Test Results! Test Results! Test Results!

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jackrogue

jackrogue

0
LifeTime Supporter
Dec 8, 2012
33
Kailua-Kona, HI
Pool Size
14400
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-20
Test Results! Test Results! Test Results!

4/29/14
FC - Free Chlorine: 5.0
CC - Combined Chlorine: 0
pH - 7.2
TA - Total Alkalinity: 150
CH - Calcium Hardness: 2,250
CYA - Cyanuric Acid (stabilizer): >100
Borates - (if you are using borates): NA

WATER CLEAR, BUT NOT CRYSTAL :suspect: FOR MANY MONTHS

CONTINUOUSLY AERATING TO LOWER TA SINCE 4/16/14

Previous pool service stated in January 2013 that the water had not been drained or refilled since at least 2008.

A local pool store stated that the pool should be totally drained/refilled (yeah, I know ---- they sell chemicals!) after I submitted test samples in March 2013 --- probably because of the high CH and CYA levels???? :confused:

Thank you in advance for your suggestions!
 
If those results are correct, you need a massive amount of water replacement. Also, your FC level is not high enough for your CYA level, especially if CYA is over 100.

What is your fill water CH level?
 
JasonLion said:
If those results are correct, you need a massive amount of water replacement. Also, your FC level is not high enough for your CYA level, especially if CYA is over 100.
Click to expand...

pwrstrk said:
What test kit did you get those results with ?
Like Jason said if they are correct a good amount of water replacement is in your future and the FC is way low for that CYA level.

What is your fill water CH level?
Click to expand...

I tested and retested with the Taylor TF-100.

Fill water CH: 150 PPM --- YOWZA! :puker:

How MUCH is "a massive amount of water replacement"? 1/2 of the pool?
 
jblizzle said:
That CH of 2000+ is astronomical. Not sure I have ever seen it that high. So you actually had to use 90 drops? I am wondering if you got a fading end point and the CH is not much lower.
See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/thre...Kit-Directions?p=203523&viewfull=1#post203523

Your fill water is similar to mine ... which is no where near the worst we have seen.
Click to expand...


Just retested CH, using the fading end point instructions --- new result: 70 drops = 1,750 --- a little better, but methinks the drain is going to get busy! Do you think a TOTAL pool drain is required?
 
Just a little side note: Even though you will probably have to do a 90% drain, it doesn't have to be all at once. you can spread it out over several partial drains. The replacement chemicals would be cheap compared to repairs to the pool shell if something were to go wrong.
 

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It would take 400 lbs of Calhypo to get a CH of 1700. It would also give you 2400 ppm FC. That's enough to last for 1200 days at 2ppm loss per day. It amounts to about 1/3 lb per day.

I guess it's possible but I still wonder what the real story is.
 
JesseWV said:
It would take 400 lbs of Calhypo to get a CH of 1700. It would also give you 2400 ppm FC. That's enough to last for 1200 days at 2ppm loss per day. It amounts to about 1/3 lb per day.

I guess it's possible but I still wonder what the real story is.
Click to expand...

My guess is that the previous absentee pool owner of 12 years (our house was a vacation rental) entrusted the care of the pool to a service which . . .
1- performed no obvious pool water tests
2- relied upon trichlor pucks exclusively
. . . although I don't know for sure. Suffice to say that I had a "gut feeling" about the pool service after observing him performing his "service" for three months prior to letting him find another "client": :nemo:
 
jblizzle said:
Your fill water is similar to mine ... which is no where near the worst we have seen.
Click to expand...

Did some research; "Ground Water in Hawaii" - http://hi.water.usgs.gov/publications/pubs/fs/fs126-00.pdf states "Freshwater is commonly considered to be water with a chloride concentration less than 250 mg/L, and this concentration represents about 1.3 percent of the chloride concentration of seawater (19,500 mg/L)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_water states "In coastal areas fresh water may contain significant concentrations of salts derived from the sea if windy conditions have lifted drops of seawater into the rain-bearing clouds. This can give rise to elevated concentrations of sodium, chloride, magnesium and sulfate as well as many other compounds in smaller concentrations."

Wow --- the things we take for granted! :splash:
 
I'm not so sure that that calcium level is accurate. Can you have the water tested for copper, iron, salt (drop test for chloride)and TDS (TDS meter)?

Are you getting any staining or scaling?

Did the pool ever have a heater?

How were the tabs added (skimmer, feeder, floater)?

Have you asked the former pool person about the chemistry levels and how they got that way?

I wouldn't drain the pool until you have made sure that the ground water is not high enough to risk floating the pool.
 
JamesW said:
I'm not so sure that that calcium level is accurate. Can you have the water tested for copper, iron, salt (drop test for chloride)and TDS (TDS meter)?
1- Are you getting any staining or scaling?
2- Did the pool ever have a heater?
3- How were the tabs added (skimmer, feeder, floater)?
4- Have you asked the former pool person about the chemistry levels and how they got that way?
5- I wouldn't drain the pool until you have made sure that the ground water is not high enough to risk floating the pool.
Click to expand...

I retested CH in the remaining water –- result is the same as before: CH = 1,750
As I understand it, TDS is the total of everything:
CH-calcium
TA-bicarbonates
CYA
magnesium
iron
copper
sulfates
nitrates
phosphates
bromine
organics
etcetera
–-- within the water. Since no chemical can reduce high TDS levels, I opted to partially drain/refill with fresh water and to make frequent direct measurements of my CYA level going forward.

1- Yes, there is significant calcium scaling.
2- Pool was never heated.
3- Trichlor pucks were constantly added to skimmer baskets for YEARS.
4- I have no confidence AT ALL with the former pool service. I'm at home a great deal –- as I stated earlier, I never saw him test the water ONCE within a 3-month period. That's why he was terminated.
5- High groundwater is not a problem, since our pool was cast into a pulverized lava rock berm with excellent drainage at the rear of our house. I started draining 4/30/14 and finished today.

I drained 39” of the lap pool's 48” uniform depth = 81%, and the refill process is now underway.
PoolMath is next. :whoot:
Calcium Saturation Index (CSI) is now of particular interest to me!
 
Ok, normally the tds is not a relevant number. I just wanted to see if it could provide some clues as to whether the calcium was a reasonable number. I have had a few pools where I could not get a good endpoint. There was something interfering with the test. I'm not sure if it was metals or something else.
 
5/2/14 - SLAMin' and jammin' :rockon: poolside! Just finished today's second SLAM prior to bedtime.

After today's 81% refill completion and prior to my first SLAM, I backwashed the filter and tested:
pH: 7.3
CYA: 55 for Shock FC: 22

Prior to my second SLAM, I tested:
FC: 18.5
CC: 1.0
. . . and added chlorine to slightly increase Shock FC: 24

Water is the clearest it has ever been, and I'll be following my SLAM to its utter endpoint . . . . . MAHALO, TFPers!
 

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