New Pool - Need help balancing!

[allisen]

Hi everyone. I could use some help. We started this pool build at the end of August and for a lots of reasons it is still not finished. It sat with stagnant water in it until less than a week ago when they got the pump up and running. It's gone through two pea green algea cycles now where the pool builders put in shock to clear it up but now that the pump is running I'd like to get it at least some what in balance before we close it. Based on our construction progress the pool won't be ready to close probably for another month. The SWG is not up and operating so I'm manually chlorinating. I have a TF 100 test kit but haven't gotten it out and I do have a pool math subscription. The following test results came from the pool store, but the employee there was more interested in telling me about his taste in movies than he was in telling me what I needed to do with my pool. So here I am... help!

FC - 0.0
CC - 0.3
pH - 7.9
TA - 200
CH - 275
CYA - 25

Pool is currently cloudy and 67 degrees, we also just got a ton of rain. I've been gradually putting in small amounts of MA today and then follow up with liquid chlorine which was my instruction from the pool store. I've probably put in 1/3 gallon of MA since yesterday afternoon when I got the water test done.

 

[TampaKathy]

Step 1 is break out the TF-100 and go do the tests yourself...don't trust distracted pool store boy...the TF-100 kit has instructions on how to do each test. I found them easy to follow when I tested for the first time last weekend.

 

[ajw22]

What % liquid chlorine are you adding?

You should maintain your FC at 3-5 PPM.

1/2 gallon of 10% liquid chlorine will raise your FC by 3.7 ppm.

Maintaining your FC should be your #1 priority.

Use your TF-100.

 

[allisen]

Step 1 is break out the TF-100 and go do the tests yourself...don't trust distracted pool store boy...the TF-100 kit has instructions on how to do each test. I found them easy to follow when I tested for the first time last weekend.

TF-100 commenced... I'd say FC is 0, no yellow coloring. PH is sitting about 7.2

 

[allisen]

What % liquid chlorine are you adding?

You should maintain your FC at 3-5 PPM.

1/2 gallon of 10% liquid chlorine will raise your FC by 3.7 ppm.

Maintaining your FC should be your #1 priority.

Use your TF-100.

I've got 4 gallons of 12.5% LC on hand.

 

[ajw22]

TF-100 commenced... I'd say FC is 0, no yellow coloring. PH is sitting about 7.2

You need to do the FAS/DPD chlorine test in the TF-100.

 

[allisen]

You need to do the FAS/DPD chlorine test in the TF-100.

My water did not change to pink after adding the powder? So I didn't add the R-0871. And the sample remained clear after adding the R-0003.

ETA: I take that back it does have a slight pink tinge now which cleared up with one drop of the R-0871. So I think I have a FC-0 and a CC-0.5. I think I need chlorine!

 

[allisen]

I'm not sure I did the CYA test right. I filled the tube all the way up but could still see the black dot!

 

[allisen]

I'm not sure this is the right call, but I have to go to work. I'm going to add in half a gallon of LC 12.5% and take my time with a complete test when I get home. I'm afraid to leave the pool the rest of the day without any chlorine. I'm not going to be swimming until spring so I've got some time to work this out.

 

[Newdude]

but the employee there was more interested in telling me about his taste in movies than he was in telling me what I needed to do with my pool. So here I am... help!

Well for one I am absolutely sure he knew more about his tastes in movies (a lot) than he did about pool care (slim to none).

My water did not change to pink after adding the powder

So no FC. If you reach the end point of any test, move along. Because…….

I take that back it does have a slight pink tinge now

It may change after 30 seconds. It’s irrelevant as you already got your answer. Rest assured this has fooled us ALL.

I'm not sure I did the CYA test right. I filled the tube all the way up but could still see the black dot!

The only way to get CYA is to add it. It doesn’t not appear naturally from any water source. (Well, faucet, etc). The pool people may have added some but 20 is darn near impossible to tell. Less than 20 is full blown impossible. So you’ll need to add some per poolmath to protect the chlorine you add, also per poolmath. Get the CYA up to 30 and add 5ppm of chlorine per day to stop it from getting worse.

Read up on SLAM Process. You have algae so it’s in your future. Once the FC is 10+ the ph test is invalid. So you get your PH to 7.2 and SLAM away.

 

[allisen]

Well for one I am absolutely sure he knew more about his tastes in movies (a lot) than he did about pool care (slim to none).

So no FC. If you reach the end point of any test, move along. Because…….

It may change after 30 seconds. It’s irrelevant as you already got your answer. Rest assured this has fooled us ALL.

The only way to get CYA is to add it. It doesn’t not appear naturally from any water source. (Well, faucet, etc). The pool people may have added some but 20 is darn near impossible to tell. Less than 20 is full blown impossible. So you’ll need to add some per poolmath to protect the chlorine you add, also per poolmath. Get the CYA up to 30 and add 5ppm of chlorine per day to stop it from getting worse.

Read up on SLAM Process. You have algae so it’s in your future. Once the FC is 10+ the ph test is invalid. So you get your PH to 7.2 and SLAM away.

Thank you!!! So my pH seems to be in line at 7.2, but do I need to get my CYA up to a certain level before I start the SLAM process?

 

[Newdude]

Yes. Get it to 30 and Slam for 30 per the FC/CYA Levels. If you have liquid CYA it’s there in an hour or so once it mixes up. If you use granular they need to soak to become mushy enough to squeeze milky CYA ooze into the water.

 

[Msch99]

For the most part FC is always the first concern, keep it in recommended range( not minimum) to help prevent algae.
Don't overshoot cya additions, you will have to drain or exchange pool water to lower if excessive. Same with salt.

Most of the rest are tweaked over time, some determined by your pool construction.

Repeat: Maintain FC and the rest is usually an easier fix than a green pool!

 

[allisen]

@Newdude and @Msch99 - I'm a little confused, do I need to get FC up and then worry about CYA and move to SLAM, or do I need to get CYA up and then worry about SLAM/FC? I read your guys advice as contradictory, but maybe I'm misunderstanding. Sorry!

 

[Newdude]

I read your guys advice as contradictory

The same answer for 2 different senerios. The cloudiness is likely residual algae (although good that it’s not a swamp) and you’ll need to SLAM Process. To do so you’ll need some CYA in there. You can start with 20 and dose like it’s 30 as it rises, but you aren’t that sure about the 20 so that would be my first priority.

Like @Msch99 said, you’ll also want to make sure your FC is within range while you work on the CYA. Then you SLAM and FC is the only short term concern until completion. Then we can tweak anything else with no rush.

if you can get the definitive answer that they did not add anything with CYA then you know it’s 0 and can dose from pool math to 30. If they did add some, either with shock or tabs, then dose from 15 - 30 and recheck so you don’t overshoot.

 

[allisen]

The same answer for 2 different senerios. The cloudiness is likely residual algae (although good that it’s not a swamp) and you’ll need to SLAM Process. To do so you’ll need some CYA in there. You can start with 20 and dose like it’s 30 as it rises, but you aren’t that sure about the 20 so that would be my first priority.

Like @Msch99 said, you’ll also want to make sure your FC is within range while you work on the CYA. Then you SLAM and FC is the only short term concern until completion. Then we can tweak anything else with no rush.

if you can get the definitive answer that they did not add anything with CYA then you know it’s 0 and can dose from pool math to 30. If they did add some, either with shock or tabs, then dose from 15 - 30 and recheck so you don’t overshoot.

Got it! Thank you!!!

 

[mrjetson707]

I'm new here so I wouldn't rely on my advice. I'm more commenting to get other people's take if this actually is good advice. But I'm thinking it might be a good idea to get chlor bright from leslies pool supplies (or something equivalent from another distributor) since it has chlorine and cyanuric acid. And some of the granular tabs since they also have chlorine and cyanuric acid. Once you get your cya to a good level. use liquid chlorine only

 

[Newdude]

But I'm thinking it might be a good idea to get chlor bright from leslies pool supplies (or something equivalent from another distributor) since it has chlorine and cyanuric acid. And some of the granular tabs since they also have chlorine and cyanuric acid. Once you get your cya to a good level. use liquid chlorine only

That's a GREAT idea going forward when the CYA might be a little low. But we are kinda in a rush with the need to get it dissolved so we can start the SLAM. Tabs take most of the week to dissolve and add 1-2 ppm each.

A few hours soaking in a sock in front of a return and the CYA will be ready to squeeze out. A couple hours later it will be well mixed and we can blast off with the Slam.

 

[allisen]

Well, I went with the fast and $$$ method and added a gallon of liquid CYA over the course of this morning. My CYA test is definitely more cloudy in the tube now but I can still see an obscured dot at 20? According to pool math, a gallon of that stuff should have gotten my CYA to close to 30? Am I looking too hard at the dot, or do I need to add more?

 

[BowserB]

Well, I went with the fast and $$$ method and added a gallon of liquid CYA over the course of this morning. My CYA test is definitely more cloudy in the tube now but I can still see an obscured dot at 20? According to pool math, a gallon of that stuff should have gotten my CYA to close to 30? Am I looking too hard at the dot, or do I need to add more?

If pool math for your concentration of liquid CYA should have taken you to 30, then I would assume it has done that. You can deal with the art and science of reading that black dot later, after you've killed all your algae. Proceed with the SLAM. BTW, going forwared, quite a few people here regard the top of the suggested range for FC as both a target and minimum. These are people who don't want to SLAM. I'm one of them. If the table says 4-6ppm FC, then I shoot for 6-6.5 all the time. Remember FC under SLAM level is safe for swimming--although the water temperature soon probably won't be suitable for swimming, even there in the "south" of Wisconsin! However, if you have an integrated spa and a heater that can heat just the spa, that could work in winter (yeah I know...big talk from some guy in southeast Texas!)

BTW, did you know how to read that dot? You stand in the sun and hold the tube in your shadow at waist level.