Baffled ! Water Test Results ???

[Sarah]

I guess the point I'm trying to make is; The only reason I did an OCLT was just to check it out (mad chemist syndrome). My water is clear, and UNTILL I started the shock, I had 0 CC's. I'm afraid that I'll be doing OCLT's forever, since I had no indication that anything was wrong. Anyway, thanks for the reply. Time for another test

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

The truth is the water can be clear and you can still have a minor amount of organics living in the pool waiting to pounce. Also some algae blooms do not show up as CC's all the time. I have had several times that I tested during shocking and got 0 cc's one time and 0.5 the next.

Hang in there - if you are losing chlorine over night - you need this. It will save money and frustration in the long run.

 

[Sarah]

Yesterday was EXHAUSTING ! Temp was 100 and I couldn't get in the pool . All I did was test and add bleach.
I changed up a few variables (where I poured the bleach) and (when I took the tests) the results are great !
(I'll spare everyone the hour by hour tests and additives; suffice to say I went through a BUNCH of bleach!! :blah: )
7/19 10:00 p.m.
FC: 14.5
CC: 0
Water clear.
7/20: 6:15 a.m.
FC: 14
CC: 0
Water: Clear
Whoo Hoo!
Today is cloudy and rain is suppose to start this afternoon and last through tomorrow.
Plan: Let the chlorine dissipate, through natural progression; take readings every 4 hours (as weather permits). When FC get's to acceptable level (>7) take a full tests and go from there.
Comments ? Suggestions ? Celebration ?

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Yesterday was EXHAUSTING ! Temp was 100 and I couldn't get in the pool . All I did was test and add bleach.
I changed up a few variables (where I poured the bleach) and (when I took the tests) the results are great !
(I'll spare everyone the hour by hour tests and additives; suffice to say I went through a BUNCH of bleach!! :blah: )
7/19 10:00 p.m.
FC: 14.5
CC: 0
Water clear.
7/20: 6:15 a.m.
FC: 14
CC: 0
Water: Clear
Whoo Hoo!
Today is cloudy and rain is suppose to start this afternoon and last through tomorrow.
Plan: Let the chlorine dissipate, through natural progression; take readings every 4 hours (as weather permits). When FC get's to acceptable level (>7) take a full tests and go from there.
Comments ? Suggestions ? Celebration ?

Congrats! In theory you can swim now (safe up to shock levels) but the cloudy weather and the rain may put a damper on that.
The only test that is put off by the high FC is pH as far as I know.

 

[Sarah]

Thanks for all your help (and patience) :bowdown:
This has certainely been and eye-opening experience
Most of my mistakes were brought on by "haste" (and we all know that "haste makes waste" !)
At any rate, later on today I will post once more, with a full reading; then lay this puppy to bed !
Lot's of GOOD support here !

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Pictures of the pool?

 

[Sarah]

The first 3 pics were taken today. You can still see some of the grey mottling; but that's a different forum and a whole other battle. :study: I'm gonna' replace the 1982 concrete in the fall and next year see what the mottling looks like and go from there !

 

[Sarah]

One more pic, and I'm done. This is what I did when I was battling the "d*** ducks". What a sight that was ! :clown:
Now I just use an aligator & croc (blow up of course :safe: )

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

I keep imaging Elmer Fudd in a duck blind in your yard waiting for Daffy... What does that say about me?

 

[Sarah]

LOL ! It says, to me, that you have a "dark side". My neighbors said it was Mardi Gras, Virginia style !
I thought it was just plain tacky (especially when I added the netting and red white & blue shiny garland then supported the netting with 6 chairs (1 at each corner and 2 in the middle)...Now THAT was a sight !)
Ok..down to MORE BAFFLED !
7/20
FC: 5.5
ph: 7.8 (Goal range 7.5 to 7.8) Add 3 cu 7 oz Muriatic acid.
CC: 0
TA: 110 (Goal range 70-90)
CH: 250 (Goal range 250-350) PC set goal @ 260 Add 1 qt 2oz Calcium Chloride ?
CYA: 40
CSI: 0.28 (Goal -.05) Water 76 degrees: PC "Balanced" ?
Water Clear
(Lots of rain late yesterday & last night; more to come today)
I understand the Muriatic acid; although I'm going to wait for the rain to end and test it again, prior to adding anything.
I don't understand the CH ? I know it's at the "low end" of goal, but still within goal ??
Should I add or wait and test again ?
And the CSI ? If the goal is -.05 how can 0.28 be "Balanced" ?
Comments ? Suggestions ? Drugs ?

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

LOL ! It says, to me, that you have a "dark side".

Taking the 5th on that one...

My neighbors said it was Mardi Gras, Virginia style !
I thought it was just plain tacky (especially when I added the netting and red white & blue shiny garland then supported the netting with 6 chairs (1 at each corner and 2 in the middle)...Now THAT was a sight !)

Sounds comical and yet festive. I'm with the neighbors on this one I think.

Ok..down to MORE BAFFLED !
7/20
FC: 5.5
ph: 7.8 (Goal range 7.5 to 7.8) Add 3 cu 7 oz Muriatic acid.
CC: 0
TA: 110 (Goal range 70-90)
CH: 250 (Goal range 250-350) PC set goal @ 260 Add 1 qt 2oz Calcium Chloride ?
CYA: 40
CSI: 0.28 (Goal -.05) Water 76 degrees: PC "Balanced" ?
Water Clear
(Lots of rain late yesterday & last night; more to come today)
I understand the Muriatic acid; although I'm going to wait for the rain to end and test it again, prior to adding anything.
I don't understand the CH ? I know it's at the "low end" of goal, but still within goal ??
Should I add or wait and test again ?
And the CSI ? If the goal is -.05 how can 0.28 be "Balanced" ?
Comments ? Suggestions ? Drugs ?

I'm not an expert but I think I understand what's going on. Poolcalculator.com has a goal section over the "NOW" and "TARGET" for each measurement. The goal range tells you the typical goals for your selected pool surface, chlorination type, and goal source (traditional, troublefreepool...). When you select your info at the bottom it sets not only the ranges, but also a specific target - even if you are in the goal range, if the target is different it will tell you what you need to do to get to that exact target. Let's say you have a pH of 7.2 but you want a pH of 7.8 - the target might be set to 7.6 - but you can adjust that to fit what you want.

As for the CH - if I select Bleach, Troublefreepool.com, and Vinyl my goal range is 50-300 but the target is set to 260. If I then change this to Plaster, the goal range changes to 250-350 and the target is unchanged at 260 - which I would probably want to change to something like 300 to settle right in the middle of the range (assuming the fill water is < 260).

CSI index > 0.6 "suggestive of problems for every pool... < -0.6 is suggestive of problems for Plaster, Tile, Stone, and Pebble Pools... so you are in the range of "no suggestion of problems".

 

[linen]

UWV did a nice job explaining...let me touch on CSI breifly.

CSI depends on pH, TA, CH, CYA, Temp, Borates (if you are using them), and salt level.

Since your CSI is 0.28 that is right in range of the -0.6 to 0.6 recommended range. Since you CSI is slightly positive, I would not add any Calcium for now, since adding it increases your CSI value.

If you are interested here is a good pool school article: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/calcium_scaling...by they way, it is possible those stains you have are calcium scaling (but could also be other metals).

 

[Sarah]

Thanks all !
I read the article and I'm sure I don't have calcium scaling.
My "stains" are due to poor workmanship when trowling the new plaster.
I totaly understand the Pool Calculator. I've played around with it and love that TFP sets a "Goal" and there is also a "Goal Range". (I try to adhere to the experts and not change the goal)
I just thought it odd that if your pool is within the goal range (CH), that an additive would be suggested. I can see a "warning" when the mouse passes over the current reading. Conversely, when the PC set goal (CSI)is considerably lower than the actual reading, BUT within Goal Range it read balanced. Strange ???
Ok, I am going to do another reading after the sun goes down (we're having one of those "bright sun" for 2 hours then rain then bright sun DAYS) and see what PC advises then.