First K-2006 Test

[cainadai]

Hi everyone! I got my K-2006 today and did my first test. I think my levels are pretty good for everything except chlorine, from what I've read here on the forums. Here's what I've got:

FC = 0-1 (it was hard to tell if the sample turned pink at all, but it was at least kind of cloudy and maybe very faintly pink after adding the powder)
CC = .5-1 (1-2 drops turned it from cloudy to clear)
pH = 7.8
CYA = <30
CH = 325
TA = 80

The water is clear and sparkling, no algae... do I need to SLAM or should I just add 77 oz of 10% chlorine, per the Pool Math calculator?

How long is the DPD powder supposed to take to dissolve? I must have been standing there swirling it for a couple of minutes before the clumps at the bottom finally dissolved.

 

[woodyp]

No obvious reason to slam. Raise your FC to 6 then consider raising your CYA level to 50 being in Austin and adjusting your FC accordingly. ALL of the dpd powder will not dissolve. Goes a good pink color---call it good.

 

[Texas Splash]

Congrats on testing water on your own! Woody got your started. Also make sure your pH never goes over 7.8. Stay close to the Poolmath Calculator and practice it from time to time and you'll be fine.

 

[cowboycasey]

awesome bring your FC up and test 30 minutes later and see where you stand, if you really want to make sure do an OCLT tonight in my sig below

 

[cainadai]

Hmm. If I need to raise CYA as well as chlorine, is this an opportunity to use up some of my surplus chlorinated shock? (Leslie's Power Powder Plus) Not sure how much CYA a dose of that would add.

Thanks, all!

 

[woodyp]

That just has calcium in it----No cya.

 

[Richard320]

Not all the powder dissolves initially. Rule of thumb: if you see one or two undissolved particles, you have enough powder. You don't always need two full scoops. Taylor encourages that so you use up the reagents faster and have to buy more. Somehow when you start adding drops, the undissolved pieces dissolve. Don't ask me why. It's just something I've observed. If the water doesn't turn pink, you have no chlorine. You can eliminate insufficient powder as a cause for the weird readings if you see some undissolved grains. Pretty simple, huh?

 

[cainadai]

I'm having trouble getting my FC up, any ideas? It was 1.5 this morning, so I added 48 oz of 10% chlorine bleach per the poolmath calculator, and this evening it's still 1.5. (But I guess it didn't go *down* so that's something.) The filter ran for a solid six hours, so there should have been a couple of complete turnovers this morning after I added the chlorine.

 

[jblizzle]

Did you add CYA? 30ppm is too low in TX, so you are going to lose a lot of FC to the sun.

 

[cainadai]

I just deployed my sock o' stabilizer this evening. I was trying to get the FC up a little before I added it... maybe I am misremembering what CYA does. Back to Pool School! I'll keep adding chlorine and hope that as CYA comes up over the next week it'll require less chlorine. Thanks!