Northlake, TX New Pool Build

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Cliff I just re-read what you wrote as well as what Suz was saying. It got me to thinking..........here is what I want you to do right now please-go add chlorine to your pool NOW. Please so not wait until 9:00 tonight. We do NOT want algae to even think about getting in your pool. The hotter it is the easier it is for algae to get a foothold on a pool. Let not let it even think about it.

Like Suz said you will need to test a little more often as you learn your pool and then again when you get to start the SWG to help you dial it in. Here is your "job" for the next few days is to test and add FC as needed to get and keep your FC from dropping below your min. for your CYA. Do your first test/dose with your first cup of coffee, test after dinner, and test again before bed. Once you see the FC is holding then you can back off of the testing and adding.

:hug:

Kim:kim:
 
Thanks Brentr...I already have the outdoor kitchen built in on the main patio. I will post pics on that later. I have room to extend the pad as well. These are all great thoughts and I appreciate you pointing things out...
 
Ok folks here are my current numbers after adding bleach and MA...

FC 3.5
pH 7.5
TA 60
CH 225
CYA 40
CSI -0.32
Temp 92

As you can see I tested everything and PoolMath says to add another 49oz of bleach to get up to target of 5. I will also add 6.5oz of MA as suggested by PoolMath. I will add this evening after the girls get out of the pool and test first thing in the morning. I will continue to test at least twice a day to make sure and keep things in check. Thanks to Suz and Kim for jumping on this to help out...love you guys!
 
Good job!

pH: 7.5 is good. I would not add any MA tonight. Keeping it between 7.5 and 7.8 is good. When it drifts up to 7.9 or 8.0, then use 7.5 as your goal and add the amount of MA that PoolMath says to add. Test it whenever you're testing the FC.

CYA: I don't know if you're testing for this each time or if you're using the previous test results. Don't test CYA more than once a week. The test uses more reagent [R-0013] than other tests, and you'll run out of it too quickly. It's ok to use the result from the last time you tested.

CC - Combined Chloramines: I really want to see this result. You and I practiced this test by phone with your first fill water. On my tracking of your test results, I don't see it at all. On the plastic card (about a half sheet size) of directions that came with your test kit, the instructions to test CC is #4 under the "Chlorine Drop Test". After you test for the FC, do not throw out the solution. You will use that for the CC test.
Test for CC whenever your FC goes down to 3 or lower. Otherwise, test for CC once a week just to keep on top of things.

TA: your range for TA is 70-90, but your results are running between 60 and 80. As to why, pooldv or Kim will need to answer. Since it is going up and down, I would leave it alone. Again, Kim or pooldv may have better ideas. Test the TA once a day.

CH: It seems to be holding pretty close to 225ppm. So that's good. Test it once or twice a week for now.

Do you have any questions about any of the tests? Do you understand about the CH and TA tests to keep adding until the target color does not get darker? The # to record will be the last drop where the color darkened. To know that, you must add one more drop to confirm: No change. But you don't count THAT drop that confirmed there was no change. (easier to do and understand than to explain.....)

Happy swimming!
Suz
 
Ok on the pH and I will add nothing tonight, I did add more bleach to try and push up the FC.

I do test the CC each time I test the FC and usually I only need to add 1 drop for a .5 result. Tonight I let the CC swirl longer and I see that it gradually turns a very faint pink so I kept adding and ended up with 6 drops for a CC of 3. The reason you don't see it is that once I enter the FC and CC results the PoolMath app only shows the final and does not break down the FC and CC separately. Hope I'm explaining this correctly or we will have to do another phone call :)

TA seems to be holding closer to 60 these days but I have not added baking soda to adjust yet...

CH fluctuates between 175 and 225. In fact those are the only two readings I ever get (175 or 225) not sure why on this.

I may be stopping my drops to soon so perhaps we should talk through a test to make sure I'm doing it correctly. If I am not adding enough drops it's only because I want my TF-100 test kit to last forever... :)

Thanks Suz the family had a blast and we let the girls stay up to swim in the lights. They were so happy!

SuzfromTexas said:
Good job!

pH: 7.5 is good. I would not add any MA tonight. Keeping it between 7.5 and 7.8 is good. When it drifts up to 7.9 or 8.0, then use 7.5 as your goal and add the amount of MA that PoolMath says to add. Test it whenever you're testing the FC.

CYA: I don't know if you're testing for this each time or if you're using the previous test results. Don't test CYA more than once a week. The test uses more reagent [R-0013] than other tests, and you'll run out of it too quickly. It's ok to use the result from the last time you tested.

CC - Combined Chloramines: I really want to see this result. You and I practiced this test by phone with your first fill water. On my tracking of your test results, I don't see it at all. On the plastic card (about a half sheet size) of directions that came with your test kit, the instructions to test CC is #4 under the "Chlorine Drop Test". After you test for the FC, do not throw out the solution. You will use that for the CC test.
Test for CC whenever your FC goes down to 3 or lower. Otherwise, test for CC once a week just to keep on top of things.

TA: your range for TA is 70-90, but your results are running between 60 and 80. As to why, pooldv or Kim will need to answer. Since it is going up and down, I would leave it alone. Again, Kim or pooldv may have better ideas. Test the TA once a day.

CH: It seems to be holding pretty close to 225ppm. So that's good. Test it once or twice a week for now.

Do you have any questions about any of the tests? Do you understand about the CH and TA tests to keep adding until the target color does not get darker? The # to record will be the last drop where the color darkened. To know that, you must add one more drop to confirm: No change. But you don't count THAT drop that confirmed there was no change. (easier to do and understand than to explain.....)

Happy swimming!
Suz
Click to expand...

- - - Updated - - -

here are the numbers before going to bed...

FC 3.5
pH 7.5
TA 60
CH 175
CSI -0.45
Temp 90

I added 44oz of bleach and will retest in the morning. Forgot to mention that I do not test CYA very time, just when something is really off so I have done it maybe 3 times. CYA has been the most consistent and holding steady at 40.
 

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Just tested again and this is how it goes:
I do the Chlorine Drop Test with R-0870 followed by R-0871 and enter results in PoolMath App. I then use the same water I just tested and add R-0003 (water turns a very light pink) I then add 1 drop of R-0871 and it changes to clear so that should be a reading of .5 which I register in PoolMath App. As I enter the readings I continue to let the water swirl and it will slowly become a vary faint pink. Now I can continue to add R-0871 and it seems this will go on all night/day so I have concluded that the initial 1 drop of R-0871 which clears the water is the result I should be using. Am I correct in doing so or is there something going on?

Thanks

pooldv said:
If your CC is 1 or higher then you've got algae brewing from letting FC be too low. I'd get FC up to 10 and keep it there over the weekend.
Click to expand...

- - - Updated - - -

Here are my new readings from this morning:
FC 5
pH 7.5
TA 60
CH 150
CSI -0.53
Temp 88
 
ctrav said:
Just tested again and this is how it goes:
I do the Chlorine Drop Test with R-0870 followed by R-0871 and enter results in PoolMath App. I then use the same water I just tested and add R-0003 (water turns a very light pink) I then add 1 drop of R-0871 and it changes to clear so that should be a reading of .5 which I register in PoolMath App. As I enter the readings I continue to let the water swirl and it will slowly become a vary faint pink. Now I can continue to add R-0871 and it seems this will go on all night/day so I have concluded that the initial 1 drop of R-0871 which clears the water is the result I should be using. Am I correct in doing so or is there something going on?
Click to expand...

I agree with your conclusion to stop the CC test after the one drop clears the faint pink. When you're finished with a test, stop the SpeedStir. I've noticed with my testing, that by the time I go to empty the test cylinders (I empty them after all my tests are finished), the CC one has turned back to a very faint pink. Good job thinking that through! You're becoming a 'mad scientist'! :twisted:
 
Well that is a relief for sure. Just finished testing and my FC dropped to 2.5 so I added 74oz of bleach and will test the FC and pH around 5 and post results here. Thanks for checking in on me pooldv....
 
pooldv said:
The difference in the CSI calculation is that one assumes a different amount of salt than the other one does. Enter 250 for salt in both and they'll match.
Click to expand...


As expected you were right - that worked, but our CSI differences were still bugging me because I didn't understand WHY? (yep, I bugged my teachers a lot for that reason!)

I finally found out from Lee that for pools without a swg system, the website Pool Math needs a default Salt level of 1000 plugged in. When they made the Pool Math app, they chose 1000 as the default, because chlorine does add some salt (I'm spouting this from Lee). So in the app the default was built into the program. That's why when I plugged in a '0' for salt on my computer and Cliff skipped it on his app, we had different CSI results. As long as we both put in the same value above '0' we were the same. But Cliff can continue to just skip the salt value until he fires up his swg system.

So, next time if this ever comes up again, I'll know to add the default on the web program if the other person is using their app.
 
SuzfromTexas said:
Is that because his FC is dropping below 3 in a relatively short time? Cliff won't need to test quite as often?
Click to expand...

Yes, because FC has been flirting dangerously close to minimum and seems to be dropping faster. The next step is some algae. Best to get ahead of it or we'll be teaching Cliff how to do a SLAM.
 
ctrav said:
Oh no not the SLAM...FC up to 10 tonight as directed...

- - - Updated - - -

Can the girls still go in with that high of an FC or should we stay out of the pool for the weekend?
Click to expand...

Yes, with CYA at 40 It is safe to swim with FC up to 16. It is safe to swim with FC above minimum and up to shock level for your CYA, [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA].
 

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