I've been lurking for a couple of weeks - long enough for you all to help me clean up a swamp - but this is my first post. Have been a dichlor and trichlor user until this week, as I am switching to liquid chlorine.
My main question is whether my low CH reading should be addressed and if so, how? Also do I need to raise my TA at all? How do I know how much liquid chlorine to use to maintain proper FC levels, assuming I get back down to 70ish CYA? Would that be the calculator?
Here are the results:
FC 11
CC .5 or less
CYA 100 (reasonably confident this is not a capped reading that is really materially higher than shown)
pH 7.5
TA 90
CH 120
I welcome any advice. I was at 280 CH and 120 TA 1 week ago, but that was with a dark swamp - not sure if the result would be skewed from that. Plus the drain and refill process discussed below probably also led to the dilution down to my current readings.
In case more background is helpful (and really just to get it off my chest), here is my story:
Latest activities have been a partial drain and refill. Drained about 40-50% at first, then two more 25-30% drains, just to get to 100. Very rough estimates based on diluted CYA tests would suggest CYA was maybe in the 250-350 range before draining. I still have about 8-12" refill to go to get back to proper water level.
Last year my CYA levels were very high, but the pool store recommended delaying draining as long as possible, so i knew it was only a matter of time. But, despite the ridiculous CYA levels this year, when I went swampy 3 weeks ago, the pool store gave me, wait for it, dichlor, and recommended dumping the whole 25 lb. bucket in. I did, nothing happened, and so I found your site, bought the test kit, and the drain began. After the 50% drain and refill, miraculously, dark green started turning to milky white. But the CYA still wouldn't register, so I've continued the drain and refill process. Will probably do it one more time to try to get around 50-70. But that will be after finally enjoying my pool this weekend.
Can you believe that yesterday the pool store ran their tests and said everything was fine as they quickly dumped the water. When I pushed them specifically on CYA results, he said "well, it was 99, which is at the top of the OK range." 99. Not 100. Not 95. This guy is really accurate with his tests.
Of course the recommendation was to get back on the dichlor and trichlor regimen. I guess he's looking forward again to when it takes more than 25 lbs. of dichlor to shock my pool.
I did get some First Aid, which has always been helpful to speed up clarifying my dead algae, and it has worked again in 1 night after waiting several days to let the filter do it. But my next stop was the other pool store that sells liquid chlorine.
Since I have been refilling almost every night, haven't been able to run a meaningful OCLT, but I think I have licked the algae (eww) for now.
I appreciate all the work that has gone into making this site such a great resource. I've been learning a lot and hope to be able to contribute back to the community once my knowledge reaches the proper level. I promise no future post will even approach this length.
Ahh, I feel better already.
My main question is whether my low CH reading should be addressed and if so, how? Also do I need to raise my TA at all? How do I know how much liquid chlorine to use to maintain proper FC levels, assuming I get back down to 70ish CYA? Would that be the calculator?
Here are the results:
FC 11
CC .5 or less
CYA 100 (reasonably confident this is not a capped reading that is really materially higher than shown)
pH 7.5
TA 90
CH 120
I welcome any advice. I was at 280 CH and 120 TA 1 week ago, but that was with a dark swamp - not sure if the result would be skewed from that. Plus the drain and refill process discussed below probably also led to the dilution down to my current readings.
In case more background is helpful (and really just to get it off my chest), here is my story:
Latest activities have been a partial drain and refill. Drained about 40-50% at first, then two more 25-30% drains, just to get to 100. Very rough estimates based on diluted CYA tests would suggest CYA was maybe in the 250-350 range before draining. I still have about 8-12" refill to go to get back to proper water level.
Last year my CYA levels were very high, but the pool store recommended delaying draining as long as possible, so i knew it was only a matter of time. But, despite the ridiculous CYA levels this year, when I went swampy 3 weeks ago, the pool store gave me, wait for it, dichlor, and recommended dumping the whole 25 lb. bucket in. I did, nothing happened, and so I found your site, bought the test kit, and the drain began. After the 50% drain and refill, miraculously, dark green started turning to milky white. But the CYA still wouldn't register, so I've continued the drain and refill process. Will probably do it one more time to try to get around 50-70. But that will be after finally enjoying my pool this weekend.
Can you believe that yesterday the pool store ran their tests and said everything was fine as they quickly dumped the water. When I pushed them specifically on CYA results, he said "well, it was 99, which is at the top of the OK range." 99. Not 100. Not 95. This guy is really accurate with his tests.
Of course the recommendation was to get back on the dichlor and trichlor regimen. I guess he's looking forward again to when it takes more than 25 lbs. of dichlor to shock my pool.
I did get some First Aid, which has always been helpful to speed up clarifying my dead algae, and it has worked again in 1 night after waiting several days to let the filter do it. But my next stop was the other pool store that sells liquid chlorine.
Since I have been refilling almost every night, haven't been able to run a meaningful OCLT, but I think I have licked the algae (eww) for now.
I appreciate all the work that has gone into making this site such a great resource. I've been learning a lot and hope to be able to contribute back to the community once my knowledge reaches the proper level. I promise no future post will even approach this length.
Ahh, I feel better already.