New pool owner, fighting algae after a winter uncovered

[TonyM]

Oh, it's on now!

Look at what the little white truck left for me today - my TF100 kit! :-D

Have 1 more meeting, so it will be ~3pm CST before I get to try it out.

 

[linen]

Waiting on pins and needles for your first results

 

[Butterfly]

::

 

[TonyM]

Just rushed through a conference call - need to tidy my notes up before I move on to the important things (pool maintenance)

So - do i collect one large sample (i have a large opaque bottle), then come inside and do each test from that water? also, which order to test in? One more also, if I have 'floaties' in the water, do i need to filter the sample first?

Tony

 

[TonyM]

OK - Results time!

First, I must say that having this new test kit makes things MUCH easier. Performing a CYA test may be my new least favorite thing to do (very difficult for me to 'not see' something anymore .

So, I pulled my sample of water and ran it though all of the tests. Here are the results;

FC=8.5
CC=1.5
TC=10
TA=50
CH=210
CYA=70*

pH=6.8
CL=5
BR=10

*I did it 4 times at different angles and came close to 70 each time. My wife tried it once and got 90.

Tony

 

[jblizzle]

My thoughts (sort of in order of importance):
pH needs to be raised in the 7s
CC > 0.5 indicates a need to go through the shock process
CYA is a bit on the high side ... a water change would help but not required
TA might be a bit low, but not to worry about until after your pool is clean (water change and shocking)

The CL=5 / BR=10 test is really not needed as previously you found your TC was really 10. The test is a good sanity check to be sure there is chlorine in the water, but the FAS test is better.

EDIT: Review extended-test-kit-directions-t25081.html#p206397 for help with the CYA test

 

[PSW]

If your pH is really 6.8, I would get that in line sooner than later! Also, the CYA sounds like it is a little high. You don't have a SWCG, do you? If you were closer to 50ppm, you wouldn't need as much FC in your pool.

 

[TonyM]

The CL=5 / BR=10 test is really not needed as previously you found your TC was really 10. The test is a good sanity check to be sure there is chlorine in the water, but the FAS test is better.

Just curious - should that test match something from the 'big' test? I'm not really sure what the left side of the quick test is, to be honest.

If your pH is really 6.8, I would get that in line sooner than later! Also, the CYA sounds like it is a little high. You don't have a SWCG, do you? If you were closer to 50ppm, you wouldn't need as much FC in your pool.

It might be less than that - the color was a little lighter than the lowest on the test tube.
No SWG
I think that I can get the CYA down closer to 50, with all of the BW / Vacuuming to waste I am doing. If I didn’t think that draining the pool would damage the liner, Id gladly get to pumping ...

 

[PSW]

Just curious - should that test match something from the 'big' test? I'm not really sure what the left side of the quick test is, to be honest.

That is primarily to detect if you have FC in the pool at all. The 'big' test should be the one you rely on for accurate measurements.

It might be less than that - the color was a little lighter than the lowest on the test tube.

Again, this should be raised to 7.2-7.4

No SWG
I think that I can get the CYA down closer to 50, with all of the BW / Vacuuming to waste I am doing. If I didn’t think that draining the pool would damage the liner, Id gladly get to pumping ...

Sounds like a plan! Just keep an eye on CYA and don't add anything else that will make your CYA go up.

 

[jblizzle]

The chlorine test with the pH test is Total Chlorine ... You tested it at 10ppm, so of course the TC test was maxed out at 5. This is exactly why you have to have the FAS-DPD chlorine test.

Get the pH up in the 7s using borax or soda ash SOON ... it may take a lot since the pH could be well below 6.8

You do not HAVE to change out water to lower your CYA now and can slowly try to reduce it. 70ppm is manageable and as long as you are aware of it, you can keep the FC in the correct range.

 

[Butterfly]

Looks like Jason & Blake got you covered

On the OTO chlorine yellow drop test, ignore the BR reading. That is for a bromine pool and you have a chlorine pool. The OTO test is a bulletproof test to determine the presence of chlorine.

And, as said, get that pH up! Use borax and get the pH to low to mid 7's. Do that first.

 

[TonyM]

The chlorine test with the pH test is Total Chlorine ... You tested it at 10ppm, so of course the TC test was maxed out at 5. This is exactly why you have to have the FAS-DPD chlorine test.

Ah - I see. That makes sense.

Get the pH up in the 7s using borax or soda ash SOON ... it may take a lot since the pH could be well below 6.8

I will have to wait until tomorrow (we have used all the Borax - gotta get more). All we have is about a pound of "PH+" that the previous homeowner left behind.

Should I keep poring the bleach to it (even though the pH will not be adjusted until tomorrow)?

You do not HAVE to change out water to lower your CYA now and can slowly try to reduce it. 70ppm is manageable and as long as you are aware of it, you can keep the FC in the correct range.

Thats what I was thinking. I am flushing / filling so much that turning the water over shouldnt be that tough. Even if it is high after we kill the algae (and get everything else good), we can always lower it even more after the kids splash out half of the water.

 

[jblizzle]

There should not be any harm in putting the PH+ into the pool ... it is likely the same chemical anyway and you have it on hand. Just get more Borax as soon as you can to get the pH up.

You can keep adding bleach, just note that the pH test will be off if your FC is > 10ppm

 

[TonyM]

one more question on the test kit-

On the CH test, it says "NOTE:If the pool water contains copper, add two drops of R-0012 PRIOR to adding R-0011L and continue".

How do I know if it contains copper?

(sorry if this is a dumb question)

 

[jblizzle]

Having your water tested for metal at the pool store is one option. Have you ever put anything in that contains copper (algaecide?)

I would just proceed as though you do not have any unless there is reason to suspect you do.

 

[march2012]

The CL=5 / BR=10 test is really not needed as previously you found your TC was really 10. The test is a good sanity check to be sure there is chlorine in the water, but the FAS test is better.

Just curious - should that test match something from the 'big' test? I'm not really sure what the left side of the quick test is, to be honest.

If your pH is really 6.8, I would get that in line sooner than later! Also, the CYA sounds like it is a little high. You don't have a SWCG, do you? If you were closer to 50ppm, you wouldn't need as much FC in your pool.

It might be less than that - the color was a little lighter than the lowest on the test tube.
No SWG
I think that I can get the CYA down closer to 50, with all of the BW / Vacuuming to waste I am doing. If I didn’t think that draining the pool would damage the liner, Id gladly get to pumping ...

Does the tf100 have base demand? The base demand lets you add back base drop by drop until you get to the desired ph. Then you can figure out based on that how much base you need to add. It can also help you to understand how far above or below the range you really are. Especially since the colors are sometimes hard to tell.

 

[jblizzle]

Does the tf100 have base demand? The base demand lets you add back base drop by drop until you get to the desired ph. Then you can figure out based on that how much base you need to add. It can also help you to understand how far above or below the range you really are. Especially since the colors are sometimes hard to tell.

No it does not ... although personally I never really found that useful before I got the TF100

 

[Bama Rambler]

one more question on the test kit-

On the CH test, it says "NOTE:If the pool water contains copper, add two drops of R-0012 PRIOR to adding R-0011L and continue".

How do I know if it contains copper?

(sorry if this is a dumb question)

it's not a dumb question. If the endpoint was clear (as in easily discerned), then you're good.

 

[TonyM]

Sneaking up on my pH. Ran the pool calculator and it said that I needed just shy of 3 boxes of borax. I added 2 last night, and this morning I am at pH=7.2.

My FC had dropped below shock level, so I added bleach (one large jug) and I will add another box of Borax after lunch.

The water is clear for the first foot - then cloudy. Last night (while adding the Borax in the dark) I could clearly see with the flashlight that the sediment seems to be staying at the level just below the skimmer. I'm going to stir things up a little more today to get the particles to the top. I will probably vacuum to waste one more time (I don't think there are too many leaves left on the bottom), then vacuum to filter to try to suck up the sediment.

What are the thoughts on hooking up my Aquabug when the bottom is not visible?

Also, one more bit of info that will affect the pH:

Since I am BW / Vac to waste, I am adding water daily. Since my pH was low, I have a garden hose strapped to a post, with the nozzle pointing up (to create a fountain while filling). I have the hose on an automatic timer, adding 20 minutes of water every 4 hours.

Tony

 

[duraleigh]

Hi, Tony,

I wouldn't add that last box of borax. 7.2 is fine and it will very likely rise on it's own over time.

Dave