New Pool Owner in Mesa, AZ

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I'm looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings on the numbers. Hopefully whatever it is in there fighting it will get it taken care of. Just continue to maintain shock levels, brush/vacuum often, paying close attention to potential hiding areas.

(I couldn't see a lot of areas in the pictures, but definitely investigate the capped areas on the steps, and any other areas such as behind returns, inside skimmer, tight areas where the floor and the wall come together etc.. that may have gotten missed and have something lurking below/behind them.

You guys are doing all you can do to get this cleaned up/cleaned out. I am so proud of you both. Unfortunately, there has to be something in there somewhere that continues to cause you to have a 3.5 drop (or more) every 4-5 hours, day or night, be it the stuff that came out from behind the light the other day still causing issues, or something else lurking below/behind another area. Wishing you luck on locating the culprit soon, so your chlorine levels will finally begin to hold.

Keep us posted, and have a wonderful day. :)
 
Back in post #122 you had made mention of a lot of places for algae to hide and also about your in-floor cleaner. While it may be virtually impossible to completely clean all around the in-floors, it is important that you run that system to at least circulate the water through it. Chances are there's nothing bad hiding in the piping, etc., but it's always good to circulate water through all the plumbing on a regular basis. Also, can you post a better picture on one of the in-floor heads and also of the in-floor control valve by the equipment? I'm trying to figure out the manufacturer of your system.

I noticed you have also said Rusty is brushing the pool and vacuuming it. Is he brushing and then waiting a while for stuff to settle on the floor before vacuuming? Make sure the in-floor is off before doing this - and also consider backwashing if there was a lot of stuff on the floor before he vacuumed. This may help to purge the filter and pool of any possible gunk.

While it is quite possibly very frustrating for you both right now, just hang in there - you're so close!
 
I was gone all day yesterday, so here's the numbers from then and this morning, starting with yesterday's numbers at the top of the list:

7 am FC 25.5, down 3 overnight, bumped to 27.5
3:00 pm FC 23, down 4.5 in 8 hours, bumped to 27
8:30 pm FC 25, down 2 in 5.5 hours, bumped to 27

9:00 am FC 25.5, down 1.5 overnight, bumped to 27, also checked CC 1

The floor cleaning system is on a timer and comes on at 8:00pm and runs until we turn it off before we go to bed, usually anywhere from 2-4 hours. After brushing Rusty always give it a chance to settle before vacuuming. When he brushes he doesn't really see much more than a little cloud of dirt floating up and when vacuuming he doesn't really see anything. The pool is crystal clear. He's going to clean out around the skimmer today and try to brush around the in-floor jets, drain cover, the returns and light again today. There are no corners, the pool steps are rounded at the top and bottom of each step and where the wall meets the floor it's curved, no crease.

We we will try to get more pictures and information for you on the cleaning system later today.
 
Hi Bonnie,

Well the FC is showing less high of drops since yesterday. The CC-1 (trash chlorine) tells us that the chlorine has combined with something in there which is usually from sweat, urea, organics, etc.

Hopefully whatever is in there is out in the open for the chlorine to be able to get to it which is shown by the dropping FC levels. So,just keep doing what you're doing, because I think you are finally starting to catch up to the problem, and will hopefully get ahead of it.

It appears the previous owners left you with a pretty significant algae/organics issue,:( which the significant chlorine drops continue to confirm). I personally would have never guessed that the issue in there was as large as it was/is, but we know the levels are the truth tellers in all algae/organics situations. Hang in the guys. You are doing great. Have a wonderful day :).
 
It sounds like you are making headway.

Have you had a chance to test, add, retest to see if you are getting the readings you are expecting after an add? When you are only losing a small amount of chlorine, this can be important. Also, are you holding the liquid reagent bottles completely vertical, and not tilted on their sides? This is equally important, as the formed drop size differs - holding the bottle vertical produces a larger, more consistent well formed drop.

In addition to the pics of the cleaner control valve and an in-floor head, see if there are any names or other markings on each part - as sometimes they are difficult to see in pics. This should help in identifying the system brand.

Just keep brushing, emptying the skimmer baskets and pump strainer baskets -in addition to keeping the chlorine levels up. You're close to completing your first (and hopefully, LAST) SLAM!
 
When I did a test once when Rusty was at work, I ran out of one bottle of drops and started a new bottle in the middle of counting them. I noticed the drops from the second bottle looked to be shaped different and I wondered about how to make the drops more consistent . I wondered if that would make any difference. No one ever mentioned holding the bottle completely vertical, so we have been holding it at an angle. We will make that change right away...Thanks for the advice!

Rusty said he has never cleaned out the pump strainer basket as it has a clear plastic top that he can see into and it looks like there is nothing in there. We haven't done a retest yet, but just took a new reading and will retest in a half hour. We will let you know the results in a little while.

We we will go out and take pictures and get whatever information we can get on the cleaning system later today and post it.

2:30 pm FC 20, down 7 in 5.5 hours, bumping up to 26.5

I just bought a two quart container with quart and cup markings on it. We are now using that when we add chlorine to make it more precise instead of just eyeballing the amount. We've been using that for a few days now.

Thanks for everyone's help and advice. Have a great day!
 
Good that you're getting the expected add. It's important to know you are getting the result expected after adding a specific measured amount - confirms bleach strength and pool volume.

I've read on here that sometimes there may be a static build up on the tip - especially on a fresh bottle of reagent. This can alter drop size. The recommendation is to wipe the tip with a damp cloth between drops. Supposedly, this static build up will go away after several uses. But, in our exceptionally dry climate it may take a bit longer. This is mentioned on the instructions for the TA test, but not elsewhere. It can be a pain wiping between drops with the R-0871 because of the quantity of drops used and also trying to keep count. Also, don't rush squeezing out the drops - let them be well formed on the tip before they drop in. Guess that's why it's called a "drop" test and not a "squeeze" test. :laughblue:

Holding the bottle on its side as opposed to vertical DOES have an affect on drop size in most cases. And when held vertically, the drops should come out and almost 'hang' there before dropping.
 
I'm glad the chlorine adds are going where expected. What exactly do you mean on the drops from the 2nd bottle looked to be shaped different? Do they look bigger, smaller, like you're getting a half drop etc.? Did you get the 2oz bottle of reagents, or the smaller one? If you got the bigger one, use it to fill up the smaller empty bottle because that will be easier to handle, and works better than trying to accurately test with the bigger bottle.

Yes the bottle should be inverted, and you may need to apply just a tiny bit of pressure to expel the drop to the tip, then allow gravity to drop it into the sample. I think as consistently as your numbers have been running the drops have not been an issue, (perhaps today but I don't think so in the past), but yes that is the way it should be done, if you haven't been.

With it showing a loss of 7 though in 5.5 hours, (ouch by the way). I'm trying to determine if the test drops looking different are the issue, was it a testing error, or is there more algae and organics that were located? I'm sure we'll know on the next test. Keep up the great job, and have a wonderful night. :)

LOL @ GENE
 
I was talking about the second bottle of drops we bought at the same time we bought the kit (with the xl option). Our kit came with a two ounce bottle and the xl option was another two ounce bottle. When I started the second bottle the drops just looked different from the first. It's hard to explain. I'm sure I was holding the bottle at an angle like I did with the first one. Instead of falling straight down, at first they kind of came out and bulged out to one side. It stopped doing that by the time I finished adding the other drops, probably about 15-20 more drops. That was probably caused by the static build up mentioned above because it kind of looked like the drop was being attracted upwards toward the tip. I will tell rusty to wipe between drops if we see anything like that again.

We were using the two ounce bottle because that's what came with the test kit. When I reordered I thought I had clicked on two ounce bottles, but I must have clicked on the wrong thing because we were shipped two once ounce bottles. I checked the website and our order and we paid the once ounce bottle price, so my mistake. At the rate we are going, I will have to order again real soon.

Another question, when we put the powder in sometimes it doesn't dissolve very well and we can see little clumps of it in the bottom of the tube. Should we be concerned about that at all? Should we be stirring that in instead of just swirling it?

Since Rusty does all of the testing I will be sure to give him the detailed drop instructions. You never know, any little thing can make a difference. Then again, maybe it's just our bad luck to have these wacky numbers sometimes. My husband has been telling everyone for years now that his guardian angel is Murphy... Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, etc....lol. We tell everyone that if they see us get involved in anything that is supposed to help us financially they should run in the opposite direction as fast and far away as they can go...lol. For the most part I still keep a positive attitude, but I wish Murphy would leave us alone!
 

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I got ya on the drops. I'm wondering if perhaps there might have been a little piece of plastic blocking a bit of the tip? another thing you can try if the wiping it doesn't help and that is to try to put the tip from the old bottle onto the new bottle to see if that stops the issue.

LOL I completely understand about Murphy. I think ole Murphy is a monkey on our back the majority of the time too.

As far as the powder, he just needs to swirl it, Not stir it, enough to get a nice med/dark pink color if there are some small sediments it won't affect the testing. If it looks like a big clump then he needs to swirl a little longer.

I know you guys are a little short at the moment, but the Speedstir is a nice addition to your test kit, if you decide you want that later. It is a battery operated device that does the swirling for you, and all you have to do is add the drops. :)

If I see Murphy I'll have a talk with him for the both of us, and see if I can get him to head somewhere else for awhile :). You fine folks have a nice evening.
 
Pool by rustyandbonnie | Photobucket Just added a few more photos. Again, not sure if I'm posting the link correctly. Maybe someday I'll learn how to use photobucket correctly. I've downloaded the photobucket app to my cell phone, but for some reason the recent photos wouldn't upload to the app. They did upload to photobucket.com on my phone though so I'm now borrowing my son's computer to try to make them available to you.

After losing 7 at the 2:30 pm reading yesterday afternoon, we bumped it to 26.5, retested 30 minutes later and it showed that the bump to 26.5 was successful. Here are the rest of yesterday's test results and this morning's.

7:15 pm FC 26, down only .5 in 4 hours and 45 minutes, did not bump up
11:00 pm FC 22, down 4 in 3 hours 45 minutes, bumped to FC 26 for the night, did not retest or do a CC test because of losing so much throughout the day.
7:30 am FC 26, did not lose anything overnight, bumped to 30 because Rusty has an 8 1/2 hour shift at work today

The drop of 4 between 7:15 pm and 11:00 pm was probably due to the fact that Rusty brushed down the pool between those reading and probably stirred up some more algae.

I don't think we will be testing the pool again until he gets home from work. It seems like every time someone else tests the pool, we come up with really crazy results, so we are letting Rusty do all testing. Hopefully that way the results will be more reliable. Our next post will probably be around 5 pm tonight.

Have a wonderful day!

If the above post doesn't work, I added the photos to the same album on photobucket, so the link in the earlier post should bring up the photos if you can find it. I tried to take photos of everything that had a label on it. The only thing I know I didn't photograph was the new motor we recently had installed because the labels are next to some pipes and I couldn't figure out how to get to them.
 
Hello Bonnie,
The pics are coming through just fine. :)
Yes most likely something else was stirred up and caused the 4ppm loss but the overnight looks great and very promising that the end is in sight. Keep up the great job guys, you are continuing to do wonderful. Test when it is convenient for you guys because we will be here when the results come through.:) But we need the CC checked at night and in the morning too please.

I'm sure Gene will take a look at the pics you posted, and perhaps he can give you so additional advice regarding your equipment. Have a wonderful day :)
 
In looking at those pictures, your pool was built by Paddock Pools. They went out of business several years ago. Good news is all the parts are still available if you need them.

The in-floor cleaning system is manufactured by Paramount. It is a Paramount PCC2000 that was branded to Paddock (several large builders do this - someone manufactures the parts with the builders name on it). Here is a link to the cleaning system manual: Paramount Cleaning System Manual . I already called Paramount to verify that the Paddock branded system is indeed theirs. Paramount doesn't sell parts directly to consumers, but there are several sources locally or online to get replacement pop-up heads and other parts - if you need them. The Paramount customer service person recommended:
AZ Pool Supplies
480-607-1900
InFloorPoolParts.com
They have a retail store in Scottsdale. I would guess local pool supply stores would carry these parts too. There are several other online suppliers I found. Prices on parts vary a bit between suppliers, so shop around.

I agree that it's best at this point to have only one person doing the testing if possible. This will reduce/eliminate any testing errors. You guys are so close to completion, just hang in there a little while longer.

Disclaimer: I am not associated with any manufacturers/suppliers mentioned in this post. I do NOT work in the industry. I'm just attempting to supply pertinent information to a fellow pool owner.
 
5:00 pm FC 23, down 7 in 9.5 hours some of which could be due to rain we've been getting today.

Thanks, Gene, for the information on our pool and cleaning system and for calling to verify it. Rusty said the pop up head just needs a new gasket. He tried to get one at Leslies but it was out of stock.
 
Been getting some rain, huh? We need some here. I've been thinking the past couple days that we were going to get stormed on, but nope it just clouded up then went on by.

Just keep doing what your doing until we can get this to stop.

Since you've had a couple recent days where you've shown much bigger FC drops, go ahead and recheck your CYA level to make sure it hasn't changed on you guys from the garden hose sprays, water top offs from evaporations, backwashes, etc. Just recheck it too when you do your next chlorine level check, either tonight or in the morning (It will be easier to see in the morning unless you take the sample inside and do it). That way we can see where it is at now from where it started.

We'll see what the CYA and next FC/CC levels show, and go from there. Have a wonderful night. :)
 
9:40 pm FC 28, we bumped it to 27 after the last reading 4.5 hours ago, I guess the pool is making chlorine again...lol , if only it could
When we add chlorine we have now been measuring it so it should be more accurate than the way he used to do it, by sight.

We can do a CYA test around noon tomorrow. Rusty works really early tomorrow morning. We will report the results after we test. Do we need to do any of the other tests or just the CYA and FC?

It's been a long day and we have to get up early tomorrow so have a wonderful night and we'll be posting results again tomorrow. Goodnight :)
 
Hello Bonnie

Well the CYA is close to where you started it was at 58ppm at start and you are now at 50 ppm so that's good. You guys can use the FC shock level of 20ppm if you want now and just maintain it at 20ppm, or slight above at all times now since the CYA is a little lower.

The overnight drop wasn't too bad, but I see the CC has again jumped up on you guys :(. Ugggg

Just keep doing what your doing because you guys are doing awesome.

Lower your FC shock level down a little from 24ppm /20ppm to ensure a safe FC swimming level for your current CYA level, and hopefully soon we will see it all killed out of there.

You guys have a wonderful day :)
 

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