I have recently started a 3k gal endless pool in my basement. Water was added over 5 days from the municipal water supply. I finished filling it about 5 days ago. I also added about 13 cups of chlorine over the 5 days. My Taylor k-2005 kit was about 15 years old (it's a 2nd hand pool) and most of the test were ineffective. However, the TA seemed to be very low (about 20ppm) and I added 4lbs of Baking Soda, which boosted it to about 140. Whoops. The chlorine was off the scale of my 2nd cheapo test kit (that test kit was also about 15 y.o.).
The next day (3 days ago) I took a water sample to Leslie's and received the following analysis:
PH:8.1
TC: 7.91 FC: 6.04
TA: 138
CH: 16
CYA: 5
TDS: 500
Iron: .1
Phosphates: 284
I left with some PH down, Calcium hardener, MPS, "Culator" (mineral remover for the iron). I added 19.5oz of pH down, which dropped my pH to 7.0 and my TA to about 110 (with the old test kit). I ran my hydro-therapy jets for about 30 min to aerate the water and bring up the pH. It came up to about 7.5 yesterday and has dropped a little today (7.2 or so). I ordered a new k-2005 test kit from Amazon and also the TF-100. Both kits arrived in the last day, and I took a new water sample back to Leslie's.
The home test kits indicate my water as follows:
PH: 7.2
TC:5 FC:4 - 4.5
TA: 145
CH: 20
According to Leslie's my water is as follows:
PH:7.5
TC: 3.59 FC 1.12
TA: 116
CH: 15
CYA:5
Iron: 0
TDS: 500
I'm mostly concerned with the CC and the CYA. There as been a little "pool smell" after the water was filled, but nothing compared to the "vinyl liner smell" that occurred as I was installing it and before there was water in the pool. The only organics and CYA in the pool are from the tap water, or some mold that was in the piping system (which could have been somewhat significant because I started the project 8 years ago and then got interrupted; and there was some water in the pipes the whole time).
Can I believe the CYA number from Leslie's? At least it was consistent between both of their tests. I haven't tested CYA with my test kits, because the lowest I can test to is 20-30 CYA, and I've got nothing near that. I guess I could see if the solution becomes cloudy at all. If it does, then maybe Leslie's is accurate on that test. Where would the CYA have come from? The town water?
If the CYA was zero, then I've been super chlorinating the water for about 5 days (according to Chemgeek's posts), so that should have burned off all the CC's, right? Unless more are still accumulating from the pipes or lodged in the filter. Still, the 1/2 life of organic matter is supposed to be measured in seconds to minutes in the face of superchlorination. Even if the CYA is 5, as Leslie's suggest, I still think I'm close to the superchlorination level.
The pool is covered and indoors. Under those conditions, how long will CC's take to dissipate or be destroyed under a normal 0.5 - 1ppm chlorine level? I don't think the organic waste load will normally be very high, but it is an swim current machine, so there will be some sweat waste (strange to think of sweating under water).
I know some people use MPS as a non-chlorine alternate for indoor pools, but I'm not really excited to use it, as the chemistry is somewhat mysterious, and I'd like to keep things simple.
Thoughts on the above, especially the CYA and source/longevity of the CC's would be much appreciated.
The next day (3 days ago) I took a water sample to Leslie's and received the following analysis:
PH:8.1
TC: 7.91 FC: 6.04
TA: 138
CH: 16
CYA: 5
TDS: 500
Iron: .1
Phosphates: 284
I left with some PH down, Calcium hardener, MPS, "Culator" (mineral remover for the iron). I added 19.5oz of pH down, which dropped my pH to 7.0 and my TA to about 110 (with the old test kit). I ran my hydro-therapy jets for about 30 min to aerate the water and bring up the pH. It came up to about 7.5 yesterday and has dropped a little today (7.2 or so). I ordered a new k-2005 test kit from Amazon and also the TF-100. Both kits arrived in the last day, and I took a new water sample back to Leslie's.
The home test kits indicate my water as follows:
PH: 7.2
TC:5 FC:4 - 4.5
TA: 145
CH: 20
According to Leslie's my water is as follows:
PH:7.5
TC: 3.59 FC 1.12
TA: 116
CH: 15
CYA:5
Iron: 0
TDS: 500
I'm mostly concerned with the CC and the CYA. There as been a little "pool smell" after the water was filled, but nothing compared to the "vinyl liner smell" that occurred as I was installing it and before there was water in the pool. The only organics and CYA in the pool are from the tap water, or some mold that was in the piping system (which could have been somewhat significant because I started the project 8 years ago and then got interrupted; and there was some water in the pipes the whole time).
Can I believe the CYA number from Leslie's? At least it was consistent between both of their tests. I haven't tested CYA with my test kits, because the lowest I can test to is 20-30 CYA, and I've got nothing near that. I guess I could see if the solution becomes cloudy at all. If it does, then maybe Leslie's is accurate on that test. Where would the CYA have come from? The town water?
If the CYA was zero, then I've been super chlorinating the water for about 5 days (according to Chemgeek's posts), so that should have burned off all the CC's, right? Unless more are still accumulating from the pipes or lodged in the filter. Still, the 1/2 life of organic matter is supposed to be measured in seconds to minutes in the face of superchlorination. Even if the CYA is 5, as Leslie's suggest, I still think I'm close to the superchlorination level.
The pool is covered and indoors. Under those conditions, how long will CC's take to dissipate or be destroyed under a normal 0.5 - 1ppm chlorine level? I don't think the organic waste load will normally be very high, but it is an swim current machine, so there will be some sweat waste (strange to think of sweating under water).
I know some people use MPS as a non-chlorine alternate for indoor pools, but I'm not really excited to use it, as the chemistry is somewhat mysterious, and I'd like to keep things simple.
Thoughts on the above, especially the CYA and source/longevity of the CC's would be much appreciated.