About to start using the TFPC Method!

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mac.dblues

mac.dblues

0
Jul 29, 2013
349
Arkadelphia, AR
Hi all,

I'm getting ready to switch from test strips and big name chemicals to TFPC Method over the next few days/couple of weeks. I have received my K-2006 test kit. My Speed Stir and Sample Sizer are in transit. After receiving the K-2006 and before I tested with it, I dipped a test strip to see where it was reading CYA because I knew if it was too high I might have to drain anyway. Why waste chemicals, right? Test strip showed to be between 50 and 100 but leaning closer to 100 in color. So my first test with my K-2006 was CYA. Test strips were close... K-2006 result was dead on 100. Anyway, I couldn't stand it any longer and just had to do a complete test last night. (And I wanted to make sure I did the CYA test right. It was still 100.)

Here are my test results.

FC 22
CC 2
pH 7.4 (aeration over night raised to 7.6)
TA 140
CH 120
CYA 100

Now according to pool math, my free chlorine is already well above the recommended level for a pool with 100 CYA.

My questions are...

1. I know it would be best to drain 60 or 70%, but why can't I let my FC drop and maintain it from 8 to 13 ppm for 100 ppm CYA for this season? (Instead of lowering the pool to drop CYA and investing another $50 in fresh water.)

2. Use acid to lower my pH and TA, and aerate to bring my pH back up?

3. What do I do for the CC? Will it drop as FC drops?
 
Re: About to be new to TFPC Method

Did you do the dilution CYA test? If not, you need to. The test will read CYA of 100 as 100 and anything above 100 also as 100 :shock:

See Post #8, item #9 here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/24188-Extended-Test-Kit-Directions

You need to follow the SLAM process to get rid of the CC; however, you need to address the high CYA first.

TA is not a concern at this time.
 
Re: About to be new to TFPC Method

I have not done the dilution CYA test. I will do it when I get home and post results. Thank you!

Butterfly said:
Did you do the dilution CYA test? If not, you need to. The test will read CYA of 100 as 100 and anything above 100 also as 100 :shock:

See Post #8, item #9 here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/24188-Extended-Test-Kit-Directions

You need to follow the SLAM process to get rid of the CC; however, you need to address the high CYA first.

TA is not a concern at this time.
Click to expand...
 
Re: About to be new to TFPC Method

mac.dblues said:
I have received my K-2006 test kit. My Speed Stir and Sample Sizer are in transit.
Click to expand...
Who did you find that had the Sample Sizer in stock? I haven't been able to find one.


Butterfly said:
Did you do the dilution CYA test? If not, you need to. The test will read CYA of 100 as 100 and anything above 100 also as 100 :shock:

See Post #8, item #9 here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/24188-Extended-Test-Kit-Directions

You need to follow the SLAM process to get rid of the CC; however, you need to address the high CYA first.

TA is not a concern at this time.
Click to expand...
What @Butterfly said! My CYA read 100, but after a couple of dilution tests I figured out it was really over 200.
 
Re: About start TFPC Method

Ok. So I got duckcmmndr to bring his speed stir and sample sizer over tonight to check my test results more accurately.

Results are as follows...

FC 16.5
CC 0.5
TA 100
CH 110
pH 7.4
CYA 135

We added dry acid to drop TA and pH and will be aerating to bring pH back up. This is just to get us to the weekend. Saturday, I plan to pump 65% of my water out and refill in hopes of getting CYA down close to 40.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
 
Re: About start TFPC Method

For a new pool install, that CYA is crazy high Mac! Dang...


I'm done busting your chops now. :mrgreen:

Get that drain/refill in and stock up on bleach.
 
Re: About start TFPC Method

Casey said:
For a new pool install, that CYA is crazy high Mac! Dang...


I'm done busting your chops now. :mrgreen:

Get that drain/refill in and stock up on bleach.
Click to expand...

Bust away! I know where I went wrong, so hopefully I won't screw that one up again! I didn't give the stabilizer time to register, so I am sure when it finally started registering I was already through the roof. Oh yeah, there was that little ducky thing floating around and about 3 lbs of shock plus blue that were added 2 weeks apart. There! I admitted my ignorance! Y'all can back off now! LOL!!!

Now, the real questions come...

Once I get refilled, I will test. I'm sure my FC will be low, so I will need to add chlorine first? What about pH? Should I go ahead and adjust that too? Can I work on both of them at the same time?
 
Re: About start TFPC Method

mac.dblues said:
Once I get refilled, I will test. I'm sure my FC will be low, so I will need to add chlorine first? What about pH? Should I go ahead and adjust that too? Can I work on both of them at the same time?
Click to expand...
Yes, but wait 30 minutes between additions of different chemicals to allow them to circulate.

Remember, if your FC will be going above the 10 - 15 range, do the pH first. High FC can mess with the pH testing
 

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tim5055 said:
Yes, but wait 30 minutes between additions of different chemicals to allow them to circulate.

Remember, if your FC will be going above the 10 - 15 range, do the pH first. High FC can mess with the pH testing
Click to expand...

Gotcha, FC should drop significantly. I've decided to go ahead and pump 70% out, so assuming I lose no more FC between now and Saturday, the drain and refill should bring me down to 4 ppm FC. (Depending on how much chlorine is in my tap water.) This should reduce my CYA to around 40 ppm and CC should not register providing it doesn't climb between now and Saturday.
 
Well, if it's really hot out, and you're adding tap which is slightly chlorinated, you will have a very low FC for your CYA by the time Saturday gets here. Just start up as usual, check your numbers first, adjust pH if needed and if you have any CC's, I'd SLAM it. :goodjob:
 
Casey said:
Well, if it's really hot out, and you're adding tap which is slightly chlorinated, you will have a very low FC for your CYA by the time Saturday gets here. Just start up as usual, check your numbers first, adjust pH if needed and if you have any CC's, I'd SLAM it. :goodjob:
Click to expand...

I'm really hoping not to have to SLAM. Camping trip starts sometime Sunday afternoon. We will only be about 20 miles from home but I really don't won't to have to go back and forth EVERYday.

Back to the high level of CYA. I've been thinking and adding. I have put 3 bags of shock in over the past 6 weeks. I found somewhere in my searching that each bag of the kind I was using adds 9 ppm CYA. So that is 27 ppm. The floating duck holds 3" tabs. Those supposedly add 6 ppm each. I've put a total of 6 tabs since fill up. That's 36 ppm. So those two things alone add up to 63 ppm of my 135 ppm. That means my impatience with trying to get balanced caused me to put 72 ppm in pool store CYA.
 
:drown::hammer::taped:

:mrgreen:

Now ya know how it happened. I don't know if you'll have to SLAM or not, just run your numbers after circulating and see. Good luck!
 
Pool filled completely and then some over night. Gave me another chance to backwash before testing.

Test results this morning...

Water Temp 76 F
FC 4
CC approx. 0.5 (Barely turned color in speed stir tube)
TA 50
CH 60
pH 7.4

The plan this morning is to add 23 oz. of 10% chlorine to raise FC to 6. Add 3 lbs baking soda to raise TA to the 70 to 90 range and hopefully raise pH to 7.5 or 7.6. If it doesn't raise that much then I will begin aeration to bring it up. I am going to leave CYA at 33 because I have come to hate that stuff!
 
Good plan, but I would leave the pH alone. It is perfect where it is :goodjob:

But, what are your plans for adding chlorine during the camping trip? If you plan on using tabs, it would be good to raise the pH.

I know you hesitate with the CYA, but now you understand how much is used with different products. So, you could use them for the trip and factor the end result in the CYA #.
 
We are only going to be camping about 30 minutes from home, so my plan is to come in every 2 or 3 days to check on it. I may even raise FC to around 8 just to be sure I don't let it dip too low. I really really want to stay away from the tabs from now on.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
 

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