Hi, new pool

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MyDogsPool

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Jul 8, 2015
13
Grand Rapids, MI
So I have a new used pool. I got it because I have a labrador that loves to swim :shark:. It's a half hour drive and half hour hike to the closest place we can go and let him swim off leash. So I bought a used above ground pool. Nothing major 15ft round pool 4 ft deep. It has a single filter skimmer what ever you call it. I got it all set up and filled it up from my well. Fill up only took a few hours and we both went for a swim. After swimming I added 4 cups of 8% bleach as a recommendation to start. This is just regular bleach the same stuff I use to sanitize my RV water system.

So I have a Taylor Complete FAS-DPD Pool Water Test Kit K-2006 given to me by a friend to use to maintain my water. I read the entire manual and found nothing that explains anything about testing my water and what to do about it. Quite honestly the whole thing left me frustrated. It mostly seems to want to give me the history of the company and the history of water testing and no simple instructions. The simplest instructions are in the top of the lid. Which I can follow but then it leaves me going OK so now what does this mean. Which says refer to the manual and I look at the manual and say :confused: So I am looking for some help.

So I did the yellow test. Which says to use 10 ml sample for .002 ppm test and 25ml sample for .005 ppm test. Ok question number 1, so how do I know which test to use the .002 or .005? They both basically look the same add 2 scoops of the powder, and it turns pink. Then add drops of the next chemical until it turns clear. Then it says something about multiplying your drops and well there I am lost as well. Basically I did the 25ml sample and added 2 scoops of powder it turned pink and 1 drop turned it clear again. So what does that mean? I looked at this site and it has good information and what I can make out the yellow is my bleach level or FC level and I want that between 3-7. Which how do I translate that into 1 drop turned it from pink back to clear?

I did test my PH and that was 7.0 2 days ago fresh fill but it is 7.6 today. I am guessing this is normal?

I did the green test, it took 35 drops to go from greed to red. Ok so what does that mean? is there someplace that just lists a number of drops to what you need to do?

The other tests I didn't do I figured I would just kind of start 1 test at a time and try to figure it out.

I know though that this is not a big pool so kind of like a small aquarium vs a large aquarium so changes in my pool are going to happen fast. So any help please translating this?
 
Hello and welcome! Lets' try to answer your test questions:
- PH ideally should be between 7.2 - 7.8. It probably jumped high because your TA (35 drop test) is high; the TA helps to keep the PH stable
- The powder scoop test is very important every day. It checks yoru available chlorine. For example, say you put the power scoop in (now it's pink), and it takes 16 drops to go back to clear (16 x .5 = 8). Your FC = 8.
- You need to do a CYA test. Should be with a skinny vile that has a black dot at the bottom. You'll love this test. :confused: But it's very important.

Find your CYA reading, then go to this chart Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart. Find your CYA and its corresponding FC level, and that is the FC level you always want to maintain with liquid bleach.

That's a start for now. Don't want to overload you. :brickwall:.

- - - Updated - - -

Whenever you need to adjust something, you can look at this chart for a reminder of what to use: Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
 
Ok Cool thanks, so the TA is high caused my PH to rise, got it easy enough. From what I can make out I need to add Muratic Acid, which I have some and this will lower the PH and also the TA and it is probably going to raise the PH again until I get things stable? Will do the CYA test when I get home. How many drops should I be on the TA test? Whats my goal in drops? I understand you want some because it keeps the water stable but what should I be aiming for. 10 drops? 20 drops?

Oh and it says add acid then aerate to bring ph back up. Am Aerating by just letting the filter run a few days, or am I sicking the hose out of an air compressor in there making bubbles? Not sure if there is like a tube or something with holes in it that lets bubbles go up I need to buy? I am thinking aquariums, only way I know how to aerate an aquarium is with air bubbles.
 
On my K-2006 test kit the step by step instructions are on the inside of the lid of the box. Is that what you are following? Read the pool school articles on this site to get an idea of what values you want to shoot for. People here recommend using a 10ml sample for the chlorine test. That way, each drop counts as .5 ppm Chlorine. If you used the 25ml sample and it turned clear after one drop, then you have .2ppm free chlorine.
 
Adjusting the PH and TA will be a cat & mouse game. You can add just enough acid to lower the PH to about 7.2 (don't go too low). At the same time it should lower the TA a bit. If your PH starts to rise, do it again, and again, etc until they finally decide to play nice and stay. :) You always want the PH somewhere between 7.2 - 7.8. The TA can be anywhere from around 70 -120-ish. As long as you get to where the PH stays in-place, then you can probably leave the TA alone.

If you ever go too low on the PH, you can raise it with borax, soda ash, and/or aeration. Be careful with that acid. Nasty stuff (fumes and skin). Also do not add bleach or acid together. Bad mojo. Have fun!
 
MyDogsPool said:
How many drops should I be on the TA test? Whats my goal in drops? I understand you want some because it keeps the water stable but what should I be aiming for. 10 drops? 20 drops?
Click to expand...

Recommended levels are found here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/134-recommended-levels

The TA value is 10ppm per drop, so you want to be in the neighborhood of 8 drops - but this is a less critical item than making sure that your FC is the right level for your CYA
 
Here is the recommended levels for you pool. Likely your pool is a vinyl (vinyl liner) sanitized with bleach. You will see the targets for all the tests in the chart.
Pool School - Recommended Levels

Here is the Chlorine/CYA chart. Once you determine your CYA use this for your target FC.
Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

In my opinion, this is how you should treat your pool. Use an old nylon full of stabilizer hanging in front of your return to add CYA. Use PoolMath to figure additions. et the levels within targets in this order:
1st - ph
2nd - CYA
3rd - FC
Stabilize the above, then work on TA/CH.
4th - TA
5th - CH is pretty much irrelevant in a vinyl lined pool.

It's worth noting that CYA and FC can be changed at the same time. Your ph will rise the more your dog splashes and you can just keep adding muriatic acid (MA) to lower it. That will in turn lower your TA as well. Feeling overwhelmed is easy but don't let it bother you. As long as you get the the first 3 in line and then maintain adequate FC you have lots of time to dial the rest in.

If the tests still seem confusing, there are often lots of examples on YouTube to watch and learn from. Congrats.
 
Regarding your yellow test which is the Chlorine test, you have .2 ppm of free chlorine in the pool and you should have between 3 and 7 ppm in your pool. If your pool dimensions above are correct, you have 5300 gallons in your pool and if you are using 8.25% bleach, you need to add 30 oz to get your CL level to 4 ppm. This will dissipate as you probably don't have any CYA in your pool yet, but let's take things one at a time.
 

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Ok so I added the suggestions above 4 cups of muratic acid and four cups of 8.25% and let everything churn for about 5 hours. I know 3.75 cups were recommended but

Maybe I did everything correctly here is what I got so far so let me know if you think this is correct or makes sense.

PH 7.4, this is pretty easy to test so I am sure this is correct
FC 13 drops added so that calculates 6.5 million ppm
TA 29 drops. 290 ppm
CH 22 drops 220 ppm
CYA The last test well not sure if my results made sense its not really a hard test to do so not sure how I screwed it up. I did it twice with same results. You take the squeezable plastic container and you fill it to the 7 mark with pool water add the R-0013 to the 14 mark shake it for 30 seconds and then slowly add to the small container until you can no longer see the black dot. Well I can fill the whole thing up. I can still see the black dot. So not sure what that means. I did it twice. In fact it looks perfectly clear.
 
kimkats said:
I want to know how you get your dog in and out of the pool. Pics are very much welcome as well!

Kim
Click to expand...

My lab does agility so he is very used to walking ramps and doing the dog walk. So I put 2 plastic dog ramps, they are made for getting in and out of vehicles, in they have like a textured paint on them on the tops but smooth plastic then they have straps on them already to like strap on car seat legs, I just strap to metal frame at top of pool. They are light weight and fold up so I can take them up when I am not out there with him. You can see them here Amazon.com : Petgear Travel-Lite Tri-Fold Pet Ramp 200 lb. : Automotive Pet Ramps : Pet Supplies but if your looking shop around I got the same ones at a pet expo for $30
 
MyDogsPool said:
Ok so I added the suggestions above 4 cups of muratic acid and four cups of 8.25% and let everything churn for about 5 hours. I know 3.75 cups were recommended but

Maybe I did everything correctly here is what I got so far so let me know if you think this is correct or makes sense.

PH 7.4, this is pretty easy to test so I am sure this is correct
FC 13 drops added so that calculates 6.5 million ppm
TA 29 drops. 290 ppm
CH 22 drops 220 ppm
CYA The last test well not sure if my results made sense its not really a hard test to do so not sure how I screwed it up. I did it twice with same results. You take the squeezable plastic container and you fill it to the 7 mark with pool water add the R-0013 to the 14 mark shake it for 30 seconds and then slowly add to the small container until you can no longer see the black dot. Well I can fill the whole thing up. I can still see the black dot. So not sure what that means. I did it twice. In fact it looks perfectly clear.
Click to expand...

Have you added any stabilizer? If you haven't, then you have zero CYA, which means your chlorine is going to burn up very fast in the sun.
 
Having the CYA test come out perfectly clear makes sense, since you haven't described adding anything that contains CYA (also commonly called stabilizer). You should buy some CYA and add it to the pool - use Pool Math and figure out how much you need a get to about 30 ppm. The usual recommendation is to put the stabilizer in a sock or similar container, hang it in the pool, and let it dissolve over a few days.

The CYA helps the chlorine in the pool last longer, so that free chlorine levels don't drop as quickly as they otherwise would in sunlight.
 
Yes, add 30ppm of cya/stabilizer in a sock and throw it in a skimmer basket or hang it in front of a return, squeeze it a gew times a day to dissolve it and test it a week later. Be sure to raise your chlorine to target level for your CYA, Chlorine CYA Chart. Aim a few ppm higher with the dog. It is safe to swim up to shock level.

Please add your pool info to your signature as shown here, Pool School - Getting Started
 

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