First time pool owner, new to the TFP method, first readings.

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G

gonzodog

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Apr 11, 2016
37
Dallas, TX
I am in the process of switching to the TFP method. I've been using a local guy to maintain the pool, since I bought the house in Sept 2015, and I've watched him throw tabs in a floater and dump bags of shock periodically, and never test the water. Decided it is time for me to takeover.

Had a heavy rain over the weekend and the pool is cloudy. Did my first test today. I think these are the results needed:

FC: 2.5
CC: 0
TC: 2.5
CH: 475
TA: 110
CYA: 70 (I did it twice and got about 65 both times, but no line for 65, so not sure whether to round up or down to nearest mark)
PH: 7.5

After having tabs as the primary source of chlorine, expected the CYA to be higher.

Looking at the chemistry info, looks like I need to get FC up and CH down. Will follow the steps in the pool chemistry and pool math.

Any thoughts on the CYA, should I work to get that down as well, or is it close enough to being ok, for now?

Since I'm just starting out at this, any advice is greatly appreciated.

Gonzo
 
Fantastic! We round-up 65 to 70 for your CYA, so for a non-SWG pool, your target FC is 8. You're very low right now which is probably why your pool is cloudy - algae trying to bloom. Get some generic bleach from HEB or Wal-Mart in there ASAP. CH is okay. Yes, a bit over the recommended level, but not uncommon for hard water in your area. Keeping your pH and TA at the lower end of the scale helps to off-set that issue. If these rains continue, both CYA and CH may come-down a bit. Water exchange is our friend for those two.

For right now, watch the FC and cloudiness. If after a day or so the cloudiness doesn't go away or gets worse, you may need to "SLAM" (link below), or at the very least perform an overnight test (OCLT) to see if you have algae trying to start. Congrats on the kit. Well done!
 
Your CYA is a little high, but it's certainly manageable and it will go down some with splashout and backwashing (if you have sand or DE filter. Finish filling out your signature so we know.) Minimum FC for 70 CYA is 5. Since there's no telling what washed in during the storm, I'd target 10. And give the pool a good brushing, so any floaties stay in suspension so the filter can grab them.
 
I put in 242 oz of 7.85% bleach this morning, to target an FC of 8. When I get home, I'll brush the pool some more and I'll check FC and try to get it up to 10.

Updated signature. This weekend I'm going to figure out how to backwash.
 
Also, clean you filter. If you are killing algae, your electric bill will be much happier with you if the filter is not clogged.

Edit: I see you are going to figure out how to backwash this weekend. Great!
 
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Got home, checked FC and it is up to 8. Based on Richard's suggestion, I should get it to 10, but there is definitely algae in the water. It's got a teal/green hue and I scrubbed the pool and quite a bit green algae came loose.

Do I just bring it up to 10, or do I go right to Slamming or is there another set of tests I need to do before slamming?
 
If your CYA is still 70, then your SLAM/Shock level is actually 28. Before going that high, make sure pH is in the low 7s first (7.2-7.5), THEN take that FC up to 28. Now you're SLAMming! Remember to review the SLAM page once a day to make sure you're not missing anything. Good luck!
 
Update: got FC to 28 last night. This morning it was 25. Brought it back up to 28.

It's raining, how much will that effect the SLAM, if any?

I can tell that the pools does look more clear than it did last night. Still got a bit to go to get to completely clear, but it is improved.
 
Rain won't make a huge difference unless you get so much that you have run-off or water exchange. Do the best you can to maintain the SLAM FC of 28 and I think you will continue to see changes for the better. Have a good day. Stay dry .... unless you're swimming. :swim:
 
Like was said previously, the rain might actually be your friend. You might need to drain some water to keep it from filling up too much. That will in turn lower your CYA. You really should be around 50ish maybe lower. I'm not sure about people in Texas, I would think 45-50 would be a good CYA level for that area. Not saying 70 isnt manageable, but you'll have to target a higher FC level to keep it clear.
 

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Kris, some of us that live in areas where the sun's latitude peaks all day find that we have to creep a bit higher with our CYA - especially if our pool is in full sun. It's the only way we can retain FC under our brutal sun in the summer. Much like SWG owners, we do so knowing full-well that if we ever have to SLAM it will take more bleach, but for the most part we hope to never have to SLAM again unless something very unusual happens in our daily routine. Me personally, I run my CYA at 60-70 from May - Sept to keep my FC loss at about 2.5 ppm.
 
Took a couple pictures this morning (wish I had a couple from yesterday to show the change). Couldn't see the drain yesterday (8 feet down), and it is visible today. Still more work to be done, but not overwhelmed. When we first bought the house, the pool was a green algae swamp, and I was overwhelmed. Not having any experience with a pool, we hired a guy to maintain. I'm glad I made the decision to switch to the TFP method and to drop the pool guy. The pool was turning green, even with the maintenance guy. Now, I realize that no one is going to take better care of my pool than me (and now my wife has decided that I have the job).

Appreciate all the advice and help being given.

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w501/gonzodog_74/20160420_123607217_iOS_zpsaa5qwp7h.jpg

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w501/gonzodog_74/20160420_123620326_iOS_zpsqykaa8qe.jpg
 
So, I've been SLAMming since Tuesday, pool looking good. Looks clear, but had a 2.0 ppm drop in the chlorine overnight, so still continuing to SLAM.

Today was sunny, so I did another CYA test, this time outdoors. I did it a couple times and it seems that my CYA is 50, not 70. I know this is good, in that it is within the recommended range, but I've been doing my Shock Level based on 70 CYA, so have been maintaining 28. Does over chlorinating cause a problem? Should I let the FC drop to the recommended shock of 20, instead of maintaining 28? Is CYA inaccurate when reading while SLAMming?

Gonzo
 
Now that you have confirmed CYA is a bit lower, I would let the FC fall down to the appropriate FC for that CYA = 20. That should save you a little bleach while still doing what it needs to. Anything much higher is just a waste to the sun's UV. Good job validating.
 

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