I attached a spread sheet from the last four test that I have from the pool store. I am getting frustrated and or concerned that the chlorine is always low. I have added the chemicals that are recommended but it seems to not be producing a lot of chlorine. I currently have my system set up to run from 6-10 am and 6-10 pm, and from what I have read it should be running when the sun is on the pool the most so I made the revisions tonight on the easy touch. That may be the problem. I have a test kit but still cannot pull the trigger to see if I am right because when I take it to the pool store my numbers are always off on chlorine but are good on CYA. I have plugged my numbers into the calculator and it seems to want me to add about 179 oz of bleach and 821 oz of calcium. After my test today I did add 20 lbs of calcium plus. Just looking for some guidance and help, I really want to get away from the pool store chemicals, but i am scared of my own test to use the calculator. Please help.
Need some help
- Thread starter TK
- Start date
Do you have one of the FAS-DPD chlorine test kits recommended here? What are you using to test with? A full set of your test results will help.
The results in the file are from the pool store. I meant........YOUR testing results using the TF100 kit. Sorry I wasn't clear. What are you scared of using the pool calculator?
What's up with this? CYA: 116 40 78 97 50
Unless you've been draining and refilling a lot lately, those numbers cannot be right.
Break out the kit and have at it! There are even videos on the Taylor website that show you how it's done. By the third or fourth time, you'll have the technique down. Even if you mess up a little, you'll still be more accurate and consistent than those pool store results!
Unless you've been draining and refilling a lot lately, those numbers cannot be right.
Break out the kit and have at it! There are even videos on the Taylor website that show you how it's done. By the third or fourth time, you'll have the technique down. Even if you mess up a little, you'll still be more accurate and consistent than those pool store results!
I pasted the info for reference. I can't figure out how those results came from a TF-100 test kit. That kit does not measure Total Hardness or Minerals or Borates.
And I cannot figure out how you got CYA levels that exact, 116 seems a bit strange to me. And I can't see how CYA goes from 116 to 40 in 10 days unless you dumped water and didn't mention that in the notes.
Oh wait.... those are pool store numbers???? Throw them out. Garbage. Test the water yourself and report back.
TK, as suggested, you should use the TF100 and post test results.
It can be a little intimidating at first, but you will get the hang of it quickly.
Someone is always around willing and able to help, so just holler.
It can be a little intimidating at first, but you will get the hang of it quickly.
Someone is always around willing and able to help, so just holler.
Jump in and start running your own numbers. There will be someone happy to help.
Curiously...are those "mineral" numbers TDS or Conductivity readings? No matter, Im just wondering if that is what they are.
Curiously...are those "mineral" numbers TDS or Conductivity readings? No matter, Im just wondering if that is what they are.
Brushpup said:
That is actually the salt numbers. I am out of town the rest of the week so I will test in the morning and when I get back.
TK
Did my test this morning and this is what I recorded:
PH: 7.8
FC: 2.5
CC: 0.5
TC:3.0
TA: 150
CA: 170
CYA: 70
24000 gallons, SWG
PH: 7.8
FC: 2.5
CC: 0.5
TC:3.0
TA: 150
CA: 170
CYA: 70
24000 gallons, SWG
How does the water look? Is it clear, or cloudy? If your SWG is starting from 0 FC it will have some problems keeping up. We usually recommend getting the FC up to the top of the daily range with bleach for a couple of days until the SWG is able to maintain that level. If the SWG cannot maintain that level then we need to decide if the cell needs cleaning or the pool needs shocking or if something else is going on.
If you've been away and the SWG was on and the first AM back you see 2.5 FC that is not bad.
CYA looks good, that is very important. Keep it there for now, test again in a week or so just in case it is higher, you will want to know.
FC is good, as long as water looks clear and sparkly you are fine. You may want to tweak the SWG setting over the next few days to keep it in range of 3-5.
pH is on the high end of OK, you will use acid to push this down to 7.5 for swimming, or to 7.0-7.2 to adjust TA
TA is high at 150 - you can either adjust this slowly or quickly. Slowly means adding acid every time the pH gets to 7.8 to bring pH to 7.5 or 7.2. Quickly means adding acid to adjust pH to 7.2 and aerating (turn return to hit surface or set up a spray bar or fountain) to bring pH up quickly and then retest TA, then repeat. Know that each time TA changes you will need to use the Pool Calculator to recalculate the acid needed to affect pH for the amount will vary.
Where you keep TA will depend on the TA of your fill water and how fast the pH changes for the pool. If your fill water has high TA (mine is 340!) and you are always adding water to the pool due to usage or evaporation, then keeping TA low will be an ongoing thing. I would LIKE to have TA at 60-70 for pH stability but I rarely get there, since I do it the slow way most of the time.
I will note that when you are adjusting pH in the beginning, it may be wise to calculate the volume of acid needed to go to 7.5 pH, measure carefully, then an hour later retest and see if you hit the target. I say this because you can use the calculator to fine tune your pool volume this way. I found my pool was 1K gallons more than described on the sales ticket, probably due to piping and the spa.
CYA looks good, that is very important. Keep it there for now, test again in a week or so just in case it is higher, you will want to know.
FC is good, as long as water looks clear and sparkly you are fine. You may want to tweak the SWG setting over the next few days to keep it in range of 3-5.
pH is on the high end of OK, you will use acid to push this down to 7.5 for swimming, or to 7.0-7.2 to adjust TA
TA is high at 150 - you can either adjust this slowly or quickly. Slowly means adding acid every time the pH gets to 7.8 to bring pH to 7.5 or 7.2. Quickly means adding acid to adjust pH to 7.2 and aerating (turn return to hit surface or set up a spray bar or fountain) to bring pH up quickly and then retest TA, then repeat. Know that each time TA changes you will need to use the Pool Calculator to recalculate the acid needed to affect pH for the amount will vary.
Where you keep TA will depend on the TA of your fill water and how fast the pH changes for the pool. If your fill water has high TA (mine is 340!) and you are always adding water to the pool due to usage or evaporation, then keeping TA low will be an ongoing thing. I would LIKE to have TA at 60-70 for pH stability but I rarely get there, since I do it the slow way most of the time.
I will note that when you are adjusting pH in the beginning, it may be wise to calculate the volume of acid needed to go to 7.5 pH, measure carefully, then an hour later retest and see if you hit the target. I say this because you can use the calculator to fine tune your pool volume this way. I found my pool was 1K gallons more than described on the sales ticket, probably due to piping and the spa.
zea3 said:
The water has always looked good and still looks good. You can tell what kind of screws are in the main drains in 8 foot of water. I have been fighting the FC since I finished the pool a few months back. It seems that the results are better since I stated running the pool during the middloe of the day. Hopefully everything will be fine when I get back Sunday. I will test Sunday and post again.
It is set at 60%, which I may need to tweak that.
I went by the pool store earlier to check my numbers and this is why I get frustrated with my numbers, not saying that they are wrong but they are always so much different from mine.
PH: 8.2
FC: .5
TC: .5
TA: 119, adjusted to 90
CA: 266
CYA: 98
I went by the pool store earlier to check my numbers and this is why I get frustrated with my numbers, not saying that they are wrong but they are always so much different from mine.
PH: 8.2
FC: .5
TC: .5
TA: 119, adjusted to 90
CA: 266
CYA: 98
TK,
You haven't been on the forum long but take this to the bank....
Trust your own testing!! No one cares about your pool like you do and, given a good test kit, your testing is ALWAYS more reliable than a pool store.
You haven't been on the forum long but take this to the bank....
Trust your own testing!! No one cares about your pool like you do and, given a good test kit, your testing is ALWAYS more reliable than a pool store.
TK said:
But they ARE wrong.
A more interesting question is "why?" Do they use strips? (and then run those strips through a black box that spits out fine numbers with 3 or four significant digits with decimal places so that they look exact) Do they use a fresh water sample? Do they carefully count and swirl?
I had the same problem with my dense brain, keep comparing my TF-100 results with the pool store results.
BAD IDEA!
Once I quit doing that, my pool went to perfect really fast with the help here at TFP.
P.S. Try and calculate your pool size as close as you can! My pool store didn't have me measure it, just asked what size it was and they overshot it by 1000 gals! :x
That is also partly why I got "Pool Stored" all of last year.
Use the calculator at the bottom of page here:
http://www.thepoolcalculator.com/
Chuck
BAD IDEA!
Once I quit doing that, my pool went to perfect really fast with the help here at TFP.
P.S. Try and calculate your pool size as close as you can! My pool store didn't have me measure it, just asked what size it was and they overshot it by 1000 gals! :x
That is also partly why I got "Pool Stored" all of last year.
Use the calculator at the bottom of page here:
http://www.thepoolcalculator.com/
Chuck
Just got back from the beach and these are the numbers:
PH: 7.8
FC: 5
CC:.5
TC:5.5
TA:110
CH:170
CYA:60
Jumped in and the water actually and finally feels good, also crystal clear.
PH: 7.8
FC: 5
CC:.5
TC:5.5
TA:110
CH:170
CYA:60
Jumped in and the water actually and finally feels good, also crystal clear.