am i infested?

[cybernation]

Everyday i have to clean the pool and get rid of all these bugs:

I also have i think sand at the bottom of the pool that i can't seem to get rid of....

Is this normal? if i hit it with the pole / foot, it dusts up and disappears. I'm guessing it's sand.

I do have a sand filter. I'm guessing it needs some TLC?

My neighbour has a large maple tree that very close to my pool.

What do you guys think?

 

[RobbieH]

Are you positive it's sand from the filter though? Can you touch it and see if it's gritty? Pool filter sand is very gritty.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Wow, you have as many bugs as we do. Most of ours are ants and small bees though.

You can run the OCLT to be sure but it just looks like dirt to me.

 

[Butterfly]

It will help if you post a full set of test results:

FC
CC
pH
TA
CYA
CH

When you touch the stuff, does it geel slimy, gritty, squishy?

 

[cybernation]

Fc 3
Ph 7.7
Ta 170
Cya 25 ish... I had to fill the entire Taylor test tube to not see the black dot.
Pool temp average 28
Ch 130
tested on Sat

I just tested last night for FC.. it was 3.0 last night and this morning was 2.5
ph was 7.8 - 7.9

the brown stuff that's on the seams feels gritty/slimy.. i'll have another feel tonight.

I just moved into the house last weekend, so i'm not sure when or if the filter on the sand filter has been changed.

 

[RobbieH]

Sand rarely if ever needs to be changed in my opinion, despite what the pool store says (5 year life).

 

[cybernation]

hmm i have to figure out how to do CC vs FC with this taylor 2005 test kit....

i added the power, then added r0003 i believe... and i thought that was FC..

 

[frogabog]

Do you have a working skimmer? If so, do you see surface debris flowing into it?

I can't really help on the bugs, we're relatively bug free here and most of the ones that do land in the pool go right into the skimmer. But I see a lot of grass in your images and wanted to suggest placing a foot bath at the ladder and instruct swimmers to rinse their feet before climbing into the pool. At least part of your debris problem will be solved this way.

If you have kids with broken listeners who routinely step over the foot bath, let me know. I've employed a dictatorship footbath solution that solved the broken listener problem around our pool. This whole season I've only seen two blades of grass in the skimmer and I think it was a "friend" who bothered to overstep. My kids know mom expects a grass free pool by now. :~}

 

[RobbieH]

If you have a 2005, all you'll have is the Chlorine/pH block test thingy where you match colors.

The 2006 you add R-0870 powder to your pool water, then add drops of R-0871 until the water is clear. Then you add 5 drops R-0003, then add R-0871 again until clear. If this is the kit you have, I will point you in the right direction for the detailed information.

If you still believe you have a 2005, here's how:
Add water to the chlorine side of the block, make water or bottom of water miniscus even with line near the top of the block.
Add 5 drops R-0001 and agitate
Add 5 drops R-0002 and agitate
Match color of solution to the scale. This is your free chlorine (FC)
Add 5 drops R-0003 and agitate
Match color to scale, this is your total chlorine (TC)
Subtract FC from TC to get CC (TC-FC=CC)

 

[cybernation]

lemme check tonight on which one.. i do add the r-0870 power.. 2 droppers, and it instantly turns pink.

 

[linen]

I believe the Taylor 2005 is a DPD test. That kit can only test up to 5 ppm (without dilution). You will really benefit for a FAS-DPD kit, especially when having problems. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

CC= TC-FC (but only applicable below 5 ppm for the dpd test you have).

Since you are below 5 you can run a OCLT :http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/overnight_fc_test

edit: just saw RobbieH's post, some repeat info here, and since it sounds like you have a FAS-DPD test, doing an OCLT should be easy.

 

[frogabog]

hmm i have to figure out how to do CC vs FC with this taylor 2005 test kit....

i added the power, then added r0003 i believe... and i thought that was FC..

If you have powder, it's a K-2006. Robbie just posted how to use a K-2005 to get CC but I believe you have a K-2006 because you mention powder.

****************************
Fill the sample to 10ml.

Add 1heaping or two scoops of the R-0870 DPD powder (it only needs to turn pink, if one scoop does it then don't bother with the second scoop). Swirl.

Then use R-0871 reagent by drop and count till it turns clear. For the 10ml sample, each drop equals .5ppm. This result is your Free Chlorine (FC)

THEN... add 5 drops of R-0003. If the solution turns pink again, you have combined chlorine.

Then add R-0871 drop by drop. Again, each drop equals .5ppm. Count these drops till the solution turns clear again. Add the number of drops added here to the number of drops you used before adding R-0003 and total. This is your Total Chlorine (TC).

Then compute: TC - FC = CC (combined chlorine).

 

[cybernation]

cool will do that frogabog....

i can't believe your kids go swimming in 54f water... my wife and i are cold at 24c, and we have never had our water over 29 c.

 

[frogabog]

LOL, it's really only that cold when we fill or in early spring. But they will swim in it if I let them and their lips turn blue. 74 degrees in there yesterday. They thought they were in a hot tub :~}