Overnight FC Not Holding and Other Questions

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Wes45 said:
2. I noticed you have a 3/4 hp pump and I have a 2 HP pump. I don't know anything about pumps but with 40% water you have a pump that is less than 1/2 the size of mine. Size matters?
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Both pump sizes are fine for the pool. The larger pump will cost significantly more to operate.

Sallie, how confident are you of your CYA test result?
 
I have not checked it since before all of this started. I'm confident about the reading that I got when I checked it. Do you think I should re-check now? I figure if I try to raise it, then it will take even more bleach for this disaster to be over.

BTW, I ran out of 871 after Sat. morning's test. I called Leslie's to see if they had any. They said they did. When I went there that afternoon, they didn't have any, and the guy tried to sell me something else. I tried to call another pool store, and they were closed. So I just put in 6 big jugs on Sat. night and 5 big jugs on Sun. nite. I just realized a while ago that I should try calling another pool store so I will do that now. During all of this time, there hasn't been much swimming going on. Yesterday I had 4 people for less than an hour.

I do appreciate all the help I've gotten.
 
If you are confident of the old CYA reading, and haven't done any water replacement since then, then don't worry about. I am just checking up on some of the less likely possibilities because of how long this has been going on.
 
I do feel like my CYA is too low for how much sun my pool gets, so it's losing a lot of FC during the day. At first, I was checking several times a day to keep the level up, but after a while, I quit doing that because I was using so much bleach.
 
Here's where we are now. I have been unable to test FC since Sat. morning, so I've been putting in 5 or 6 big jugs of bleach each night. Water is still clear. Today I took a sample of water for testing. Here's part of what they said:

CYA 16 said level should be 30 - 200
TC 2.8 should be 1.5 - 3
FC 2.1 should be 1.5 - 3
pH 7.7 should be 7.4 - 7.6
TA 87 Adj. TA 82 should be 125 - 150


I came home and tested within about an hour and a half. I have one of Ben's test kits with new reagents.

CYA couldn't really tell, it filled to the top - it was 45 I think w/o looking at my previous posts. I have backwashed some, but I can't imagine it being gone. I think their test was right or close to it.

FC I have no way to test, I guess it could be that low with little CYA and full sun all this time.

pH I'm confident in my test. I got 7.2.

TA I got 90 when I tested.

I have stabilizer here. Should I go ahead and put some in there now? How far should I try to bring it up? My 871 should be here tomorrow. When I start back trying to get the FC to hold, should I be checking several times a day and adding bleach even though I will probably have full sun all day and not enough CYA. I'm really careful with my testing.
 
I would go ahead and add enough CYA to raise your level by 30ppm. so if your CYA is around what they said it will put you around 50. After 24-48 hours assume the CYA level is 40-50 and raise your FC levels accordingly.

I think testing and adding bleach twice a day - after sunset, and then again in the morning, raising to shock level both times if the FC isn't holding, should be enough.
 
I had just bought some Aqua Chem stabilizer. If I'm to take my CYA from 16 to 50, I think the PC says to add 113 oz by wt or 118 oz by vol. The bottle says net contents: 3 lbs. I guess that's by weight? I put as much in the panty hose as I could fit in there at one time. I will put more in the morning. Based on what I've said, is this about 2 bottles?
 

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I don't want to get too excited yet, but I think I made it. My 871 came in yesterday. I started putting stabilizer in the day before. When I checked the water last night, the FC was 8.5, no CC and the water was clear (as it has been). I did not add bleach last night, first time in quite a while. I have 25 bottles waiting in my garage. So I got up early this morning and checked, and it's 7.5, no CC. I THINK this all started 3 weeks ago last Tuesday. Of course, I ran out of 871 on Sat., so after that I just guessed about how much bleach to add each night. I didn't add any in the mornings. If you say I'm there, I feel like running down the street screaming. I may even have a mimosa for breakfast. I need some affirmation. Am I there?
 
Sallie said:
If you say I'm there, I feel like running down the street screaming. I may even have a mimosa for breakfast. I need some affirmation. Am I there?
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Let's see, chem geek's three criteria for when you are done shocking:
1. Lose 1ppm FC or less overnight
2. CC is 0.5 or less
3. Water is sparkly

Congratulations! :party: Have your mimosa :cheers: :lol: :lol:
 
I knew it. I just wanted someone to say it. I can't believe it. I am doing the happy dance!!!!!!!!!!!! I really thought I was going to have to give up, that I would never get there. Now, I'm gonna get some borax. I just held my breath this morning when I tested. This is the fourth problem with my pool that you guys have helped me with this year. I am so grateful, so very grateful.
 
JasonLion said:
Generally, if the sample turns a solid pink color you are fine. That might take one, two, three, or even four level Taylor scoops, depending on the FC level. Needing more than two scoops is quite rare, but it can happen at extreme FC levels. And, of course, the sample will never turn pink if there isn't any FC.

However, Taylor says to always add at least two scoops. I am not sure what the exact reason for that is. But I can think of one situation where it would make a difference. The test is designed to have more indicator (the powder) than there is chlorine, so that all of the chlorine, both FC and CC, is bound to indicator at some point (CC doesn't bind till your add the R-0003). If the CC level is very high, and you only use one scoop, there can be too little indicator when you add the R-0003. That could give you a false, lower than actual, CC reading. Of course this can still happen, even with two scoops, if the CC level is high enough. But CC levels that high are really extremely rare, which CC levels too high for one scoop are merely very rare.

Ben's kit tries to speed up the procedure by giving you a larger scoop, so that one level scoop is the same as two level Taylor scoops. The TF100 tries to speed up the procedure by suggesting one heaping scoop, which is about the same amount as two level scoops. It doesn't hurt to add too much powder, within reason, there is only a problem if you add too little.
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I have both Ben's 234 kit and a Taylor K2006 kit. Ben's scoop is definitely larger than the scoop Taylor supplies. I believe this may explain the difference in instructions.
 
Sallie said:
I knew it. I just wanted someone to say it. I can't believe it. I am doing the happy dance!!!!!!!!!!!! I really thought I was going to have to give up, that I would never get there. Now, I'm gonna get some borax. I just held my breath this morning when I tested. This is the fourth problem with my pool that you guys have helped me with this year. I am so grateful, so very grateful.
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All your hard work paid off! You should be able to easily maintain a trouble free pool!

We're all doing the happy dance with you! :party:

Others will be along to high-five you and may even form a conga line :mrgreen:
 
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