Complete beginner don't what I'm doing. HELP!!
- Thread starter rookie_pool
- Start date
If your FC is near zero, you need to test and dose more frequently. Any time FC drops below your min target (3 FC at CYA of 30), you risk algae gaining a foothold again.
And one scoop of R-8070 is sufficient. If it doesn't turn pink, you have no FC. More scoops is just wasting it.
Looks good! But be sure you pass the OCLT before ending the SLAM. The worst thing you can do now is stop too soon and let it go green again.
Okay just got home from work and re-tested the water again.
If your FC is near zero, you need to test and dose more frequently. Any time FC drops below your min target (3 FC at CYA of 30), you risk algae gaining a foothold again.
And one scoop of R-8070 is sufficient. If it doesn't turn pink, you have no FC. More scoops is just wasting it.
Looks good! But be sure you pass the OCLT before ending the SLAM. The worst thing you can do now is stop too soon and let it go green again.
FC - under 1, how is this possible? I just poured in 8 bottles of liquid chlorine.
CC - didn't check because added 2 dippers and it's still not pink
pH - 7.0
TA - 100
CH - 120
CYA - 30? I always can't tell because I can always see the black dot. Threw in like a pound of chlorine stabilizer last night.
I just threw in 2 packs of DryTec shock right now.
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If you can always see the dot during your CYA test, then it's 10 or less. So you're probably losing a lot of chlorine to UV burnoff.
Calculate the amount of CYA necessary to *raise* your level by 20 ppm (3.5 lbs for 20k gal per Pool Math) and add that ASAP. Wait 2 days then test it again. If the dot is still visible at 30, add another 10 ppm.
This should help keep your FC up. Keep dosing chlorine to 12 as frequently as possible.
Also, are you still using 25 ml of pool water for the FC test? If so, just use 10 ml, add one scoop of powder, and count each drop of R-0871 as .5. You don't need the accuracy of the 25 ml test.
Calculate the amount of CYA necessary to *raise* your level by 20 ppm (3.5 lbs for 20k gal per Pool Math) and add that ASAP. Wait 2 days then test it again. If the dot is still visible at 30, add another 10 ppm.
This should help keep your FC up. Keep dosing chlorine to 12 as frequently as possible.
Also, are you still using 25 ml of pool water for the FC test? If so, just use 10 ml, add one scoop of powder, and count each drop of R-0871 as .5. You don't need the accuracy of the 25 ml test.
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Alright, I'm going to drop about 3.5 lbs of stabilizer into the pool now. I'm using the 10 ml one for the FC.
Don't just dump the CYA in the pool - it can bleach your liner. Put it in a sock, tie it off and suspend it in front of one of the returns. Give it a squeeze once in a while to help it dissolve faster.
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. FC keeps getting tested below 0.5. At this rate I’ll go broken buying chlorine.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,578
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
FC - Below 0.5
PH - 7.6
TA - 100
CH - 140
CYA - 30
CYA is the most confusing for me. I mean, I can still see the black kinda. Do I need to add more stabilizers? I can’t throw in chlorine everyday just for the sun to eat up $30-$40 of chlorine everyday. This is so frustrating.
PH - 7.6
TA - 100
CH - 140
CYA - 30
CYA is the most confusing for me. I mean, I can still see the black kinda. Do I need to add more stabilizers? I can’t throw in chlorine everyday just for the sun to eat up $30-$40 of chlorine everyday. This is so frustrating.
Nope, always have been under 1 as far as I can remember. Didn’t bother testing CC since FC was below 1. Because even though I added like 10 dippers of R-0870 it is still not pink so I gave up.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,578
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
OK, so something is eating up the chlorine. I was worried about ammonia. Clear pool seems pretty odd to have an ammonia issue though. That's typically more associated with swamps. If it were ammonia I would expect to see high CCs too, which would show up on that OTO test, and aren't. So likely not ammonia.
What's the date code on the chlorine? (Sorry if this was already checked, just making sure you don't have old chlorine.)
For what it's worth more powder isn't going to make a difference - one scoop is enough for the 10ml sample test. If there's any undissolved powder left in the sample when you swirl it, you have enough.
What's the date code on the chlorine? (Sorry if this was already checked, just making sure you don't have old chlorine.)
For what it's worth more powder isn't going to make a difference - one scoop is enough for the 10ml sample test. If there's any undissolved powder left in the sample when you swirl it, you have enough.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,578
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
22 144 is May 24, 2022 so that's pretty fresh. (For reference that's saying the 144th day of 2022, which is May 24th per internet search.)
Looks like your water is finishing clearing up, but my guess is you still have some algae in there. Can you add enough chlorine to get up to 10ppm, mix for 30 minutes, and test again?
Looks like your water is finishing clearing up, but my guess is you still have some algae in there. Can you add enough chlorine to get up to 10ppm, mix for 30 minutes, and test again?
Alright, will do that. How much chlorine is 10ppm? I’m gonna dive in and manually vacuum the remaining algae in there. It’s okay if it goes insider the filter and then backwash later? I’m also suspecting aomething is broken inside the filter. I see a lot of sand in my pool, could be sand from the deck/floor getting blown in or it could be algae that looks like sand. Will upload pics when I get home. How would I know if the laterals are broken? Is there a way to check other then disassembling it, removing the sand and diving inside?
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,578
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
- Use Pool Math to determine how much is 10ppm. Depends on the size of your pool and the strength of your chlorine. (Aside, if you can fill out your pool info in your signature like mine - turn sideways to see if on mobile device - it will help us to give better advice.)
- Filtering algae and backwashing later is just fine.
- Try to pickup what looks like sand. if it's dead algae or just dirt/dust it'll poof away. You'll be able to pick it up if it's sand. Could be either from the filter or the deck if it is, hard to tell without opening and checking the laterals.
- Filtering algae and backwashing later is just fine.
- Try to pickup what looks like sand. if it's dead algae or just dirt/dust it'll poof away. You'll be able to pick it up if it's sand. Could be either from the filter or the deck if it is, hard to tell without opening and checking the laterals.
Are you dipping at least a foot deep into the water to obtain your sample for testing or are you pulling it right off the top? You need to get water below the surface.
jedigrover
Gold Supporter
- Sep 13, 2010
- 333
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Whoa there cowboy! There is no way I would call that still seeing the dot. We need to work on your CYA test technique. I know, it's the most difficult because it is subjective. But it is important to get it right because you also don't want to overshoot with your additions (and I've noticed you seem a little trigger happy--that's ok, happens to all of us).
Mix your sample water and cya reagent in a 50:50 ratio using the provided bottle. Shake it up. Wait 30 seconds. Give it one last shake.
Fill the viewing tube to the 80 mark. With your back to the sun and the viewing tube held waist level, GLANCE into the tube? See a googly-eye? Fill viewing tube to 70, GLANCE again. Keep going until you don't see it at a GLANCE. Don't stare. You can always make it out if you stare. You want it to disappear at a GLANCE. If you didn't see it, don't be tempted to take a longer look, because then you'll be staring and you will see it again or your mind will play tricks on you. Whichever line it disappeared (at a GLANCE) is your CYA level. We don't count in-between. Your answer will be a multiple of 10.