First time with TF-100

[zadeluca]

Hello!

I'm new to the forum (for my introduction thread, click here). Short version is the pool was opened by the company that serviced it for the previous owners, at which point they dumped in a bunch of BioGuard products. For the past 3-4 weeks I've just been following their instructions which were simply to use 3 of the BioGuard "smart sticks" in the skimmer at a time. I'm aware that those are stabilized chlorine and may lead to elevated CYA.

So now I have finally done my first round of testing with the TF-100:
FC 5.5
CC 0.0
pH 7.2
TA 100
CH 175
CYA 45

The only thing I'm really concerned with at this point is obviously I do not want the CYA to increase any more, so I should probably stop using the stabilized chlorine sticks, right? Will anything cause CYA to decrease in the future? I'd like to use up the rest of the sticks I have (and I will post a list of the rest of the stuff I have to see if I can use it up without causing any issues).

Thanks!!

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

How's the water look? Test results look good. If the CYA test fell between 40 and 50, call it 50 to be safe. Maintain your FC level based on the CYA/Chlorine Chart.

Save the sticks for vacations or times when you're not able to dose. They should last a long time.

 

[ajw22]

Your numbers look pretty good. Your CYA is 50. If the dot disappears between 50 and 40 we round up and call it 50. That is about as high as you want it to get.

CYA is only lost by dilution or draining the water out. Save your sticks for when you find your CYA is low.

Chlorinate your pool using liquid chlorine/bleach (plain, unscented, not Clorox). Follow the FC/CYA Levels. For CYA 50 you should target a FC of 6-8.

 

[Richard320]

Yes, stop with the sticks. But keep them. Sealed up, they'll last years. You will lose a little bit of CYA to normal chemical breakdown, and you'll lose some to splashout, so you may need to bump up CYA in the future. If they left you any Cal-hypo "shock" you seem to have plenty of room for the CH it leaves behind.

 

[zadeluca]

Thank you for all of the replies and suggestions so far. The water looks very clear at the moment. I hear ya regarding the sticks, I'm gonna go pick up some liquid chlorine/bleach and bring the FC up a bit into the 6-8 range for 50 CYA.

Other than ~25 sticks, here are the other things that were left/given to us:
- 10 lbs granular shock (calcium hypochlorite): 7 HTH Super 4-in-1, 3 BioGuard burnout 3
- 2 lbs granular stabilized chlorinator (sodium dichloro-s-triainetrione dihydrate): BioGuard super soluble
- 1.5 qts algae preventative (alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride): BioGuard back up 2
- 3 lbs granular pH and total alkalinity reducer (sodium bisulfate): BioGuard lo 'n slo

Any specific advice regarding any of these? Based on my reading so far, I think an algae preventative is not necessary if you maintain the correct FC level, and I don't need to reduce pH or TA at the moment, but it's pretty obvious that lo 'n slo is the "dry acid" that could be used for that if needed.

However I'm not sure when/if I should ever use the granular shock. Use it in place of liquid chlorine/bleach just to get rid of it? Or keep it on hand in case I ever run out of liquid and can't get more at the moment?

The "granular stabilized chlorinator" seems to be similar to the sticks, just in a faster dissolving form, so with a higher CYA I pretty much don't want to use this any time soon, right?

 

[Richard320]

Other than ~25 sticks, here are the other things that were left/given to us:
- 10 lbs granular shock (calcium hypochlorite): 7 HTH Super 4-in-1, 3 BioGuard burnout 3
- 2 lbs granular stabilized chlorinator (sodium dichloro-s-triainetrione dihydrate): BioGuard super soluble
- 1.5 qts algae preventative (alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride): BioGuard back up 2
- 3 lbs granular pH and total alkalinity reducer (sodium bisulfate): BioGuard lo 'n slo

Cal-hypo: read the labels. If there's any copper or cupro- ingredients, don't use it. Otherwise, feel free to chlorinate with it. Pool math will tell you the dose, if you tell it the strength, same as with bleach. Your CH is low enough you can safely use it.
Dichlor: keep dry. It'll last for years. Maybe you'll need it next spring at opening.
Algaecide: give it to the next hazmat collection. It;s ammonia-based. It will actually deplete chlorine!
Dry Acid: use it while you have it but don't buy any more.

 

[zadeluca]

Thanks for the info. No copper in any of them. I was actually worried about the sticks because they have a very slight blue color on the outside only, but when they start to dissolve they are white. I have this older version (SilkGuard Sticks) which does not list copper as an ingredient, though I wonder if it could be hidden in the 6% "other ingredients."

The new version which I do not have (SilkGuard Complete Sticks) does list Copper Sulfate pentahydrate at 1%.

 

[Richard320]

The 6% other is most likely the binder that glues the powder together, and maybe some kind of clarifier to prevent cloudiness. They're usually quite proud of the copper content.

 

[zadeluca]

I see, well then I guess that explains why they added it to the new formula!