Testing

[Sjpadden]

I am just starting to test my own water with Taylor test kit K-2006. Some of my findings are chlorine 38 ppm. Total alkalinity 20 CYA doesn't register and my ph is 8.0. Suggestions on what to do first.

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!

I am just starting to test my own water with Taylor test kit K-2006. Some of my findings are chlorine 38 ppm. Total alkalinity 20 CYA doesn't register and my ph is 8.0. Suggestions on what to do first.

Not to be insulting, but I'm going to have to question your testing ability... It just doesn't seem possible to have 38 FC and no CYA. THe SWG shouldn't be able to keep up with the demand with no CYA, and certainly not raise FC to 38. You're new, it's not uncommon to mess up.

Second, if FC really is above 10, then your pH level is wrong. Given a TA of only 20, it's most likely somewhere in the low 6's, which is so acidic it can damage the heater core. Check out the pictures Accurate pH test during shock levels with R-007?

Tell us some more about what's going on. How does the water look? How long are you running the pump and the SWG? Have you added anything recently? Did the CYA test sample get at all cloudy when you mixed the sample? Did you possibly make an arithmetic error and use the 25 ml sample for FC and multiply by .5? I'm assuming the TA test went blue>yellow rather than green>pink with the high FC. Did you run it to completion, where the drops made no more change in color?

 

[Sjpadden]

Welcome! Not to be insulting, but I'm going to have to question your testing ability... It just doesn't seem possible to have 38 FC and no CYA. THe SWG shouldn't be able to keep up with the demand with no CYA, and certainly not raise FC to 38. You're new, it's not uncommon to mess up.

Second, if FC really is above 10, then your pH level is wrong. Given a TA of only 20, it's most likely somewhere in the low 6's, which is so acidic it can damage the heater core. Check out the pictures Accurate pH test during shock levels with R-007?

Tell us some more about what's going on. How does the water look? How long are you running the pump and the SWG? Have you added anything recently? Did the CYA test sample get at all cloudy when you mixed the sample? Did you possibly make an arithmetic error and use the 25 ml sample for FC and multiply by .5? I'm assuming the TA test went blue>yellow rather than green>pink with the high FC. Did you run it to completion, where the drops made no more change in color?

You are wise to question my testing ability. The water is clear and we have had 3-4 plus inches of rain the last week. I tested the chlorine and got no reading so I turned the salt water generator on boost for 12 hours. The ph didn't register so I put in about 1lb of soda ash. Waited 12 hours and tested.
The chlorine was 3.8 and the CYA was all clear even after adding the test chemical.

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

OH, big difference between 38ppm and 3.8ppm

Are you using PoolMath to calculate how much of what chemical to add?

It sounds like you CYA is in fact very low, so that is something that will need to be addressed. Ideally you want the CYA up around 70ppm for a SWG pool.

Your pH is now too high and the TA is too low.
I would add baking soda to get the TA to 60-70ppm and then 30 minutes later test and lower the pH back into the 7s.

 

[Sjpadden]

What can I add to raise the CYA

 

[jblizzle]

Have you discovered Pool School yet? Start with these:
ABCs of Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

 

[Richard320]

To raise CYA, you add Cyanuric acid, sold as stabilizer at pool stores and big box stores like Walmart and Lowes. To raise TA, use baking soda, from the grocery store.

What does what and how to add it is here Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to use poolmatrh to figure out how much Pool School - PoolMath