After opening my pool and getting no free chlorine after shocking, I was a little concerned. All my other numbers are fine, but the more shock or chlorine I add, 99% of it goes to combined, and not to free. Current numbers are as follows from Sylvan. I ordered at Taylor K-2006 which should be here soon.
Free .26
total 2.65
cc 2.39
ph 7.1
alk 120
CYA 39
Copper .4
iron .1
So I tried the bucket test and tested for ammonia and strongly believe I have some type of bacteria eating away at my CYA (I have been running the chlorinator constantly this my CYA levels are stable). I need to SLAM with 80 PPM chlorine which I will do in a day or so when I have time and my test kits come in.
However, here is what I don't understand. If I have my water tested at Leslies, who use Taylor products ( don't know the exact kit they are using, because they don't even know) I get similar readings to above, with the exception of my free and total Chlorine which they say are both at a 3ppm. I have taken my water to two different Leslies and get the same results, whatever the total Chl level is, the free pretty much matches it.. When I take it to two different local places and Sylvan who use the electronic wheel tester from LaMotte, I am told I have no free and lots of combined as above. I have had Leslies run it multiple times and places and the answer is always the same. As everyone swears Taylor is the best, should I believe Leslie's or the other folks? Also, 2 different dips stick tests I use support the non-Leslies no free chlorine results, and the people at Leslies have even used strips from their store and come up with zero free.....
Also...I met another customer at Leslies who told me EVERY year all the other companies tell him he has no free chlorine, which matches his dipstick results and that he needs to dump half is water. But not Leslies, they always say he's fine, so he keeps coming there. This has been going on for over 20 years and he says no one has ever gotten sick swimming in his pool.
Now, either Leslies is accurate because they use the Taylor system, or they are really doing something completely wrong, multiple times in multiple stores...they have even repeated it several times and they always do free and total separately. So is Leslies correct and the electronic LaMotte system and dip stick tests wrong? Seems hard to believe, but it also seems hard to believe that no less then 5 different Leslies employees on 3 different days could run a test wrong...
Can anyone shed some light on this? Thanks for reading and your help!
Free .26
total 2.65
cc 2.39
ph 7.1
alk 120
CYA 39
Copper .4
iron .1
So I tried the bucket test and tested for ammonia and strongly believe I have some type of bacteria eating away at my CYA (I have been running the chlorinator constantly this my CYA levels are stable). I need to SLAM with 80 PPM chlorine which I will do in a day or so when I have time and my test kits come in.
However, here is what I don't understand. If I have my water tested at Leslies, who use Taylor products ( don't know the exact kit they are using, because they don't even know) I get similar readings to above, with the exception of my free and total Chlorine which they say are both at a 3ppm. I have taken my water to two different Leslies and get the same results, whatever the total Chl level is, the free pretty much matches it.. When I take it to two different local places and Sylvan who use the electronic wheel tester from LaMotte, I am told I have no free and lots of combined as above. I have had Leslies run it multiple times and places and the answer is always the same. As everyone swears Taylor is the best, should I believe Leslie's or the other folks? Also, 2 different dips stick tests I use support the non-Leslies no free chlorine results, and the people at Leslies have even used strips from their store and come up with zero free.....
Also...I met another customer at Leslies who told me EVERY year all the other companies tell him he has no free chlorine, which matches his dipstick results and that he needs to dump half is water. But not Leslies, they always say he's fine, so he keeps coming there. This has been going on for over 20 years and he says no one has ever gotten sick swimming in his pool.
Now, either Leslies is accurate because they use the Taylor system, or they are really doing something completely wrong, multiple times in multiple stores...they have even repeated it several times and they always do free and total separately. So is Leslies correct and the electronic LaMotte system and dip stick tests wrong? Seems hard to believe, but it also seems hard to believe that no less then 5 different Leslies employees on 3 different days could run a test wrong...
Can anyone shed some light on this? Thanks for reading and your help!