First time Pool Owner

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Re: TF-100 Test

Your most immediate concern is the 0 FC. So use the Poolmath calculator to calculate how much bleach to get you to a target of 8 FC. If you don't know how I got that number, please see the Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart so you understand (for the future) what FC you should be at based on your CYA for a non-SWG pool. That's very important to keep algae away.

After that, please run a pH test and post that for us. Your pH should be somewhere between 7.5-7.8.

Let us know if you have any more questions.

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At some point, see if you can add your pool size (in gallons) to your signature. It will help us if we need to run numbers on the calculator for you. :)

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How 'bout this weather huh? Awesome or what! :sun:
 
Hi again Newbie. You'll notice I just updated your other post TF-100 Test with instructions of what to do next. At some point, don't be surprised if your two threads get merged. You won't lose any info. It might just help us from getting too "scattered" with different threads. Sometimes we all get confused trying to chase-down all the threads. :)
 
Re: TF-100 Test

Texas Splash said:
Your most immediate concern is the 0 FC. So use the Poolmath calculator to calculate how much bleach to get you to a target of 8 FC. If you don't know how I got that number, please see the Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart so you understand (for the future) what FC you should be at based on your CYA for a non-SWG pool. That's very important to keep algae away.

After that, please run a pH test and post that for us. Your pH should be somewhere between 7.5-7.8.

Let us know if you have any more questions.

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At some point, see if you can add your pool size (in gallons) to your signature. It will help us if we need to run numbers on the calculator for you. :)

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How 'bout this weather huh? Awesome or what! :sun:
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What a beautiful day today.

I understand how you got the FC of 8 Texas Splash.

According to the poolmath, in order for me to get my FC from 0 to 8, I have to

Add 141 oz of % bleach. Jug size 96oz.
or add 9.9 0z by weight or unknown by volume of Trichlor.
Note: Dichlor and trichlor add CYA and lower pH. Cal-hypo adds CH.

Can you please explain what above information from PoolMath means? Does that mean I dump in 141 oz of Bleach into the pool? Do I just dump the bleach anywhere in the pool? Do I have to run the water filter before testing the PH level? My current level PH is at 0 right now I think.
 
Sure. First for the bleach - Simply do as I do and stick to your regular generic bleach from Wal-Mart of HEB. It's the Great Value or Bravo jugs at $2.98 per gallon. So add a gallon or whatever the calculator instructed. Even though the calculator gives you the option of using other products instead of bleach, don't bother trying to use any other product. Yes, some other items like trichlor will increase FC and lower pH because they are acidic, but that's not an issue we need to mess with right now. Let's keep it simple and just stick to the bleach. It works great.

As for the pH, it would be very unusual to have a reading of zero. Even water from the tap will show something. You might want to double-check that test just to be sure. Just fill the right side of your comparator glass and add the 5 drops of R-0014 reagent. Now if it's still extremely light (or clear), then we'll need to get that increased to your acceptable range of 7.5-7.8 right away. We just want to be very sure and not do anything to go too high or too low with pH at any one time.

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Oh, and when you add bleach, simply make sure your pump is running then slowly add the bleach near your pool return jets so it gets pushed-out and starts blending with the rest of the pool. You can even take a brush and move it around a little if you need to. With good circulation, it should be mixed pretty well in about 15-20 minutes. You can re-check after that to make sure.
 
Texas Splash said:
Sure. First for the bleach - Simply do as I do and stick to your regular generic bleach from Wal-Mart of HEB. It's the Great Value or Bravo jugs at $2.98 per gallon. So add a gallon or whatever the calculator instructed. Even though the calculator gives you the option of using other products instead of bleach, don't bother trying to use any other product. Yes, some other items like trichlor will increase FC and lower pH because they are acidic, but that's not an issue we need to mess with right now. Let's keep it simple and just stick to the bleach. It works great.

As for the pH, it would be very unusual to have a reading of zero. Even water from the tap will show something. You might want to double-check that test just to be sure. Just fill the right side of your comparator glass and add the 5 drops of R-0014 reagent. Now if it's still extremely light (or clear), then we'll need to get that increased to your acceptable range of 7.5-7.8 right away. We just want to be very sure and not do anything to go too high or too low with pH at any one time.

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Oh, and when you add bleach, simply make sure your pump is running then slowly add the bleach near your pool return jets so it gets pushed-out and starts blending with the rest of the pool. You can even take a brush and move it around a little if you need to. With good circulation, it should be mixed pretty well in about 15-20 minutes. You can re-check after that to make sure.
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Let's see if I understand correctly, just go to Walmart and buy regular on the shelf Bleach and dump 141 oz of bleach into my pool near the skimmer so that it can be spread around the pool.

I just did a PH test and it showed my pH look like the highest which is 8.2 pH.

One more question, I saw the previous owner had a bunch of big white chlorine tab (that look like big chunk of white chalk) put inside the skimmer, do I need to buy those chlorine tab and put it in the skimmer also? If so, where do I buy those big chlorine tab?
 
For the bleach - yes .. Wal-Mart or HEB generic (regular) bleach. No scents, not splashless. I'll post a pic in a second.
pH - that makes more sense. So the calculator can also tell you how much acid to add to lower it to the proper range. If you need help with the acid, let me know. I did a quick check and I estimate about 12 ounces or just under 1.5 cups of acid. But you should check as well.

Oh, and when you add the bleach, don't pour it near or in the skimmer. Add it at the other end of your pool, near the return jets when the clean water comes back into the pool.

The chorine tablets - don't use them. We rarely need them and they can have side-effects you don't want. Just stick to the bleach. :)

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Just look for these (I recommend the Bravo or Great Value - they are cheaper. :)

 
Texas Splash said:
For the bleach - yes .. Wal-Mart or HEB generic (regular) bleach. No scents, not splashless. I'll post a pic in a second.
pH - that makes more sense. So the calculator can also tell you how much acid to add to lower it to the proper range. If you need help with the acid, let me know.

Oh, and when you add the bleach, don't pour it near or in the skimmer. Add it at the other end of your pool, near the return jets when the clean water comes back into the pool.

The chorine tablets - don't use them. We rarely need them and they can have side-effects you don't want. Just stick to the bleach. :)

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Just look for these (I recommend the Bravo or Great Value - they are cheaper. :)

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Yes please explain and help me with acid to get the PH level to 7.5

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It had been about a month since I took over the house and I have not done anything to the pool. Now I am starting to see green algae starting to form on the concrete and the floor of the pool, should I be worry or maybe need to get the expert to come out and take care of it?
 
I did a quick check on the calculator and I estimate about 12 ounces (or just under 1.5 cups) of acid to lower your pH. Have you ever used muriatic acid before? It's important to be careful, but certainly manageable for everyone to use if done safely. First, you can get muriatic acid at (yes I said it) the pool store (ha ha), or Home Depot/Lowes in the pool section. You can also get it in the paint hardware section. Here's a couple pics as an example:




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The key with acid (look closely at the ingredient) is that it says "20 Baume, 31.45%) strength. There are others out there but they are not as strong.

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When adding acid, pour slowly into a measuring cup that you will only use for acid in the future. Never mix acid with anything else. Also, watch the direction of the wind so you don't breath-in any fumes. Eye protection wouldn't hurt either. Certainly never get it on your skin. If you do, rinse your hand immediately. Pour slowly near those return jets where the clean water comes back to the pool. Oh, and one last thing, never add bleach and acid at the same time. They don't play well together.

Make sense?
 
Something else for you to keep in mind when using the calculator in the future .... at the top, when you are checking to see how bleach you need,..... after you enter your NOW and TARGET numbers, make sure you verify the % of bleach (weight) you are going to use. By default, the calculator lists 6%, but often times we use 8.25% Bravo or Great Value. The stronger 8.25% bleach will show that you don't to use quite as much. :) Sometimes I get in a hurry and forget to update that field. :brickwall:
 
Thanks for the info, it was very helpful. Ok so I went and bought chlorine and I dumped in 1 gallons and 6 cups into the pool. That's 3 cups more than PoolMath told me, hopefully it won't cause any problem.

Do you think it will be fine for me to add the acid in tommorrow?
 

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That will be fine. The extra bleach won't hurt anything tonight and eventually the slightly higher FC will go down tomorrow. Yes, you can add the acid in the morning. Please re-read the safety items I noted above though and be safe pouring it in the water. I would also suggest you double-check your calculations in the calculator tomorrow just to make sure you have the correct pool size (gallons) and anything else listed. Check-in with us tomorrow if you have any more questions. Have a nice evening.
 
smforte said:
Did I read your seeing algae? If so you'll need to follow the SLAM process. Be sure to read all the recommended threads of Pool School over and over. It will finally sink in. Took me awhile but it's all really easy!
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Yes I started to see green algae all over the side and bottom of the pool. First I thought it was leaves and debris but when I use a broom to sweep it, it disappeared. Will adding the chlorine make the algae go away?
 
Ah yes .... sweeping to see that puff of green dust means you have algae. No doubt you need to be in SLAM mode and follow all of those steps on the SLAM page very carefully. Remember - it is the BLEACH that will kill the algae, but it takes time. Try not to get impatient as a SLAM is not an overnight process. Now that you have adjusted your pH to 7.2-7.4 (I believe you did that this morning), then increase your FC level with the regular bleach examples above and keep the FC at your shock/SLAM level. Do you remember that FC SLAM level? You can refer to Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart, or I could go back and try to find it in your previous posts. But the FC must stay up there, so you'll want to have a few jugs of bleach handy.

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Looks like your most recent CYA was 70, so your corresponding FC SLAM level should be 28. Please use enough bleach to increase and maintain an FC of 28 until you pass the 3 SLAM criteria noted on the SLAM page. The link is in my signature below if you don't have it. Good luck!
 
Ok guys,

Yesterday results before added Chlorine and Acid

2/27
pH level 8.5
Cl level .5
Chlorine Drop Test - No Chlorine & No Combined Chloramines
Calcium Hardness Test - 450 ppm
Total Alkalinity Test - 110
CYA Test - 70

I added almost 2 gallons of chlorine and 2 cups of acid yesterday to the pool and this is the result I got today.
2/28
pH level 7.50
cL level 1
Chlorine Drop Test - FC -1 ppm CC - .5 ppm
Calcium Hardness Test - 450 ppm
Total Alkalinity Test - 80
CYA Test - about 80

What should I do next?

-- Does the result means I need to add way more chlorine to get my FC up to about 8?
 
Okay, first I would lower that pH just a hair more. Get it just under 7.4 because once you increase the FC during the SLAM you won't test pH any more. So add a little acid now to let it mix. Then, in about 10-15 minutes, increase FC with regular bleach. Earlier we thought your CYA was 70, but since it's almost 80, your new FC is 31.

From this point forward (until you pass the SLAM), no need to test TA or CH. Focus mainly on that FC and keeping it at 31. That's a lot of R-0871 drops, so if you are getting low, you may want to order some now. But you'll want bleach available to add morning, noon and night to keep the FC at 31. At the same time, keep the pump running 24/7, and brush, sweep, etc.

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If you get confused at all, post back and/or read the Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain page as a review. It will work if you follow all the instructions, but it takes some time. Be patient.
 
I guess it depends on the size of the debris. Many folks have a variety of rakes, sweep-brooms, and nets that assist in grabbing items that are too difficult for our vacuums to pull through their intake. Sometimes I simply use a brush to stir it up a bit then go right behind it with a net and grab whatever I made float around. I do that when I'm too lazy to vacuum. :D During a SLAM, the more physical trash and debris you can remove the better. At some point it does need to be removed.

Manual vacuum? Sure, I suppose you could try that. When you say wall outlet, do you mean a dedicated wall suction port? If so, before you go out to buy anything, check to make sure anything you plan to buy will fit. Some fittings and hoses are different sizes. Before you spend money, see if you can just sweep and grab the stuff with a net or whatever you have. Just trying to save you some $$. You'll need it for more bleach. :)
 
After I clean my pool with a brush today, seem like all the algae looking spot in my pool is gone. Even though I see some algae, but it is very little. Do I really need to do this slam? What exactly does the slam supposed to do to the pool?


I went and bough 20 gallons of chlorine today and I dump into the pool about 6 gallons in and let the filter run for about a couple of hours. I'll test the water again tomorrow for the chlorine level again.
 

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