Hi! I’ve been reading and learning what I can the last couple of weeks as I just purchased a home with a pool(first one both home and pool). I started off with ZERO pool knowledge and have already learned so much from you guys so thank you but I’m definitely still learning and feel like I’m 5. I had no interaction with previous owner so i have no pool info or history just what I’ve managed to learn about my system from this site. I GUESS my pool is around 24,000gals. The deep end is about 9-10ft. Anyways, Tuesday I awoke to a terrible green disaster. I have been using liquid chlorine and brushing and back washing and it has slowly got to the point where I can see the main drain again but as you see by the difference in pictures...Still a LONG way to go. I have ordered the T600? Off of amazon but it has not arrived yet so I hit up my 2 local pool stores within 30mins of each other and these are the results I got. Pretty different. One told me my chemicals were fine so it’s the o rings in my backwash piston making the green keep going back into the pool, the other told me I’m just bleaching the algae and need a whole bunch of algae killing chemicals. Based off these results can somebody PLEASE steer me in the right direction so I don’t get suckered into buying unnecessary items to fix this. THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!!!
Typical newbie who needs major help!
- Thread starter Bec1430
- Start date
- Jul 21, 2013
- 54,898
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Welcome to TFP.
I don't know what the T600 is. We recommend either the TF-100 Test Kits or the Taylor K-2006C. You need a test kit with the FAS/DPD chlorine test that lets you test chlorine up to 50 ppm. Most test kits can only test chlorine up to 5 or 10 ppm.
I suggest you read ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and browse through Pool School.
The only numbers that really matter to you right now are your CYA which is 80-100 or more and your Chlorine. Your CYA level determines the free chlorine required to keep your water algae free as shown by the FC/CYA Levels. Once algae takes hold in the water that level of chlorine is not enough to kill it.
To get rid of the algae you need to follow the SLAM Process. At CYA of 100 it can take a lot of chlorine. We recommend you drain the pool or do a water exchange and get your CYA down to 30.
Until you get a good test kit you should add 1 gallon of 10% liquid chlorine to your pool daily.
When you get your test kit you need to get a good read on your CYA. With your CYA so high you will need to do the 50% dilution test as described in Step 8 at CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test - Trouble Free Pool
Once you get your test kit post your tests results and we can discuss next steps.
Also I suggest you download PoolMath
I don't know what the T600 is. We recommend either the TF-100 Test Kits or the Taylor K-2006C. You need a test kit with the FAS/DPD chlorine test that lets you test chlorine up to 50 ppm. Most test kits can only test chlorine up to 5 or 10 ppm.
I suggest you read ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and browse through Pool School.
The only numbers that really matter to you right now are your CYA which is 80-100 or more and your Chlorine. Your CYA level determines the free chlorine required to keep your water algae free as shown by the FC/CYA Levels. Once algae takes hold in the water that level of chlorine is not enough to kill it.
To get rid of the algae you need to follow the SLAM Process. At CYA of 100 it can take a lot of chlorine. We recommend you drain the pool or do a water exchange and get your CYA down to 30.
Until you get a good test kit you should add 1 gallon of 10% liquid chlorine to your pool daily.
When you get your test kit you need to get a good read on your CYA. With your CYA so high you will need to do the 50% dilution test as described in Step 8 at CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test - Trouble Free Pool
Once you get your test kit post your tests results and we can discuss next steps.
Also I suggest you download PoolMath
Well that is a new one
Allen has you on track how to get your pool clear and keep it clear. The good test kit is the main key for your pool.
Kim
RodRamos
In The Industry
Hello and welcome.
Dont trust the pool store results, some are well intended but the majority are designed to see you parts and chemicals.
My advice is get the TF-100. Allen has the link above. I got the Taylor K-2006C because I thought it came with a nice case, not a good reason to select a kit lol. The TF-100 has more reagents (imho) and more of the ones you will use it often, especially since as you are new, you will be testing....a lot.
Truth of the matter is, if you are new to TFP (like me) you will test often, daily actually, let me explain....
Being new, it was hard for me to predict what my pools daily FC demands and pH changes were, so I had to test daily and adjust. I was testing FC, CC and pH daily, and TA, CH and CYA weekly. As you can probably guess, this takes a lot of chemicals.
Now I just reached a point where I know what my pools daily chemical needs are, I managed to dial it down to testing every other day. Eventually I want to test everything once a week.
Rod
Dont trust the pool store results, some are well intended but the majority are designed to see you parts and chemicals.
My advice is get the TF-100. Allen has the link above. I got the Taylor K-2006C because I thought it came with a nice case, not a good reason to select a kit lol. The TF-100 has more reagents (imho) and more of the ones you will use it often, especially since as you are new, you will be testing....a lot.
Truth of the matter is, if you are new to TFP (like me) you will test often, daily actually, let me explain....
Being new, it was hard for me to predict what my pools daily FC demands and pH changes were, so I had to test daily and adjust. I was testing FC, CC and pH daily, and TA, CH and CYA weekly. As you can probably guess, this takes a lot of chemicals.
Now I just reached a point where I know what my pools daily chemical needs are, I managed to dial it down to testing every other day. Eventually I want to test everything once a week.
Rod
gawd....gotta roll eyes at those varied pool test results on the same pool water, huh?
Did you find any chemicals left by the previous owner which could clue you in to what they've added in the past? Not that you'll probably use them, but its good to know.
Maddie
Did you find any chemicals left by the previous owner which could clue you in to what they've added in the past? Not that you'll probably use them, but its good to know.
Maddie
Wow thank you so much for all the helpful advice and links. I guess I weirdly got both of those two kits confused with each other and it is the TF100 I ordered. I guess I got the 6 from the 2006 as I saw them both posted on here numerous times. I checked out the pool math and did the calculations for my gallon amount....turns out I’ve been undershooting the amount of water in my pool by roughly 6,000 gallons so I’m sure that has played a part in my destruction of blue. So from my understanding CYA will never decrease unless water is replaced correct? Or drain would just be the fastest way at least. Do you recommend that I drain about half the pool first and then do the SLAM process? Or would it be a whole pool drain or less of a drain? Excuse my ignorance but how does CYA get so high in the first place? Before discovering liquid chlorine on this forum I had been using the regular 3in tabs and powdered shock. Is that the cause? Is there a way to avoid CYA?
Yes and I’m so mad that I even remotely listened to the guy and pulled my backwash piston out to inspect them ‘just in case’ as now I seem to have zero pressure when attempting to backwash. So who knows what’s happened nowWell that is a new one
Allen has you on track how to get your pool clear and keep it clear. The good test kit is the main key for your pool.
Kim
How long do you think it took for you to get to that point of understanding exactly what your pool needs? I feel like I’m just starting my trek down a very long road. I never thought I’d own a pool so never made too much effort to know anything about them, then I got a deal of a house that just so happened to have one and I mean if I have one it may aswell be blue and useable right?
The only thing the owner left was a 1/4 gallon of Muriatric acid and a broken pool hose.gawd....gotta roll eyes at those varied pool test results on the same pool water, huh?
Did you find any chemicals left by the previous owner which could clue you in to what they've added in the past? Not that you'll probably use them, but its good to know.
Maddie
I did. I didn’t actually take them off the piston as during the closing of the house when I asked the owners agent for some pool info he (weirdly) sent me a receipt showing the replacement of the backwash piston in dec 2018 and that’s it. But I did wipe some sand off under a couple of them and then lube them all
Were headed down a confusing road......there is no "backwash piston". I think you are speaking of the multi port valve but that should be clarified......got a pic?
My apologies. Still learning all the parts, that was just what it was called on a receipt I got and have just been calling it that but I am talking about the picture attached
Attachments
The tablets ARE what added the CYA. Some do add CH but most add CYA. While you need some CYA once you get too much you see the problems you are dealing with now. Here is a chart for you FC/CYA Levels
Use Pool Math to find out how much water to drain. It does just about every thing for you.
Can you do me a favor? Please fill in your signature. Go to your name, click on it. A drop down should come down with the word signature in it. Put in what kind of pool, above or in ground, plaster or vinyl, what kind of filter, what test kit you are using. I can see why you got the letters and numbers mixed together LOL THANKS!
Use Pool Math to find out how much water to drain. It does just about every thing for you.
Can you do me a favor? Please fill in your signature. Go to your name, click on it. A drop down should come down with the word signature in it. Put in what kind of pool, above or in ground, plaster or vinyl, what kind of filter, what test kit you are using. I can see why you got the letters and numbers mixed together LOL THANKS!
- Jul 21, 2013
- 54,898
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
- Jul 21, 2013
- 54,898
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Sort of. CYA does degrade a bit with hot pool water but too slow to wait for it to come down naturally. It can degreade maybe 10 ppm every month or two.
We have a No Drain Water Exchange Process so that you don't put your pool or plaster at risk while it is close to being empty.
Draining or exchnaging water to CYA 30 will have you use less chlorine during the SLAM Process.
If your CYA is 100 you need to drain and replace about 70% of your water.
Solid chlorine products - trichlor and dichlor- have CYA in them. Chlorine is a gas and it needs another chemical to be made into a solid product.
You avoid CYA by using liquid chlorine or s Salt Water Generator for your chlorine.
RodRamos
In The Industry
For me it took about a month. I had to first get it to the point where the pool was healthy and all the chemicals were balanced. Then I just kept an eye on my chlorine loss and how much it took to get it where it needs to be. The poolmath app is fantastic for that. It helped out a lot and is a wonderful guide for three reasons:How long do you think it took for you to get to that point of understanding exactly what your pool needs? I feel like I’m just starting my trek down a very long road. I never thought I’d own a pool so never made too much effort to know anything about them, then I got a deal of a house that just so happened to have one and I mean if I have one it may aswell be blue and useable right?
1. It keeps track of what you do to your pool, chemical additions, maintenance and test results via the built in log.
2. It guides you by recommending chemical changes based on test results you input from tests.
3. It helps you understand and eventually predict what your pool needs are and how to adjust.
Took me a bit but I'm comfortable taking care if my pool and I k ow if I come across an issue (which will happen when you own a pool) I know the TFP community is here to help.??
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