All the Chems can spare a few ounces one way or the other with 23k gallons. MA has extra risks associated with it pouring it to measure and then pouring it a second time. But gold star awarded to those that see it down to the ounce. We do preach precision here.
First time testing water using TFP kit - help
- Thread starter Riddler0520
- Start date
AZAA
Silver Supporter
For Muriatic Acid I use a plastic 2.4 cup measuring cup. I clearly highlight the 1 and 2 cup lines with a black sharpie so I can see the lines from the inside of the cup. I have a small pool so I rarely need more that 2 cups to fine tune my pH.
I agree the quick-'n-dirty drop test is pretty subjective, but that's the one I use every day. I have eyeball "calibrated" that test with the more accurate FAS/DPD test that I use once a week. A lot of folks here will have a coronary over that, but I'm happy with it and my FAS/DPD test is always right where I expect it after doing the quicker drop tests all week.
I agree the quick-'n-dirty drop test is pretty subjective, but that's the one I use every day. I have eyeball "calibrated" that test with the more accurate FAS/DPD test that I use once a week. A lot of folks here will have a coronary over that, but I'm happy with it and my FAS/DPD test is always right where I expect it after doing the quicker drop tests all week.
To collect the water you can use some pvc pipe (or other long tube). Put a cap on one end then drill a hole in it (just big enough to be able to cover with a finger / thumb.
Put you finger over the hole and put the tube in the water (the air in the tube will stop the water going in). Once you’ve put the end of the tube under far enough let your finger off the hole, the tube will fill with water. Put your finger back over the hole and lift the tube out, the water will stay inside until you remove your finger. Put the end of the tube over a container and uncover the hole and whoosh...
You’ll have to work out how long to uncover the hole for whilst it’s filling so you get the right amount of water.
Put you finger over the hole and put the tube in the water (the air in the tube will stop the water going in). Once you’ve put the end of the tube under far enough let your finger off the hole, the tube will fill with water. Put your finger back over the hole and lift the tube out, the water will stay inside until you remove your finger. Put the end of the tube over a container and uncover the hole and whoosh...
You’ll have to work out how long to uncover the hole for whilst it’s filling so you get the right amount of water.
31% of muriatic acid is in pool math. It might be in there under 20 Bume
- Jul 26, 2020
- 246
- Pool Size
- 23000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Add 3/4 of a gallon of acid
did the CYA test - twice
I hold the tube waist high
Should the black dot completely disappear ?
I am getting between 25-30 CYA
Telling me to add like 8lbs of dry stabilizer
wanted to check if this was normal for a new pool before I put that much in - I only purchased a 4 pound small container of the dry stabilizer - guess I didn’t get enough
also - FC is at 2.5 (5drops), Dont I need to get this >3 at minimum
Salt cell at 45% output running for 12 hours
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- May 3, 2014
- 58,570
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
When you do the CYA test, try this next time.
Once you have your solution ready, back to the sun, etc. Fill the vial to a line, say 80, lower the vial to your waist level and glance for the dot, you see it, add solution to the 70 line, glance, see it, repeat until you no longer see it with a glance. Then use the CYA value one step above the line you read. So if you stopped at 50, use 60 ppm CYA.
The vial is in logarithmic scale. So it is not viable to interpolate between the lines. Just use the whole numbers, such as 50, 40, 30, ....
- May 3, 2014
- 58,570
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Add that via the sock method, once fully dissolved from the sock, give it a day or two prior to testing your CYA. Add as necessary from there to get to your goal.
- Jul 26, 2020
- 246
- Pool Size
- 23000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Speed stir question
For a test like FC, assume I take the little magnet/pill looking think and drop it in the the Chlorine Test tube vs using the tube that came with speed stir ?
For a test like FC, assume I take the little magnet/pill looking think and drop it in the the Chlorine Test tube vs using the tube that came with speed stir ?
- Jul 26, 2020
- 246
- Pool Size
- 23000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Thank you sir - appreciate your guidance
Will a skimmer sock suffice ?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,570
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Sure. The reason there is a tube marked for Chlorine as it can get a bit dingy from the R0870.
- Jul 26, 2020
- 246
- Pool Size
- 23000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
Glance is the key word - I’m staring at it waist high down the tube and think your mind plays tricks to where you see what you want to see and can always see the black dot - shadow
AZAA
Silver Supporter
It's the test I'm the least confident in. I like Marty's drop-and-glance method above.
Technically with a 30 CYA until you get more, you are probably ok. Ok doesn't do it for me personally. I'd be targeting where you will be when you reach your goal of 70. In what, a few days tops ? Why dance the dangerous line now.
Treat the minimum, not as an ok thing, but as a Defcon 5 thing. Stay way clear of the minimum. I targeted the high number in the range. I was usually a bit over it by nature of the SWG always producing and I always had free FC to spare. Did I waste some ? Yup. Did I lose one lick of sleep over it ? Nope, and as a matter of fact it helped me sleep BETTER.
Once you get a full grip on everything and you know it backwards and forwards, you can dance that line as close as you want. Until then, give yourself some safety net. If you see how well the safety net works, you may never leave it. I didn't.
- Jul 26, 2020
- 246
- Pool Size
- 23000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
OkTechnically with a 30 CYA until you get more, you are probably ok. Ok doesn't do it for me personally. I'd be targeting where you will be when you reach your goal of 70. In what, a few days tops ? Why dance the dangerous line now.
Treat the minimum, not as an ok thing, but as a Defcon 5 thing. Stay way clear of the minimum. I targeted the high number in the range. I was usually a bit over it by nature of the SWG always producing and I always had free FC to spare. Did I waste some ? Yup. Did I lose one lick of sleep over it ? Nope, and as a matter of fact it helped me sleep BETTER.
Once you get a full grip on everything and you know it backwards and forwards, you can dance that line as close as you want. Until then, give yourself some safety net. If you see how well the safety net works, you may never leave it. I didn't.
I put 4 lbs of the dry CYA in a skimmer sock (all of it fit in it) and put it in the skimmer dangling so not to block the flow/suction
Hours later.... I can’t tell if any actually dissolved - at this rate it will take forever
- May 3, 2014
- 58,570
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Yup.
I walked away for 24 hours. When I came back I could squeeze the whole thing out in a few minutes. Hold it close to the return jet and the return water will inflate the sock. Then squeeze, reinflate, repeat.
- Jul 26, 2020
- 246
- Pool Size
- 23000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
OkYup.
I walked away for 24 hours. When I came back I could squeeze the whole thing out in a few minutes. Hold it close to the return jet and the return water will inflate the sock. Then squeeze, reinflate, repeat.
Progress
CYA is fully dissolved (4lbs) - will wait a day or two before taking another measurement
ended up pouring in 1.5 gallons of 31% MA and now have PH what looks to be right at 7.2’ish (orange)
Will take the alkalinity test tomorrow as I believe the goal is to drop PH, let it increase with aeration then rinse and repeat util TA is at the right level
FC I was able to raise to 5.5 today (11 drops)
haven’t tried the calcium hardness test yet but assume that’s important to minimize scale - especially on spillover with stone
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Perfect.
Perfect also. It will come up on its own from aeration. (Which takes time. Have a beverage and don’t sweat it).
Perfect. If your TA is high. Report back tomorrow.
Look. At. You. Go. Bravo. If the calcium is too low the water will leech it from the pool. If it’s too high it will be deposited around and can be stubborn to remove. Report back with this one as well.
For collecting sample, I use a plastic mustard/catsup plastic squeeze dispenser bottle. (~ .99 at Walmart). Works great.
- Jul 26, 2020
- 246
- Pool Size
- 23000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
All chemicals done today
FC - 8.0
CC - 0
PH- 7.5 yesterday was more orange and closer to 7.2, today slight pink hue closer to 7.5 — I have a 4ft wide with 4ft drop spa spillover, a 24” sheer decent and 2 bubbler X 12 hr run time creating aeration
TA- 110, looks like it dropped -10 from the first test with the MA add and drop of PH
Calcium Hardness - 250, first time testing .... R0011L turned it a pink color not red like instructions said it would do but assume that’s normal
CYA - 50, wasn’t going to check for a few days as I just added some but wanted to practice reading it
I took the advice given and filled it to each reading line, then move cylinder lower and “glanced”
The reading was at line 40, which I believe means a 50 CYA right
Images below
2 questions:
Should I add anything to increase the CH as it is on the low point of minimum ?
How high should I let the PH rise with aeration before adding acid to then lower TA ? trying to find in the app where it tells you based on your readings how much you TA will drop each time - think I’m trying to get it below 90 correct.
took me 30 minutes for all tests combined - need to get a squeeze bottle so I’m doing one main collection to start vs going back n forth to pool - how important is it to clean out the cylinders between testing ?
FC - 8.0
CC - 0
PH- 7.5 yesterday was more orange and closer to 7.2, today slight pink hue closer to 7.5 — I have a 4ft wide with 4ft drop spa spillover, a 24” sheer decent and 2 bubbler X 12 hr run time creating aeration
TA- 110, looks like it dropped -10 from the first test with the MA add and drop of PH
Calcium Hardness - 250, first time testing .... R0011L turned it a pink color not red like instructions said it would do but assume that’s normal
CYA - 50, wasn’t going to check for a few days as I just added some but wanted to practice reading it
I took the advice given and filled it to each reading line, then move cylinder lower and “glanced”
The reading was at line 40, which I believe means a 50 CYA right
Images below
2 questions:
Should I add anything to increase the CH as it is on the low point of minimum ?
How high should I let the PH rise with aeration before adding acid to then lower TA ? trying to find in the app where it tells you based on your readings how much you TA will drop each time - think I’m trying to get it below 90 correct.
took me 30 minutes for all tests combined - need to get a squeeze bottle so I’m doing one main collection to start vs going back n forth to pool - how important is it to clean out the cylinders between testing ?
Attachments
Last edited: