Taekwondodo's Running Pool Log

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taekwondodo

taekwondodo

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Apr 26, 2009
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Date 05/02 (Got the test kit- Woot Woot!)
Time AM
FC 0.5
CC 4.5
TC 5.0
pH 7.0
CYA >100
Notes: ~50% Water Change, 4x1x10%=9ppm added during fill-up at night. Bought 12 gallons of 10% from leslie's (guy thought I was nuts, "you really, really want to buy that much - it will only last a few weeks before it starts degrading...").

Date 05/03 (Pool is now re-filled)
Time Noon
FC 1.0
CC 0.5
TC 1.5
pH 7.4
CYA 40
Notes : Seems as though all almost 9ppm from the night before was consumed, however all of the CCs were burned-out too - I think that's a good thing. Added 13.3ppm (6, 1Gal@10%), Salt was at ~1.9PPT, added 400 lbs into the waterfalls and let run for several hours to dissolve. CYA is lower (good - before it was so high it wasn't measurable... now I have a starting point I can work with). Also, not too worried about Ca and Alk - focusing on Cl for the time being.

Date 05/03
Time PM - 9 hours later...
FC 5.0
CC 0.5
TC 5.5
Notes: wow, burned through 10PPM in the course of the day. Don't think it was sun - as it was pretty cloudy all day. The pool sure looks clearer than it has in a long time. A lot of cr*p seemed to settle/drop on the bottom, so around 4:00 I went and vacuumed the pool and then backwashed the filter. DE that was less than a few days old was murky brown. Added 4.4ppm (2 1G @10%) and 5.6 (3@6%*174oz), Total Add 10 ppm. Last thought, I have used 12 1 Gallon jugs and about 8 1.5 gallon jugs - the recycle-guy's gonna look at my house real strange when he stops by Tuesday morning. Salt's now at 2.8PPT - will turn on the SWG tomorrow after I call Jandy (The AquaPure isn't talking to the RS-8).


<Is there a way to do "tables" in phpBB?>
 
Good morning, taek,

Wow! You have tackled your issues head-on and made huge progess. Without commenting on the details (which are all fine), it is obvious you have a good grasp of the concepts and are well on your way to a really sparkling pool. Nice work! :lol:

A lot of cr*p seemed to settle/drop on the bottom
Click to expand...
About a 97% chance that's dead algae.....that's what it looks like.

Yes, folks do look at you strange with the empty chlorine containers. I've had several interesting conversations in the check-out line with my 20 large bottle of clorox!! :-D :-D
 
Date 05/04
Time 0730 - ~9 hours later...
FC 9.5
CC 0.0
TC 9.5
NaCl - 3.3ppT

Notes: Since I added ~10ppm last night (for a total of 15ppm) - this is the first time I've had any real reading several hours later... but still seemed to have burned-up 6ppm overnight. IIRC, I need to not lose any (or very minimal) overnight for me to be "done" with shocking the pool. I'm almost out of Cl (have two 174/6% jugs left)... looks like another trip to the pool store. The pool is starting to sparkle.
 
Date 05/04
Time 8pm
FC 7.0
CC 0.5
TC 7.5
pH 7.4-7.5
TA 280ppm
Ca 240ppm
CYA 40
NaCl 3.1PPT

Notes: Things appear to be stabilizing - Didn't add Cl this morning and only 2.5ppm burned-out/was used throughout the day - it wasn't a particularly sunny day, so I'm I'm thinking there wasn't a lot lost to the sun... Far cry from the massive use of Cl over the weekend. Boosting it one more time tonight to 12ppm, and then turning the SWG on later in the week once it comes down to the 5-ish range. Need to start working on the T/A next. Time to get some Acid.

Question - what I can't figure out is why the T/A is so high and the pH is so low. This would imply that there's a lot of built-up acids buffering the pH downward of some sort (Carbonic? IDTS*...) in the pool... What could it be? My concern is that at 7.4, I can add only a little HCL at a time and still have something buffering my pH downwards quite a bit. Does Borate allow me to pull the pH up while STILL knocking out the Kh?

*Chuck's "Planted Tank Aquarium Calculator" puts it at 17ppm CO2 based on Kh and pH values - assuming CO2 is the only buffer. This value of CO2 seems very high for a pool - I don't have anything injecting CO2 into the pool, and IME (Planted aquariums) I really have to inject a LOT of CO2 to get to those levels. Also, yesterday I ran the sheer-decent and water fall most of the day when I added the salt back in. IME, surface agitation is a MASSIVELY in-efficient way of KEEPING CO2 in an aquarium (the goal for a planted tank).

Will also start adding CYA later in the week slowly to get CYA up to 70-80.
 
Have you checked the TA level of your fill water? That might be where the high TA level is coming from.

Aeration removes CO2 from the water (when CO2 is super-saturated, as it normally is in a pool), which also raises the PH.
 
JasonLion said:
(when CO2 is super-saturated, as it normally is in a pool), which also raises the PH.
Click to expand...

Haven't tested the fill water in a while, but I'm skeptical on the CO2 being the culprit. 17ppm is difficult to achieve and then maintain in a freshwater planted tank without some super-serious injection (and supporting equipment - oh, I'm also a planted aquarium geek) and considering on my planted tank's overflow I'll lose up-to 75% of my CO2 (from about 20ppm CO2 to 3-4PPM in a single-turn). Bad and expensive ju-ju if you're trying to grow plants in water injecting CO2...

So I can't see why having that same effect wouldn't happen with my sheer descent AND waterfall running all-day yesterday. It should have significantly de-gassed the pool water - If CO2 in-fact was the buffer holding the pH down.

For CO2 to get that high in the pool water, one would need to assume that water, in-and-of-itself is a carbon sink - and it really isn't (that's why CO2 bubbles OUT of soda, not vice-versa...). Are there other possibilities?

So, I just ran a totally unscientific test: Knowing that I can lose 75%+ of CO2 over an "overflow" in a tank - so - just for grins, knowing that a "trip over the falls" of pool water should have the same (or similar) impact on degassing 75%+ of the CO2 (if that's what it is), I just took a reading of the water from the base of the falls - same pH as the rest of the pool (~7.4). So it seems unlikely to me it is CO2... as there was zero change in pH.

- Jeff
 
Date 05/05
Time 8AM
FC 13.5
CC 0.5
TC 14

Notes: Added to ~12ppm last night, seems a little higher (but didn't measure after I added) - Pool seems to be holding it's own overnight now.
 
Date 05/05
Time 8PM
FC 15.0
CC 0.0
TC 15.0
pH 7.5

Notes: Turned the SWG on for the first time today. Set it at 40%. Also adjusted the main pump so it runs 10 minutes every hour during the day - and a single mid-day 5-hour cycle during the hottest parts to use the solar. What's interesting to note is there still seems to be "a little dust" here and there - but what's more interesting is that the TC held (and possibly actually rose due to the SWG) through the whole day. We had some good sun late in the afternoon too. If it rises again tomorrow (higher tomorrow afternoon than in the morning), I'll back-off on the SWG %'age.

Another interesting comment from the wife - she LOVES the new pool-boy and they way he's made her pool look with $100-$150 worth of Cl... I need to keep a close eye on the both of them to see if any "pool-side benefits" are in store. 8) Thanks TFP!
 
Another interesting comment from the wife - she LOVES the new pool-boy and they way he's made her pool look with $100-$150 worth of Cl... I need to keep a close eye on the both of them to see if any "pool-side benefits" are in store. Thanks TFP!
Click to expand...
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Date 05/06
Time 8AM
FC 14.5
CC 0.5
TC 15.0

Notes: OK, not losing any CL (~<0.5ppm to CC, but we did use the jacuzzi last night). Will test tonight to see what to adjust the SWG too. This weekend - lots and lots of acid over the falls... (reduce TA).
 

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Date 05/06
Time 530 PM
FC 12.0
CC 0.
TC 12.0
Alk = 260ppm
pH = 7.2

Notes: Seem to have lost some Cl today, so maybe the SWG isn't over doing it -But both the kid AND the dog decided to use the pool today, so some Cl usage makes sense. Will have to monitor. Also, dumped a little over a gallon of HCl into the pool as I had it lying around (It's what I had, I need much, much more). It only dropped the pH a little (0.2-0.3). Running the falls now do degas the carbonation. Need to get the TA down.
 
Date 05/07
Time 8AM
FC 12.0
CC 0
TC 12.0
Alk = 140ppm
pH = 7.0

Notes: No Cl lost at all overnight. Added 2-more gallons of HCl last night and the T/A came down dramatically. I still need to airiate more, as the pH is low (7.0) - however, from what I've heard, the pH reading could also be low as a result of the high TC. Also, 2-gallons of HCl shouldn't have dropped the T/A that much - but I did do the test twice and came up with 120 the first time, and 140 the second... Will measure tonight and re-assess.
 
Date 05/07
Time 6PM
FC 10.0
CC 0
TC 10.0
Alk = 140ppm
pH = 7.2

Notes: Turned off SWG today to let the FC drop - dropped 2ppm over the course of the day. Had waterfalls on this morning for several hours. pH rose by 0.2.
 
Date 05/12
Time 9AM
FC 6.0
CC 0.0
Alk = 80ppm
pH = 7.2
CYA = 40ppm.

What's interesting to note is since shocking my pool two weekends ago, is how slowly the FC has come down... Only ~1ppm/day.

Date 05/13
Time 8AM
FC 5.0
CC 0.0


It gets sun all day until about 3:30-4:00. There seems to be a little dust algae (nothing like it was, that's for sure) in a few of the corners of a few of the steps - could be my eyes though. Will have to brush later in the day and see if that's really what it is.

I turned the SWG on today, now that I'm "in-range". Will also start adding borates this weekend (I keep saying that) - bought all of the MuleTeam that Safeway had the other day (7 boxes) - I'll need a total of ~30. Time to run to walmart (once I get the chance).

Date 05/14
Time 8AM
FC 5.5
CC 0.0

SWG is now running at 40%.

Date 05/14
Time 8PM
FC 4.5
CC 0.0
Bo 0ppm
pH 7.5

Getting ready to add borax! WooT! WooT!

Date 05/15
Time 8AM
FC 6.0
CC 0.0
pH >7.8
Bo ~39ppm (27 boxes added - need 35 total (8 more boxes))

Need to add the remaining borax and add some more acid (est 3-4 gallons).

Date 05/15
Time 7AM
FC 4.5
CC 0.5
pH ~7.2
Bo ~39ppm

Added 6 more boxes for a value of (according to TPC) 49ppm borate - looks like 50 on my test strip. Also added 4 gallons of 30%HCl. pH is a little low, so I'll add one more box over the weekend. Kids went simming late this afternoon - may account for the Cl drop...

Date 05/16
Time 6PM
FC 4.0
CC 0.0

LOTS of kids (8) in the pool today. Hardly lost any Cl....

Date 05/18
Time 6PM
FC 6.5
CC 0.0
pH 7.2
T/A 75-80ppm

Date 05/24
Time 11AM
FC 2.5
CC 0.5
pH 7.5

Interesting, loss of 4PPM over 4 days (was out of town, and no swimming (that I know of), and the SWG is on. CYA is a little low (40 PPM). Going to start bringing this up to 60/70ppm.

Date 05/27
Time 11AM
FC 7.5
CC 0.5
pH 7.5
CYA 60

Notes: Three days ago added several (6?) pounds of CYA to bring it to 60ppm - added the remaining today (about two lbs) which should have it level off around 70ppm. Also added ~4.5ppm of Cl a few days ago, which should have given me a Cl of 7, a few days ago. With the CYA up and the SWG running at 40%, will need to monitor if I need to turn the SWG down a little.

Date 05/27
Time 11AM
FC 5.5
CC 0.5
pH 7.4

Date 06/03
Time 630pm
FC 3.5
CC 0.0
CYA (est) should be about 70.

Been busy, and been a little over 8 days since I last measured Cl. I'm down from 5.5 to 3.5, so having the SWG on at 40% hasn't been keeping up with the daily demand (almost, but not quite). Going to change it to 50%, and add 2 gallons of 10% to get the FC up to ~8, test it tomorrow, and then see if it holds for a week.

Date 06/05
Time 12 noon
FC 8.0
CC 0.0
pH 7.6

Date 06/12
Time 12 noon
FC 4.0
CC 0.0
pH 7.6

I have the SWG up to 50% and on ~7 hours a day. I've used up 4ppm in a week.

Date 06/17
Time 12 noon
FC 2.0
CC 0.0
pH 7.6

Added 4.4ppm (2Gal of 10%), turned SWG up to 100%.

Date 06/18
Time 9am
FC 6.5
CC 0.0
pH 7.6


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Date 06/22
Time 9am
FC 4.5
CC 0.0
pH 7.6

Hmmmm... with the SWG turned up to 100%, we're still losing Cl during the week. Looks like I may need to supplement.

Date 7/2
Time 3Pm
FC 3.5
CC 0.0
pH 7.6

I'm missing an entry from last week sometime (was sure I entered it) - IIRC, Free Cl was at 2.5ppm, now it's at 3.5ppm. I backwashed the DE filter last week and as clean as the pool was, the DE was pretty gross and (educated guessing here) it could have been the reason the Cl was being used up, as I seem to have a net increase of 1ppm this week. Anyway, a little bit of dust starting (OK, I mean a really small amount) so I upped the Cl to 8ppm for the up-coming weekend. Will measure again in the morning.

Date 7/4
Time 10AM
FC 7.5
CC 0.0
pH 7.6

Date 7/15
Time 10AM
FC 5.5
CC 0.0
pH 7.6

One week used up ~2ppm of Cl with the SWG on full blast (100%).
 

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