what do I correct first? and so on...

Jump to latest Follow Reply
U

user_name

0
Sep 5, 2014
17
Phx, AZ
Cliff notes:
New pool owner.
Bought a foreclosure with an existing pool.
Found this site and bought a Tf-100 test kit.

First test results:
FC 2
CC 0
CH 1000? Not sure on that one but it took 40 drops to turn colors completely.
TA 140
CYA 100
Ph 8.2

I need to run all these tests again to confirm, didn't have the time after the first run.

What do I tackle first in this debacle?
Is the pool safe to be in in its current state?
Thanks for helping a new guy out!
 
Welcome to TFP!

Well the CYA and CH are too high, and to fix those, you have to replace water. So I would say that is the first step.

Leaving the pH that high with high CH is a sure way to get calcium scaling as well.

And the FC being so low with the high CYA will likely result in algae too.
 
Quick note: Test your fill water before you start to drain. Being in Phoenix, your fill water may also be high in CH. No need to test for CYA, as tap water doesn't have any. That way you will have a better understanding of what your final CH level is likely to be.

Use PoolMath to see how much you will need to replace to get your CYA down, and go from there. As the CYA test only shows up to 100, yours is likely higher than that.
 
As Charlie said 100 is the limit of the CYA test, so you have to do a diluted test. While the full instructions are in the Pool School, here is the short version. Mix 50% pool water with 50% tap water. Use this mixed sample as your test water. If still at a 100 you will need to dilute more. Here is a great chart by JamesW to explain dilution rates and what you multiply the results by to get an approximation of your CYA level.

Pool water......Tap or distilled water.........Multiply result by

....1...................1................................2
....1...................2................................3
....1...................4................................5

But, the more you dilute the more variance you get in the result.
 
I'm guessing the previous owner / pool service guy was a dichlor/cal-hypo shock user. That would explain the high CH and CYA. It's pretty common out here.

When you do your CH tests, use the diluted sample procedure (10mL sample = 25ppm / drop) as it will save you in reagents.

Not sure how much money you're willing to spend but draining and refilling is usually the cheapest option. If you drain, be sure to drain and fill when it's cooler out as draining water below the tile line on a plaster or PebbleTek pool can be really bad for the surface (scaling and cracking). If you can control the main drains separate from the skimmer then you can drain using the MDs and fill with several hoses at the same time. If you do not have separate MD control, then I'd recommend renting a commercial grade submersible pump to get the "old" water from the bottom. Basically you want to avoid mixing fresh fill water with bad drain water.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
And one other drain/refill point -

Call up your local water utility and tell them you are refilling a pool. Some municipalities will credit you the sewerage charge as you are filling with water but not discharging into the sewer. I did not know that when I filled my pool and it would have saved me over $100 in sewer fees if I had called Tucson Water.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply