and stuff.

CYA basically doesn't go away by itself, so the more trichlor you use, the more CYA you have, the bigger the bank gets, and the less of your chlorine is doing its real job.

So, we're not saying "stop using chlorine" we're only saying "stop using trichlor" which really means "use a different kind of chlorine." Our favorite kind is called "liquid chlorine" at the pool store, and "bleach" at places like Walmart or Target. It basically adds nothing but chlorine to your pool, working with the CYA you already have instead of adding to it.

Hope this made sense...
--paulr

So should I take out the tablets until I am able to test the water with my kit? Once I get my levels back to where I need them, will I just use the bleach instead of tablets. The reason I ask, is because the people before us left the jug of tablets.

 

[duraleigh]

Re: Ecosmarte Systems vs Saltwater vs Chlorine

So should I take out the tablets until I am able to test the water with my kit?

Yes. The tablets are adding CYA to your pool....you probably have too much in there now (the tests will tell us) and there's no need to add more.

The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry up in Pool School should help you get a better grasp of what the important parameters are in your pool and what each does.

You will also find that a prime tenant of BBB is careful measuring and testing......that's why other members are encouraging you not to blindly throw quantities of chemicals in your pool until you can test your water and post those results.

While you're waiting on your test kit, I would suggest you add roughly 1/2 gallon of plain Clorox (and nothing else) each evening to your pool. That dosage will harm nothing and should continue to help clear your pool.

Pool School will teach you that shock is a process that you do to your pool.....the pool store and chemical folks want you to believe it is a product.

Please add the size, equipment and type of pool you have to your sig. Look at other posters sigs if you need guidance.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Re: Ecosmarte Systems vs Saltwater vs Chlorine

At this point you'll probably have the test kit soon. As soon as you get your kit we'll have good numbers to use to get your pool straightened out.

 

[laurandavid09]

Re: Ecosmarte Systems vs Saltwater vs Chlorine

I added some stuff to my signature.

 

[laurandavid09]

First round of testing

Topics Merged by Moderator

Ok so I have some strips laying around and here is what I got. I know it is not the best, but gives me an idea until I get the tf100 test kit

TH-looks like around 200-400, it is a light purple color.
FC-Bromine-0/0
pH-7.8-8.4. Bright pink color
TA-180
CYA-0

So that should get us started

 

[laurandavid09]

Re: First round of testing

I have also been running my pump all the time. Now that I am getting stuff to normal, can I just run it during the day and leave it off at night?

Thanks.

 

[polyvue]

Re: First round of testing

TH-looks like around 200-400, it is a light purple color.
FC-Bromine-0/0
pH-7.8-8.4. Bright pink color
TA-180
CYA-0

I have also been running my pump all the time. Now that I am getting stuff to normal, can I just run it during the day and leave it off at night?

Not exactly sure what your goal is here. I believe that in another thread you mentioned that your pool was green, so are you trying to fight algae?

As you may have already surmised, test strips can be maddeningly imprecise (and have been known to be inaccurate) but if you believe the results, there are one or two things you can do even without more accurate testing.

1) Reduce the pH
Using the Pool Calculator determine the correct amount of Muriatic Acid (MA)
to reduce your pH from (let's say, 8.0) to 7.3

2) Increase Free Chlorine (FC) to 3.0 ppm or higher using liquid chlorine or 6% bleach
You can use the Pool Calculator to determine exact amount

Add the MA (acid) while the pump is running, the liquid chlorine 30-60 minutes later, and then let the pump run another 30-60 minutes to be sure both are distributed throughout the pool. You don't have to leave the pump on 24/7 unless you're in the midst of shocking to kill algae or have some other reason to leave it on.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Please keep all your posts regarding your pool issues on this one thread - it makes it easier for the folks responding as they have your specific details all in one place.

 

[laurandavid09]

Re: First round of testing

TH-looks like around 200-400, it is a light purple color.
FC-Bromine-0/0
pH-7.8-8.4. Bright pink color
TA-180
CYA-0

I have also been running my pump all the time. Now that I am getting stuff to normal, can I just run it during the day and leave it off at night?

Not exactly sure what your goal is here. I believe that in another thread you mentioned that your pool was green, so are you trying to fight algae?

As you may have already surmised, test strips can be maddeningly imprecise (and have been known to be inaccurate) but if you believe the results, there are one or two things you can do even without more accurate testing.

1) Reduce the pH
Using the Pool Calculator determine the correct amount of Muriatic Acid (MA)
to reduce your pH from (let's say, 8.0) to 7.3

2) Increase Free Chlorine (FC) to 3.0 ppm or higher using liquid chlorine or 6% bleach
You can use the Pool Calculator to determine exact amount

Add the MA (acid) while the pump is running, the liquid chlorine 30-60 minutes later, and then let the pump run another 30-60 minutes to be sure both are distributed throughout the pool. You don't have to leave the pump on 24/7 unless you're in the midst of shocking to kill algae or have some other reason to leave it on.

My pool was green, but it has cleared up a lot. I had put in some black algae chemical and it seemed to help and clear up the algae. I can now pretty much see to the bottom in the whole pool. It is clearer in the shallow end than the deep end. So now I am just trying to get my test results to where my water is ready to swim. I do not necessarily believe the results, that is why I said it could be a starting point until I receive my TF100 kit to do better testing.

Also about combining the post, the initial topic of this went off topic when I started talking about getting my pool clean. But I guess whatever. I thought I could start off a new topic with just test results, so that we would go from there. With it being buried in this post, people may not want to look that far into it.

When I am doing this, should I keep using my chlorine tablets as well? Also I assume you can buy the bleach at any grocery store? Is there any specific one I should look for? I see chlorox mentioned a lot. It says to add 115 oz. Jug size 96 oz. If it wants to add 115 oz, why does it say to get jug size 96 oz?

Also the muriatic acid, it says 31.45%-20 baume. Is this a specific type of acid I need to look for? I assume I can get this at like Home Depot or Lowes?

Also is there anything I should add to clear up the water, or will these chemicals clear up the water? Also can this be done at any time of the day or should it be done at a certain time of day? If it is raining does this matter? Also when I add this stuff, should I try to add it equally all around the pool?

Sorry for all the questions.

Thanks.

 

[PaulR]

Re: First round of testing

I thought I could start off a new topic with just test results, so that we would go from there. With it being buried in this post, people may not want to look that far into it.

Not to worry. I don't know about other people, but I use "view new posts" to see what has been posted lately, then there's a way to jump to the end without rereading everything.

When I am doing this, should I keep using my chlorine tablets as well?

No. Because you've been using the tabs all along, I do not trust the CYA 0 result from the strips.

Also I assume you can buy the bleach at any grocery store? Is there any specific one I should look for? I see chlorox mentioned a lot.

Yes, grocery stores, also big-box stores like Target or Walmart. Clorox has good quality control, but then so do some of the big-box house brands. You should shop around. Some of the other non-name brands are actually 3% bleach and not worth the money, stick with the big names.

Also the muriatic acid, it says 31.45%-20 baume. Is this a specific type of acid I need to look for? I assume I can get this at like Home Depot or Lowes?

Yes, 31.45% is standard. Home Depot has started carrying a 14.5% product, which fumes less but you need to use about twice as much (and it seems to cost more than half as much). Again shop around.

Also is there anything I should add to clear up the water, or will these chemicals clear up the water? Also can this be done at any time of the day or should it be done at a certain time of day? If it is raining does this matter? Also when I add this stuff, should I try to add it equally all around the pool?

Adding bleach should clear up the water. In principle the time of day doesn't matter much, although some people like to add chlorine in the evening.

We recommend adding chemicals while the pump is running; pour bleach (or acid) slowly in front of a return jet, so the jet will push it out through the pool fairly quickly.
--paulr

 

[laurandavid09]

Re: First round of testing

Yes, grocery stores, also big-box stores like Target or Walmart. Clorox has good quality control, but then so do some of the big-box house brands. You should shop around. Some of the other non-name brands are actually 3% bleach and not worth the money, stick with the big names.

So will they say 6% on the jug? Also about the 115oz but use a 96 oz jug how does that work?

Yes, 31.45% is standard. Home Depot has started carrying a 14.5% product, which fumes less but you need to use about twice as much (and it seems to cost more than half as much). Again shop around.

Again will it list this 31.45% on the jug itself?

We recommend adding chemicals while the pump is running; pour bleach (or acid) slowly in front of a return jet, so the jet will push it out through the pool fairly quickly.
--paulr

Will do on adding the chemicals. So do I need to take out the floating cholorinator and not use it anymore at all?

Thanks.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Yes, it will list the concentrations on the jugs.

Clorox Original Scent is 6%, as is the Wal-mart "Great Value" brand. Make sure you get the "unscented" or "original" variety - you don't want any scented bleaches.

as for exact amounts, some use a measuring cup, others (like myself) just guestimate.

 

[laurandavid09]

Yes, it will list the concentrations on the jugs.

Clorox Original Scent is 6%, as is the Wal-mart "Great Value" brand. Make sure you get the "unscented" or "original" variety - you don't want any scented bleaches.

as for exact amounts, some use a measuring cup, others (like myself) just guestimate.

Yea I understand that part, just do not understand where it says to add 115 oz, but use a 96 oz jug. Is the 96 oz jug equal to 115 oz, or it is telling you to just get a 96 oz just go get you close enough?

Again sorry for all the questions, but starting to get an understanding of what needs to happen.

 

[PaulR]

do not understand where it says to add 115 oz, but use a 96 oz jug. Is the 96 oz jug equal to 115 oz, or it is telling you to just get a 96 oz just go get you close enough?

This is in the Pool Calculator? You tell it what jug size you have. Although that is really not important. (When it tells you 115 oz, if you position your mouse cursor over the 115, then in the white box at the top it will say something like "1 jug 2 cups 3 ounces" which will add up to 115. That's the only reason it wants to know jug size, as far as I know.)

Like FPM suggested, it's not crucial to get it exactly right, but somewhere pretty close.
--paulr

 

[laurandavid09]

do not understand where it says to add 115 oz, but use a 96 oz jug. Is the 96 oz jug equal to 115 oz, or it is telling you to just get a 96 oz just go get you close enough?

This is in the Pool Calculator? You tell it what jug size you have. Although that is really not important. (When it tells you 115 oz, if you position your mouse cursor over the 115, then in the white box at the top it will say something like "1 jug 2 cups 3 ounces" which will add up to 115. That's the only reason it wants to know jug size, as far as I know.)

Like FPM suggested, it's not crucial to get it exactly right, but somewhere pretty close.
--paulr

Ok understood now. Also how long after I add these chemicals should I test? I should be receiving my TF100 kit tomorrow. So I guess I will add the stuff today and be able to test tomorrow.

Also I saw it say I could add muriatic acid or dry acid. Is either one better than the other and is either one just as easy to find?

Also after all of this, should I continue to use my floating chlorinator? Also while I am adding the chemicals, I read above that I should not use the floating chrloinator correct?

There are the tabs I am using now

http://www.lesliespool.com/browse/Home/ ... 00/I/12439


Is the TF100 kit pretty easy to use?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Yea I understand that part, just do not understand where it says to add 115 oz, but use a 96 oz jug. Is the 96 oz jug equal to 115 oz, or it is telling you to just get a 96 oz just go get you close enough?

The pool calculator allows you to select the size container you're buying (96oz, 182oz, etc.) by using the pull down menu, and if you mouse over the "Add" field, it'll tell you in the "Mouse over a field for detail" (top) field how many jugs and parts of jugs you need to add. It's just a convienience feature.

Paul & I were typing at the same time. but here's mine anyway.

 

[laurandavid09]

I assume this is the muriatic acid that will work?

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... key=Search