Balancing before closing

[ATLjp]

This site has been a big help. I finished the summer using up my chlorine tablets but with my Taylor test kit I was able to keep from visiting the pool store and I'm looking forward to next year when I can go completely BBB. I had a ginormous bucket of tablets so I used them...have never had a reading for CYA.

This past month I ran out of the chlorine tablets but the pool looked okay (except for the leaves that I had to scoop out). The readings from my test kit are:

FC - 0
CC - 0
pH - 7.2
TA - 110
CYA - 0

So my question is I'm ready to put the cover (Looploc) on but not certain what to do about the chlorine level since I'll be dropping water levels and blowing out lines (it can get cold in HotLanta).

 

[jblizzle]

I am not sure how it is possible that you have used tablets all year and have no CYA reading. The only way CYA significantly drops is through removing water or sometimes a bacteria which converts it to ammonia ... which would show up as high CC.

Did you every have a FC or CC reading?
Something is not adding up.

Sorry I am not addressing your specific questions, but I am not sure what to recommend for closing.

 

[linen]

I echo jbliz's suspicion that your cya should not be anywhere near 0. How are you testing for cya?

 

[ATLjp]

A month or so ago when I was still using tablets (and swimming) I had good chlorine levels but still no CYA - I never added any since I was still using tablets and hadn't gone to using the bleach "b" in the bbb method...I had gone to the other b's.

I use my Taylor test kit and just for fun I would occasionally check (since somewhere I read that my tablets might be adding some to the water) but never got a reading and didn't get one yesterday. This is the ONE test that I feel really good about since I don't have to worry that my color blindness might be giving me a bad result.

 

[linen]

It would only take 27 trichlor tabs (assuming 8 oz weight tabs which is typical for 3 inch tabs) to exceed our recommended level of 50 ppm cya in your 30000 gallon pool. How many have you used?

 

[jblizzle]

And what brand are they? Wondering if they are the rare cal-hypo tablets that do not in fact have CYA in them.

BTW, most people here do not need to use the second 2 B's ... which is why we no longer use that term ... it is now the TFPC Method. The TFPC method is really just about understanding your pool’s chemistry and through accurate testing, adding only what the pool NEEDS and not what someone wants to sell you. It is NOT about using a specific set of chemicals that may or may not start with the letter B.

 

[ATLjp]

I haven't kept count but I would guess at least that many this summer based on how many I would put in the chlorinator and how often I would throw them in there....I used the Bioguard tabs and shock and the last time the store tested their reading was 60 on the CYA - that was early August. We have had a ton of rain in the past month (when I've not been swimming only running to waste and vacuuming). But unless the Taylor test chemicals are bad this is zero or near zero because the tube is full and the dot is clearly visible. Since there is no more swimming can I just add my shock and algaecide and cover.

 

[linen]

A pool your size would likely require an average of ~2 trichlor (8oz) tabs per day...less at the beginning of the season and more towards end as the cya built up...so you likely used many more than the 27 mentioned above.

Since there is no more swimming can I just add my shock and algaecide and cover.

Yes, though we don't know what your SLAM (shock) level is with certainty since we don't have a believable cya value yet.

Please review the extended test kit directions for the cya test just to be sure you are doing everything correctly: http://www.troublefreepool.com/extended-test-kit-directions-t25081.html#p206397

 

[ATLjp]

I am certain that I'm doing the cya test correctly and I am consistently getting a zero read....could the reagents be bad ? I just bought the kit in August off Amazon (using TPF) link....I suppose I could make a visit to the pool store and have them test.

 

[jblizzle]

The CYA regents are the least likely to go bad. But your test results do not make sense ... especially if they pool stores are showing a CYA value. I would have the store test it (even though generally this is the test they are the worst at).

Who did you order from? There is no "official" link from TFP to an Amazon seller.

 

[duraleigh]

I think your test result may be correct.

We have had a ton of rain in the past month (when I've not been swimming only running to waste and vacuuming).

If you have dumped that much water and not replenished CYA then you could conceivably be below 20 on the test which will look pretty much like zero. The CYA reagent is an inert product and we have never had a report of it going "bad".....I don't think that's it. I would close the pool with a SLAM value of 10 ppm FC and be done with it.

Who did you order from? There is no "official" link from TFP to an Amazon seller.

Yes and No. Pool Supply World, the only other source for the TF-100, does have the kit listed on Amazon.