Newbie with an inground pool

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wazoo

0
May 9, 2016
24
MC KENZIE
Hi guys,
I need some help. I have had my pool for about 3 years and last year it was great. Clear water all year .....just kept up with my PH and Alk and shocked it and kept tabs in the skimmer.
Well I opened it this year and started reading this site and I am freaked out by CYA!!
I have a 18x38 vinly liner pool 9.5 deep end. I have 4 cartridge filters (brand new this last month). I just tested my water with a commercial kit and got these readings:

CYA 100+
FC 1.2
TC 7.5
CC 6.3
PH 7.2

After doing some research I hear about this "best guess" chart....

my question is this....CW seems to dictate that I drain the pool but running this best guess chart seems pretty tempting........pros/cons??
Thanks for all your help
 
Which commercial test kit do you have?

Is it based on drops / liquid or test strips?

"Guess Strips" won't give accurate readings. We recommend the Taylor K2006C or TF100, if you have either of these you're set.

Try to figure out your true cya level by mixing half n half pool water and tap water, then do the CYA test again with your back
to full sun holding the test tube at waist level, shaded by your body, then divide that number by 2.

I can say for a fact your FC of 1.2 isn't going to cut it.

It might be a good idea to get it near 12 at the very least for now, but proper testing with a recommended test kit should be
the first priority to getting the chemistry back in order.
 
Welcome, Wazoo :wave:

100+ CYA is pretty vague. Is it 120, or 200, or even higher? When I took over, my CYA was somewhere in the 220-240 range. When you're diluting that much, small errors tend to magnify, so who knows?

So if you leave the CYA alone, and it's 240, your minimum FC is 18, and the target is about 20. Oops. The pH reagent reacts with high FC and gives falsely high readings. Pictures. You'll never really be sure of the pH. pH out of range can cause eye and skin irritation and plaster damage.

What if CYA is only 120? Minimum FC is 9... not too bad, you can test pH before you add the daily dose of bleach and keep it in line that way. But that's also a PITA, and it also means you must use the FAS-DPD tester every single day so that you know if you can test pH or not.

And then if you get algae.... Shock level for 120 CYA is 47 :shock: The FAS-DPD test only reads as high as 50!

If you're not under water restrictions, drain and replace some water. You'll be much happier in the long run.
 
Taylor Service Complete (high)...it uses drops K2005c

What do you mean my FC is not going to cut it? Does that mean I need to add more?

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Richard320!
From reading on this site it appears I need to drain about 2/3 of my water. I will be replacing with well water. Once I have done that should I just refill and start testing again. I guess I am little confused (newbie!) - I was always under the impression that if the water is crystal clear that is all you needed.....I guess I got that wrong?
 
wazoo said:
Taylor Service Complete (high)...it uses drops K2005c

What do you mean my FC is not going to cut it? Does that mean I need to add more?

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Richard320!
From reading on this site it appears I need to drain about 2/3 of my water. I will be replacing with well water. Once I have done that should I just refill and start testing again. I guess I am little confused (newbie!) - I was always under the impression that if the water is crystal clear that is all you needed.....I guess I got that wrong?
Click to expand...
Crystal clear is great. That means no algae. That doesn't mean no bacteria or viruses or unoxidized snot or fecal matter. That's the sanitizing part of bleach. That's why it has to be a certain percentage of the CYA to be effective. You can easily manage a pool at 60 or 70 CYA, so you probably only need to replace half the water.
 

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Got her filled back up and just tested again:

TA is 80ppm as Calcium carbonate - that is within tolerances rights?
But PH is not even registering on the scale and there is no chlorine at all either

Sooooo....since TA is good then I should just begin to raise PH right?
 
It would be in your best interest to add some chlorine right away to prevent starting an algae bloom. At least add about 1/2 gallon of regular 8.25% bleach and let it mix real well. Check at least once a day. Until you can test your CYA we have no way of knowing what your true "target" FC level should be. If you receive it tomorrow, go to the link below in my signature "Chlorine/CYA Chart" to find your matching FC/CYA levels.
 
I would. Actually I would recommend just using regular bleach - generic is fine to maintain your FC each day. Save the tabs for times away like on vacation or something, but not everyday use. If you use the tabs again, they will raise your CYA each week and before you know it your CYA could be high again. Plus, tabs are acidic so they lower pH and TA as well. Your pH is already low, so be careful about that as well if you continue to use pucks for a while.
 
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