Opened pool yesterday, first TF-100 results

[DirtyRat91]

Granted this is the very first time I've ever used the TF-100, very possible my results aren't 'perfect'. Like for CA, I wasn't entirely sure when we reached 'blue' status, enough to stop dropping and call it good, similarly for TA, the result may be slightly high, as it was 'turning red' several drops before.


1.5 FC
0.5 CC
2.0 TC
170 TA
85 CYA
450 CA

The details, just uncovered pool yesterday, and probably added ~1.5 ft of water to get it to the skim level. Was closed with a (very aged) solid tarp. Tarp has numerous holes now, and it is headed for the trash. So the vile evil tarp water did mix with pool water some.

Going to do a full vacuum this morning, but Aquabot stirred it up for several hours yesterday and got the big stuff up.

Water quality is slightly cloudy, light green hue. Sediment on bottom. Visibility is good, but not perfect, can seen 90% of details on bottom. (I've seen much worse, but I'm pretty sure I've seen better)

I fear the advice given will be to ditch the 3" tabs that I'm married to, and go bleach shopping. But I'm tired of pool chemistry headaches and I want easily maintainable levels. AND, very important, water I can swim in eyes wide open without it burning my eyes. I've always been an underwater swimmer, and I love swimming without the burden of goggles.

Advice is welcome.
Thanks.

 

[AimeeH]

Welcome to TFP.

On the testing, like for TA for example I use the rule of thumb that you add drops until there is no additional color change then subtract that last one from your count. I do the same with ch, but since I have a vinyl pool I rarely test ch.

Those pucks are going to continuously be adding more CYA which is quite high right now. If you can't lower your cya with a partial drain, you're going to have to maintain very high chlorine.

If water is cloudy and CL that low, you will need to SLAM your pool. Reference pool school with the link in the top of the page.

Read. Ask questions

 

[DirtyRat91]

Based on my high CYA, TA readings, a partial drain and fill seems inevitable, I may run my initial thorough vacuum on waste, then refill to drop some of those high readings.

Being totally new to bleach usage, how much bleach should I buy for an initial 'stock'. And how much is necessary to have on hand for day to day normal FC maintenance once the pool is happy? Planning to hit up Walmart/Costco later today to load up.

 

[Richard320]

I've been using bleach and muriatic acid in my pool for years and I can swim around eyes open underwater without red eyes. Odds are, any redeye you've had in the past was due to low pH (pucks are very acidic) or low FC (FC levels are dependent on CYA level, and pucks drive the CYA up) which allowed CC levels to climb. CC is that familiar chlorine smell you find at public pools. My pool doesn't smell.

For day to day chlorination, I expect you'll use somewhere between a quart and a half gallon of 8.25% bleach every day in a pool your size. There are too many variables to guess any closer: blown in debris, swimmer load, obsessive sunscreen abusers, weak bladders... Testing yourself will quickly teach you the pool's appetite.

To SLAM, with your CYA level, the first dose will be 6 jugs of Clorox. And to maintain it, who knows? Lowering the CYA level by draining and refilling will decrease that amount, as well as making testing simpler later on. If you choose to leave CYA at 85, you'll have to keep FC levels above 7 all the time, which is beyond the color-matching chlorine tester's ability, which means FAS-DPD powder test every time.

 

[AimeeH]

There are too many variables to answer that definatively. Plug your numbers into pool math to get an estimate of how much bleach you will need to get to slam levels (will not be so much if you can drain to reduce CYA) and buy that much plus a lot more to maintain SLAM levels until done.

I really can't attest to the amount for daily maintenance as I'm on SWG. Other experts here can chime in with their experience, but it really depends on many different values.....bather load, tree debris, sunlight........lots of variables.

- - - Updated - - -

Richard beat me too it. Miss those post warnings

 

[DirtyRat91]

Afternoon update:
I estimate I just dumped 7,000 gallons of water out on the street. Refilling now. I'd like to try to do this pool thing right. Will retest once refilled the the proper level.

Fighting multiport valve now. Key is excessively tight in valve. (Issue I have is once you depress handle, then turn to different setting, the handle doesn't spring back closed) I sanded the shaft of the key down till it's a loose fit, but once I add the o-rings, it's stupid tight again. The entire valve assembly is only a couple years old, but I wonder if my cavalier approach to pool chemistry wrecked havoc on rubber bits. Sadly the spider gasket looks rough already, and you can only get the gasket with the key assembly on the SP0714T valve. The bits needed to rebuild the key/cover assembly are as much as a new key/cover. Bah. Tempted to seek out some smaller o-rings for the key shaft to eek a little more time out of this assembly, as I believe the ones currently on it are merely swollen.

 

[DirtyRat91]

Evening update:
Pool is filled back to the skimmer's sweet spot. Through-out the day, even prior to the drain, the water cleared up rather well. I managed to waste vacuum 2/3ds of the pool before the skimmer was sucking air. Any good advice on a quality vacuum head? The one I use is simply a small triangle head with brushes around the bottom. The issue is with the skimmer valve opened very much at all (enough to secure good vacuum), the vacuum head is very difficult to push. I almost have to 'roll' the head off the bottom, move it over some junk, and let it settle to move it at all. Very time consuming.

Anyhow, water level is good, hoping to have halved my CYA. Will recheck in the morning. Did not make it into town for a chlorine run as Costco is closed Memorial day. If it's completely absent of chlorine in the morning I may dump the Misses' cleaning supply in the pool and grab some after work.

Thanks for the advice thus far, I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[DirtyRat91]

New batch of test results following 1/2 drain & refill:


0.5 FC
0.0 CC
0.5 TC
CA 300-400?
140 TA
~50 CYA

Struggled with the CA test again. Are there two color changes? Red to clear, then clear to a light blue? But the one I was after, CYA, definately dropped a bit. I was mostly around 50, a few 40, a few 60. Lighting was somewhat poor during test as the sun hadn't fully risen yet.

Dumped in the wife's full bleach supply which was roughly a 1/2 cup of 6% bleach which is probably 3 years old. Lot of good that did. I'll be hitting up the stores after work today!

Pool clarity/color is as good as I've ever seen it.

 

[DirtyRat91]

Update:

Pool got its first dose of bleach ever. Added 1 121 oz. jug 8.25% bleach last evening at 6. Tested water at 8 PM. Was 7.5-8 FC (16th drop was to see if the water got any clearer, it had only the smallest hint of pink at 15) and 0 CC. Retested this morning at 6:30 and had 6.5 FC and 0 CC.

Am I being to hopeful to think I'm in the clear? I would've grabbed up more bleach, but thought the prices weren't the best. Being only my first time bleach shopping, I don't know. I did nab two of the bottles of bleach thinking I might be free of evils, and the 2nd would maintain chlorine levels.

Please know I'm not willfully ignoring SLAM suggestions, I'm just hoping it isn't necessary/dealing with 3 sick kiddos under 4. And I haven't really sourced a good bleach supply yet.

The 121oz 8.25 was 3 bucks. I'd like to hit up Costco and see what they have. Is the 12% goodie rare & hard to find?


Also, water has been crystal clear (no cloudy or color) since Monday morning, pre-drain & refill.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Evening update:
Pool is filled back to the skimmer's sweet spot. Through-out the day, even prior to the drain, the water cleared up rather well. I managed to waste vacuum 2/3ds of the pool before the skimmer was sucking air. Any good advice on a quality vacuum head? The one I use is simply a small triangle head with brushes around the bottom. The issue is with the skimmer valve opened very much at all (enough to secure good vacuum), the vacuum head is very difficult to push. I almost have to 'roll' the head off the bottom, move it over some junk, and let it settle to move it at all. Very time consuming.

Anyhow, water level is good, hoping to have halved my CYA. Will recheck in the morning. Did not make it into town for a chlorine run as Costco is closed Memorial day. If it's completely absent of chlorine in the morning I may dump the Misses' cleaning supply in the pool and grab some after work.

Thanks for the advice thus far, I'll let you know how it turns out.

You need to SLAM for another day/night and repeat the OCLT. You didn't pass yet.
On the Calcium test - You do see it kinda go to a pale lavender before pale blue sometimes... if that's what your seeing the final drop change to pale blue is your result.
On the CYA test -- accurate results are found outside, during sunlight, with your back to the sun, shielding the view tube with your body.

On the vac head, how old is it? Have he brushes worn down? They simply may not be long enough. You shouldn't be having that hard of a time vacuuming. The triangle heads work fine for me, but I'd suggest maybe replacing it with a new one if it's simply old.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh 12.5% is common around here...missed your location. Not only pool stores but garden centers tend to sell in 5 gallon carbouys at a competitive price. Around here 12.5% is $2.50 a gallon.