New Pool Owner - Test Results

[wal81]

I just bought a house with a pool. I started off with some algae issues due to a high ascorbic acid treatment the prior owner did, which caused the pool to have 0 FC for a few days without our knowledge. That seems to be resolving after a shock with bleach. I took a water sample to the pool store, and wanted to see what you all think about their recommendations. Here are their test results:

FC 8ppm (this was the day after my bleach treatment)
TC 8ppm
CC 0ppm
pH 7.1
Hardness 20 ppm
Alkalinity 37 ppm (with stabilizer correction)
CYA 10 ppm
Phosphate 1200 ppb
Salt 3000

Their first recommendation is to reduce the phosphate level by adding 12 oz of SeaKlear phosphate remover. Then, they want me to add 25 lb alkalinity plus (or baking soda). Then 40 lb calcium. Then 5 lb stabilizer "a little at a time in the skimmer."

I know that each of these additions will probably affect other levels in turn, so I want to be careful about everything that goes into the pool.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Casey]

Please read the ABC's of pool water chemistry in Pool School. I won't even comment on the pool,store test because They are unreliable and just as good as hear say. Also, you should invest in your own test kit if you want to take control of your pool. The TF100 is your best option as it will give you more regants for your money. Pool School is the there for you to help us help you. If You don't read it, we all, including you, will sit here and bang our heads.

Welcome to TFP. Now how about that homework?

 

[wal81]

Thanks for the tip Casey. I've read Pool School multiple times and I'm doing the best I can to educate myself here. I feel like I have a good grasp on the basic chemistry. That said, I haven't been doing this for 10 years or more, like some of the experts on this forum. A brand new pool owner can read Pool School every day and it's still overwhelming, so I thought it can't hurt to ask for some additional advice.

I do have the TF test kit, which was passed on to me by the previous owner. Personally I feel like I have no way of knowing if my results are more/less accurate than the pool store results...like I said, I am new to this. The previous owner said CYA should be around 50; pool store test said 10. That is quite a difference. I'm just trying to get off to a good start. Plus I'm trying to do this from 45 minutes away, as we haven't actually moved into the house yet.

Thoughts?

 

[Richard320]

Look at the bottles of reagents in the test kit. If any of them have discolored, the stuff is probably bad.

The testing is actually pretty easy. If you can tell the difference between green and pink and blue and clear and can count and do simple multiplication, you're ready.

There are how-to videos here

The CYA reading of 10 has to be wrong. That's too low to read on any reliable tester. Do your own test and trust the results. It's okay to pour the CYA sample back and forth time after time. Even after a few years, I seldom get the same reading three times in a row.

If any of your test results seem bizarre, check Extended Test Kit Directions

 

[wal81]

Great advice, thanks!

 

[Casey]

Trust the pool store or trust TFP. You can not mix both. Once you decide which plan you're going to go with, stick to it. You may not like my advice, but it's rock solid.

 

[Beens]

Hey, It actually sounds like you're starting out right from the previous owner. Some people take over a pool that has CYA in the hundreds!

I don't suppose there's any way to find out from the previous owner how old the kit is? That could help to know if the testing reagents are still good. If you have the TF-100 from tftestkits.com you can buy a full set of refills for it for less than the price of the whole kit since you'll have the test vials already.

Pool store testing is never as good as your own if you have a reliable kit even if you're a total beginner. The how-to videos that Richard linked to are very helpful as you can see the actual tests being done...and the extended directions are very detailed.

We can help you too with any questions.

Unfortunately since pool store test results are so unreliable it would really not be good for us to make suggestions based on what they're saying. If they say your CYA is only 10 (which isn't actually even measurable that low by any test) and you were to add enough to get you to 30....what happens when their test is (almost definitely) wrong and you now end up with 70?

BTW...you really don't have to worry about phosphates. Pool stores sell phosphate remover (which is rather expensive and they make a lot of money from that alone!) under the guise that it will take away the "algae food".

In reality, if you just keep your chlorine level at the right level for your CYA you won't have any algae in the pool to "eat" anything! It'll be dead and unable to grow!

Everything can be done and can be simple but the right test kit is imperative. You have to know for sure what your levels are. That way you'll be only adding what you need. (Again, we will help!)

The money you'll save from not buying what the pool store recommended will probably cover the cost of testing refills!