N00B here looking for guidance

[HoleInOne]

Got her open and circulating for the first time.
First test results TF100 test kit:
FC 24
CC 1.0
TC 25
PH 7.2
T/A doesn't register after 100 drops
CYA There's no black dot in my test tube??

 

[JasonLion]

There should be a special tube, narrower than the two mixing tubes, with a black dot on the bottom of the inside of the tube. If you didn't get one you should contact TFTestKits right away.

Can you describe what happened when you did the TA test? What color did it turn when you first added the indicator to the sample and did that color change at all through the course of the test?

Having FC up at 24 may be a little high, depending on what your CYA level turns out to be. One way to get a very approximate guess at the CYA level is to watch how much FC you lose over the course of a sunny day.

 

[HoleInOne]

TA turned green but never changed when adding drops. The tube I was using for CYA said "Taylor C. A. view tube" but there is no black dot on it. Should I just take a Sharpie and add a dot?

 

[JasonLion]

This is what the CYA view tube should look like. You can see the black dot on the bottom in their photo. Drawing a black dot yourself might be better than nothing, but it won't give you a properly calibrated result, since there won't be the correct contrast between the black dot and the white ring that is supposed to be around it.

Do the TA test again, but this time use 10 ml of pool water, 1 drop of R-0007, 3 drops of R-0008, and multiply the number of drops of R-0009 by 25 to get your TA level. Also, wipe the tip of the dropper bottle with a damp tissue every couple of drops.

 

[coffeelady]

My tube looks exactly like that except no black dot....I will retest the TA and let you know.

 

[HoleInOne]

Color changed from green to kinda orange at 8 drops so I,m assuming TA is 200?

 

[HoleInOne]

By using the Sharpie black dot method, CYA is 90.

 

[JamesW]

Color changed from green to kinda orange at 8 drops so I,m assuming TA is 200?

With the FC being so high, sometimes you need to use an extra drop or two of R-0007 (chlorine neutralizer) to get the best results. Retry the test using extra R-0007.

 

[duraleigh]

Holeinone,

YOu have a TF-100 and your CYA view tube has no black dot? Please PM me with your last name and we'll fix that. :lol:

 

[JasonLion]

With CYA around 80-90, FC at 24 is normal shock level.

TA around 200 is a little high, but not so bad. The next time FC is below 10, start working on lowering TA (see the article in Pool School on how to do that).

 

[HoleInOne]

The water looks good. I'm gonna test for a few days with the pump running and see what happens. Thanks all for the help. Hopefully I will be able to help another lost soul when I get some experience.

 

[HoleInOne]

Ok, it's been a week and here are my results after a week with nothing added.
FC 11.5
CC 1.0
TC 12.5
PH 7.2
TA 110
CYA 110

How am I looking?
I am going to add some Borax and try to fix the PH. By backwashing and adding water I hope to reduce CYA over the summer.

 

[JasonLion]

It is best to leave the PH alone. PH between 7.2 and 8.0 is fine to swim in, plus your TA is still just a little high so PH will tend to drift up slowly.

Big improvement in TA

CC is still 1.0, which is not so great. Have you had the cover on most of the time? Sunlight helps break down CC, and without at least some sunlight the CC won't always go away. If the cover has been open, then the CC might be a sign that your CYA level is actually higher. It is very difficult to measure CYA levels around 100 or higher with any precision.

 

[HoleInOne]

Cover has been open on sunny days and closed at night. I am amazed that CYA is so high. Pool was filled last August and I only used pucks for about two months.

 

[chem geek]

If you had a chlorine demand of 2 ppm FC per day, then using Trichlor pucks would add 2*30*0.61 = 36.6 ppm CYA PER MONTH so over two months that's a 73 ppm CYA increase. When added to your initial CYA level (say, 30 ppm) you could get over 100 ppm. Of course, this assumes no water dilution.

The following are chemical facts that are independent of pool size or concentration of product:

For every 10 ppm FC added by Trichlor, it also increases Cyanuric Acid (CYA) by 6 ppm.
For every 10 ppm FC added by Dichlor, it also increases CYA by 9 ppm.
For every 10 ppm FC added by Cal-Hypo, it also increases Calcium Hardness (CH) by at least 7 ppm.

 

[HoleInOne]

Back again. CYA is down to about 80 (still kinda high I know but I'm working it down) T/A is a little high but all other readings are in the normal range. I'm using about 3/4 gallon of 10% bleach per day. Pool temp is mid 90"s. Full sun all day. Is this normal usage?

 

[chem geek]

3/4-gallon of 10% bleach in 15,000 gallons per day is 5 ppm FC per day which is definitely high. Something in your pool is consuming chlorine. You should do an overnight chlorine loss test to see if it's just related to intense sun (and perhaps the CYA reading is off) or if there is something in your pool water consuming chlorine such as algae growth or some chemicals. Your FC should be high enough to be staying ahead of algae, but perhaps there's some nascent growth that needs some shocking. The overnight test can help figure this out.

You might also double check your bleach concentration. 1/4 teaspoon of 10% bleach in 2 gallons should be 16 ppm FC (1/8th teaspoon should be 8 ppm FC). Maybe your bleach isn't as strong as you think.

 

[HoleInOne]

3/4-gallon of 10% bleach in 15,000 gallons per day is 5 ppm FC per day which is definitely high. Something in your pool is consuming chlorine. You should do an overnight chlorine loss test to see if it's just related to intense sun (and perhaps the CYA reading is off) or if there is something in your pool water consuming chlorine such as algae growth or some chemicals. Your FC should be high enough to be staying ahead of algae, but perhaps there's some nascent growth that needs some shocking. The overnight test can help figure this out.

You might also double check your bleach concentration. 1/4 teaspoon of 10% bleach in 2 gallons should be 16 ppm FC (1/8th teaspoon should be 8 ppm FC). Maybe your bleach isn't as strong as you think.

Thanks I'll check it out.

Overnight test was good. Water is clear....I think I'll just carry on. It seems the info from my official tester was a bit skewed. Seems it was 3/4 gallon every two days. Not complaining cause she does it and I don't have to.

 

[HoleInOne]

In the process of shocking for the first time. FC when I went to bed last night was 25. Tested this morning at 18. Added bleach and checked 1 hour later 22. Added to bring back to 24. How long should this take? Is it safe to swim in?

 

[JPBoston]

In the process of shocking for the first time. FC when I went to bed last night was 25. Tested this morning at 18. Added bleach and checked 1 hour later 22. Added to bring back to 24. How long should this take? Is it safe to swim in?

I'm not one of the resident experts... But NO!!! Do not swim with your FC that high!

Wait for an expert's advice for how high the FC can be before swimming, but its basically around 6ish. 18-24 FC will not be good on your skin.