Help....TF 100 Test Kit

[linda1164]

I am completely fustrated with this pool... This is all new to me... This is my 3rd season with this pool and a friend recommended this site to me. To make a long story short my pool has turned green 2x. After numerous chemical purchases I realized that the SWG was not producing chlorine. I called the pool company and after $150.00 svc call and who knows how much the part is! It is now fixed. I've been going to my local pool store Chemix which i think is better then leslie to get my water tested every few days or so. it was pretty consistant. We went away over the weekend and the test kit came. These test numbers are probably from wed/Thurs of last week.
FC 3.0PPM
PH 6.9
TA 49
CYA 5,
salt 3200.
I added 2.5 lbs CYA earlier last week, then another 2.5 lbs CYA in a sock in the skimmer on Friday before i left to try to get the cya up to where it should be I figured that i would wait to receive the test kit to adjust anything else that needed to be done. Today i decided to test the pool water with the TF100 test kit.
I used the k-1000 first. (I did not see/read your extended test kit directions yet.)
The CL was bright orange...How could this be? PH was between the 7.2-7.5 range. Next I did the clorine drop test 2x The first time was 38 drops 2nd time was 36 drops x 0.5. Could my chlorine level really be 20PPM??? TA- The color never changed to red and went clear. I skipped the CH test and went to the CYA test. i filled the CA view tube to the top and i could still see the black dot so i am guessing that my CYA is extremely low, but i just added more CYA on Friday its possible that it is not registering. My SWG is saying that my salt is only 2200 PPM and i need to add salt. I don't even know what to do first. Its supposed to be 90 tomorrow. Can my kids swim in this??
Please Help!!

 

[Richard320]

Slow down.... breathe...

5 lbs of CYA in a 20,000 gallon pool will only get it to 30, and since that test is very subjective, may very well be 30, but you misread it. Or it hasn't finished dissolving. Or your pool is bigger than you think. Freeform pools are hard to estimate.

The pH is questionable, if your FC is truly that high. The orange color on the OTO test sort of tells me it is.

In which case, no, it's not safe for your kids yet. Shock level for 30 CYA is about 13, even less for 20. Keep the pump running and brush until you have completed the shock process. All three conditions! When it's over and FC is down to about 10, recheck pH and adjust it, add some more CYA, and then worry about the rest of it.

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, linda1164

Richard320 has got you covered! Follow his advice.

It is possible that FC is high, maybe due to a new swg that needs less on time then the old one when it worked. What is your current swg set for?

TA- The color never changed to red and went clear

How many drops had you put in when it went clear? That X 10 is your TA. From the extended test kit instructions:

Continue adding drops until the color changes to something more or less red, pink, yellow, or clear. The sample may switch between green, blue, and gray while you are adding drops. That is not the color change you are waiting for.

 

[linda1164]

The pool has been clear for a little under 2 weeks. The water is crystal clear, the Fc levels have been between 3-5. The pool company was running the pool pilot with a stick that they have to bypass a sensor that controls the chlorine. (I'm pretty sure) Prior to 2 weeks ago it was not making any FC that is why it turned green in the first place. The pool was just getting under control......On Wednesday they came and put the actual sensor in. I reduced the purifer level to 35% this morning. I just can't believe that the FC has gone from the normal range to 20 since last wednesday/Thursday with out doing anything.

Do you think this sensor is faulty ? Do I just keep running the filter until the it levels off? How long will that take?

 

[Richard320]

Turn the generator off until it comes down. And call the pool company, have them make sure they have everything they rigged back to normal.

As an afterthought, toss any pool toys in the pool. If it was green, they may have algae spores on them that you'll want to kill.

 

[linen]

It sounds like the pool company used the swg to essentially do a shocking process on the pool. We not would not recommend using the swg for this in the future, since it reduces it's overall life. When the shocking process is needed, now, or in the future, use liquid chlorine/bleach to raise the FC and hold it at the appropriate level.

So what is your TA level?

 

[linda1164]

I don't know why they would do that. When they replaced the sensor it was crystal clear. I called the company that replaced the sensor to question why my FC was so high. They didn't believe me. They insisted that my CYA was high. I had to drive 20 min with a water sample. Their test came back : FC10 CYA 9. They also said that my salt was at 3600ppm A couple of days ago my SWG said 2200 (.add salt) I haven't added any salt. That same day when i checked the salt level on the SWG it was 4700. It will only allow me to recalibrate it up to 1000. I still think their might be something wrong. They are going to come back Tues. I still think my FC was 18-20.
FC 10
CYA 9
PH 7.7
TA 40
CYA 9
SALT 3600

As of yesterday my FC 8.9, CYA was still not registering. PH less then 6.8 which is the lowest on the test. and my TA was 130 (this could be high due to error on my part)

My SWG is running now at 25%. I think the FC will come down by tomorrow. We had some rain and its been very hot. Not quite sure what to do next.

 

[duraleigh]

Not quite sure what to do next.

It doesn't look like you have posted your own, current test results. Start there.