First round of testing -- any suggestions?

[burine]

So I got the TF-100 today and did my first round of testing.

~75 degree water
FC 2 (I added about 1/4 gal liquid chlorine afterwards)
CC .5 (first drop turned it clear)
pH 7.2
TA 130
CYA 60

When testing CH, I thought I was doing it wrong, as I was keeping track of the drops I thought "this is getting to be over 1,000!" so I came inside and re-read the extended test procedure, and I think I was just calculating wrong. I'll attempt CH again tomorrow.

To me, the TA is a bit high, but not sure how to lower it. Poolcalculator says to lower pH then aerate, but I don't have an aerator.

I do have some trichlor tabs, but I think I'm going to stick with the liquid chlorine once these run out since I don't want my CYA any higher. I can get liquid chlorine from WalMart for about $3.25/gal for the 10% stuff which is lower than I've been able to find bleach.

How can I test for salt? And does higher salt "soften" the water and make it feel better? I do not use a SWG.

 

[Richard320]

You may very well have CH over 1000 in Phoenix. Especially if you've ever used Cal-hypo "shock" powder. It seems the pool stores recommend the pucks and a weekly bag of "shock", but I digress.

If you haven't added salt, and you probably haven't because I don't see a salt water chlorine generator listed, enter zero on the pool calculator. Don't bother testing it.

Aeration can be as simple as running the spa on full blast or pointing the return jets up. Just maintaining pH will eventually lower TA anyway.

You do need to raise FC to about 7 or 8, so that it never dips below 5 before you add more bleach. 5 is the minimum FC for your CYA level.

 

[burine]

Yes, after reading here I realize I've been Pool-Stored with calhypo. Even the local pool guys (at least the ones I hired in the past) here maintain the pool using the trichlor tabs. I'm planning to use BBB as the liquid chlorine/bleach seems to be a cheaper method.

I'm glad to hear TA will work itself out since I don't have spa jets and the return line doesn't have a "spigot" that I can point up. I replace evaporated water through a garden hose, I guess I can always not have the tip submerged.

And the question on the salt was mainly due to the comment on the poolcalculator saying that salt can improve the feel of the water.

 

[duraleigh]

comment on the poolcalculator saying that salt can improve the feel of the water.

"can" is the operative word. Some feel no difference, many do. I would consider it something to do later this summer when you are bored looking at your crystal clear pool and need a project....i.e. don't mess with it until you get all your chemistry just where you want it.

It looks like you are off to a good start after you get the FC up as 320 suggests. How does your water look?

 

[burine]

Thanks for the comment about the salt.

Water look crystal clear. A few weeks ago it was a swamp, almost literally since we had mosquitoes growing in the pool. I shocked it with calhypo, partly because I didn't know better the pool store recommended it, and it took about weeks to get the cloudy white stuff out of the water. Pool store said it was dead algae and suggested the Pool First Aid which apparently is an enzyme to break down biologicals. I looked for a label mentioning what it was and didn't find one. I will say, though, that it helped clear the white stuff.

 

[Richard320]

Thanks for the comment about the salt.

Water look crystal clear. A few weeks ago it was a swamp, almost literally since we had mosquitoes growing in the pool. I shocked it with calhypo, partly because I didn't know better the pool store recommended it, and it took about weeks to get the cloudy white stuff out of the water. Pool store said it was dead algae and suggested the Pool First Aid which apparently is an enzyme to break down biologicals. I looked for a label mentioning what it was and didn't find one. I will say, though, that it helped clear the white stuff.

Here's the MSDS for that stuff.

Quick rule of thumb: never put anything in the pool unless you know what it is and what it does, and what it leaves behind.