Just Starting Pool Ownership

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Natesroom

0
May 30, 2011
36
Orlando, Fl
My fiance has been working on her pool for 6-8 months and cannot seem to get it under her control (single working mom with 2 kids) We Don't live together so i have to travel aways to get to her house and do stuff and then leave and go home. We'll be married in 4 more weeks but i have told her i will take full responsibility for the pool.

I have been lurking on here for a long time (as you can see since at least May when i registered) and i am tired of having to deal with the pool store, it always seems to end up with us trusting this secret society of individuals and buying more stuff.

I did read the information that you want me to post in the Just Getting Started Stickie thread and i will update this post with photos of the system tomorrow plus my latest reading from the pool store as i dont even know what all the parts and sizes are.

I'm just hoping that you guys can help guide me through the fire.

Thanks!
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• IN GROUND POOL

EQUIPMENT
  • Intermatic Mechanical Timer
    In-ground Skimmer
    Tablet Chlorinator (Rainbow 320)
 
Welcome to the forum :wave:

Along with Pool School, you need a good test kit to take control of the pool.

Test kit comparisons are in Pool School, but the fav around here is the TF100.
Link in my sig.

And, btw, we have fire guides :-D
 
Butterfly said:
Welcome to the forum :wave:

Along with Pool School, you need a good test kit to take control of the pool.

Test kit comparisons are in Pool School, but the fav around here is the TF100.
Link in my sig.

And, btw, we have fire guides :-D
Click to expand...

Yeah i've read all the introductory stuff the last three or four months i have read through the BBB method and will be ordering my very own TF100 (dang wedding savings)

I will bump this thread when i update with pics and information and chemical readings tomorrow!

Thanks for the help...
 
Hi! Just wanted to chime in on the TF-100 kit. We are newbies as well (pool installed & filled last week). Ordered kit Friday and it was delivered quickly. The test kit comes with easy to use directions and all the tests you'll need to get accurate results for your water.

We love TFP! The information we found here helped us avoid all the pool store gimmicks right from the start :hammer:

good luck with the pool & congrats on your upcoming wedding :cheers:
 

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I just got back from the pool store here's what they told me (still waiting for my tf100)

ESTIMATED - 22000 gallons, Concrete In Ground Pool

TC - 1.7

PH - 7.5

CYA - 11 (then after i questioned him he did a "different" test) then 30

TA - 148

CH - 238

how does this look to you guys?

I'm Hoping to get my Kit Friday (maybe) or Saturday and then post what has happened to my pool!
 
They didn't do a Total Chlorine test? Dangit!

Regardless, your chlorine level is too low for 30ppm CYA. Plug your test results into the pool calculator and use bleach to raise chlorine to 7ppm. Actually since you don't know about CC, I'd raise it to 10ppm as a sort of bandaid measure to make sure you are able to keep chlorine in the pool for the next few hours. If your CYA is at 9, that will raise it to shock level but not if it's really 30ppm CYA. The difference in their test results is interesting and fairly wide. Can you tell us more about what each kind of test was and how they were performed?

You questioned them about CYA because why? Have you got a calculated guess at CYA due to the products previously added? I just ask to make sure we understand the background. There's a distinct difference in suggested chlorine levels between 9 and 30ppm CYA.

If you think it's really 30ppm, make sure to never let the FC drop below 3ppm, and every night you'll dose the pool up to 7ppm in preparation for the next day of sun and swimmers. At 30ppm CYA you should expect to loose 1-3ppm per day so dosing to 7ppm nightly helps ensure that you won't fall below 3 before the next dosing.

If you end up with a good solid value of 30ppm CYA I'd leave it there unless you are in a high sun/heat area. Let it stay at 30ppm and see how it does with daily chlorine loss. If you loose more than 3ppm every day no matter what, raising it to 40-50ppm might serve you better.

Lowering TA will also be something to address. That requires lowering pH with acid and then aerating to raise pH back up. This is done in stages. Pool school details this process.

When you get your TF100 run a full set of tests and post back with the total and combined chlorine readings. Most pools that fall below the minimum in relation to the CYA level will need to be shocked, even if they look great. It's the numbers that tell us if this is necessary, not how the pool looks.

OK, so go add bleach right away. :~}
 
Hi Natesroom and welcome to TFP! :)
Great to hear you ordered the TFD-100 test kit.
I'm in Clearwater, Fl., so just a couple of hours west of you. I would think your kit will be there in 3 days, that should have it in your hands most likely on Friday.
Just as we have been saying, do a complete set of test #'s, come back here and post them, sometimes it can be helpful to find out what has been put in the pool recently.
My suggestion from being in this central Fl. heat I would suggest closer to 40 CYA if you have 70-80% sun on the pool per day. We can address that once we know where it is.
At this point we need your own test results (not pool store) to give you solid advice as what to do.
My TF-100 test kit is the best tool in my toolbox and has helped me get my pool perfect and save lots of $$ by knowing exactly what I need to use with no more unneeded chemicals from the pool store. :hammer:

Chuck
 
frogabog said:
They didn't do a Total Chlorine test? Dangit!

Regardless, your chlorine level is too low for 30ppm CYA. Plug your test results into the pool calculator and use bleach to raise chlorine to 7ppm. Actually since you don't know about CC, I'd raise it to 10ppm as a sort of bandaid measure to make sure you are able to keep chlorine in the pool for the next few hours. If your CYA is at 9, that will raise it to shock level but not if it's really 30ppm CYA. The difference in their test results is interesting and fairly wide. Can you tell us more about what each kind of test was and how they were performed?

You questioned them about CYA because why? Have you got a calculated guess at CYA due to the products previously added? I just ask to make sure we understand the background. There's a distinct difference in suggested chlorine levels between 9 and 30ppm CYA.

If you think it's really 30ppm, make sure to never let the FC drop below 3ppm, and every night you'll dose the pool up to 7ppm in preparation for the next day of sun and swimmers. At 30ppm CYA you should expect to loose 1-3ppm per day so dosing to 7ppm nightly helps ensure that you won't fall below 3 before the next dosing.

If you end up with a good solid value of 30ppm CYA I'd leave it there unless you are in a high sun/heat area. Let it stay at 30ppm and see how it does with daily chlorine loss. If you loose more than 3ppm every day no matter what, raising it to 40-50ppm might serve you better.

Lowering TA will also be something to address. That requires lowering pH with acid and then aerating to raise pH back up. This is done in stages. Pool school details this process.

When you get your TF100 run a full set of tests and post back with the total and combined chlorine readings. Most pools that fall below the minimum in relation to the CYA level will need to be shocked, even if they look great. It's the numbers that tell us if this is necessary, not how the pool looks.

OK, so go add bleach right away. :~}
Click to expand...

Yeah i don't know what "tests" they ran, also i questioned them about my CYA because on Tuesday it was 30 and i added an entire canister of Stabilizer that same evening... so i would be very surprised that they would say its gone down to 11 after 2 days.

He did say my TC and my FC were the same.. i had no CC floating around.
 
supertune said:
Hi Natesroom and welcome to TFP! :)
Great to hear you ordered the TFD-100 test kit.
I'm in Clearwater, Fl., so just a couple of hours west of you. I would think your kit will be there in 3 days, that should have it in your hands most likely on Friday.

My suggestion from being in this central Fl. heat I would suggest closer to 40 CYA if you have 70-80% sun on the pool per day. We can address that once we know where it is.

Chuck
Click to expand...

Yes high heat and sun... I have added nothing but 2 jugs of 2.5 gallons 10.5% bleach...
 
Heard back from the PPL today Test kit should be in today... is it that easy to just jump right in and get test results without messing it up half a dozen times?

I did read the "Extended Test Kit" Manual on here...
I'm wondering that the BBB method uses Bleach but in my reading in Pool School it seems like its ok to swap that for Liquid Chlorine but in the pool calculator it does have the option to choose 10% (which is my pool supply concentration) but the jugs only go up to 182 is that correct? Does it make a difference if i change the jug amount?
 
The testing is actually quite simple, just follow the directions. Line up your bottles in order before you perform each test, and maybe write on them the # of drops each requires. And note the sample size on them as well. If you die... that way your family can still care for the pool easily hehe (in all seriousness, that's what I thought as I wrote on my bottles).

Bleach is chlorine, as is liquid chlorine, as is solid chlorine (trichlor, dichlor, cal-hypo). Just change the calculator to match whatever you're using. The size of bottle doesn't matter, it just references a size so when the calculator says (1.4 128oz bottles) you know what it's referring to. If your bottles are bigger, it shouldn't be too hard to convert and calculate manually using the information the calculator provides.
 
RobbieH said:
Can't wait to see the CYA level...
Click to expand...

I too agree with this statement. If she's been using the tablets for 4-6 months, without draining and filling the pool with fresh water I find it hard that the CYA level is only 11-30. I would question this low number, as well as high margin of difference? 10% sanitizer and 6% bleach are the same thing.....just liquid chlorine. The size of the bottle only changes the number of bottles you'll add each time to your pool.

I would start by lowering the PH levels some, as I'll put money says once your test kits shows up you'll find yourself having to shock the pool to lower the CC number. Good luck with both the wedding and the pool, both sure have their up's and down's. :D
 

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