TF 100 kit, need help.

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Joan0817

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LifeTime Supporter
Aug 10, 2015
5
Jacksonville North Carolina
Hello, just want to say I am so glad I foundthis site. I am hoping to have better luck this year. Last year I had algae andhad to empty the pool and start over. I purchased the TF 100 kitbecause I had so much trouble last year. I filled the pool with citywater at the end of last year and had it covered all winter. It has beenraining for so long, that it has only been in the last 2 weeks that I have beenable to try to get the pool ready. Today 6.13.16 I tested thepool water.

Here are my readings using the TF 100 kit
FC = 3.5
CC = 1.5
TC = 5.0 PPM

Calcium Hardiness test 175ppm
Total Alkalinity 250ppm
CYA test, the black dot never went away. I followed the instructions and Icould see the black dot when the container was filled to the top.

Thanks so much for your help,
Joan
 
HI! Great job getting the great test kit! Did you have fun using it! I love mine!

How does your water look?

If you could see the dot all the way to the top your CYA is low. Have you added any CYA (stabilizer) to your water since refilling?

That will get you started.

Kim:cat:
 
Kim,

No, I have not added a stabilizer. I have used 2 gallons of liquid chlorine 10%from Walmart in the last week. So now Ineed to know how to get the water right, without ruining it again. What type of stabilizer should I used? I read about putting it in a sock and hangingit on the return. Also should I SLAM toget my FC & CC readings up. Thewater is cloudy.
Thanks
Joan

:testkit:
 
They sell CYA at WalMart and Lowes. It's usually labeled "Stabilizer". The ingredients should be labeled as mostly cyanuric acid.

Yes, if the water is cloudy you should SLAM.
 
Welcome aboard! Great decision to get the right test kit! :)

now Ineed to know how to get the water right, without ruining it again
Click to expand...

And that's just what you'll learn! :)

* I don't see a pH value in your original post. Before anything else, you'll absolutely want to go out right away and use the pH test in your TF-100, and let us know your pool's current pH. Many of the things we'll discuss can or will modify your pH in one direction or another, so we'll want to know what we have to adjust for, and by how much. It's an easy test, it's in the little square blue box in the TF100 :)

* Kim's right...the dot not going away means there is 0 (or very little) CYA in your pool. Stabilizer will bring CYA up. You can use the Pool Calculator (Link's in my sig) to determine how much you need. There's no specific "brand", so anything you can find in Wal Mart's pool section is probably fine. It's all the same stuff. :) If WalMart or something similar doesn't have it, the pool store will, but don't let them talk you into a bunch of other "easier/cheaper/better" stuff! Get stabilizer. :) Don't add a bunch until we know your pH, since it can lower pH and if it's already low, that could be problematic if we aren't prepared to adjust for it.

* Yes, you'll PROBABLY need to SLAM...the CC of 1.5 is too high. (It should be 0, or at most .5) Do some reading in Pool School (link's in my sig) to find out more. :) Essentially, CC is chlorine that's "killing things", and if it's high, it means there's lots of things what need killin'. Once we learn the full numbers, get some CYA in there, we can make a good call on how much bleach we'll need to SLAM this sucker.

---

You're on the right track! You have a good test kit, you're using it effectively, you're paying attention to what it's telling you, and it seems like you're starting to get your noggin wrapped around where you're trying to go. Let's keep it up!
 
Thanks to all of you. So I just used the daily kit (K-1000) that came with the TF-1000.
pH 7.2
did not register any chlorine or bromine readings...water

I will get the stabilizer on the way home from work tomorrow. I do have 1 inch tablets by CLOROX called Active 99 contains 99%Trichloro-s-triazinetrione. Now I am going to do more reading on the site about SLAM.

Joan:swim:
 
Once you start SLAMing the pool it will go fast. You have to get some FC in the pool to keep it from going all the way green.

Get that CYA in ASAP. It will help protect the FC from the sun. You will still lose quite a bit of FC while it works to clear your pool of what it growing in it.

Kim:cat:
 
During SLAMing, best to use the FAS/DPD chlorine drop test, for 2 reasons :

* It's much more accurate at the high chlorine levels you'll be running during SLAM
* It will show you the Combined Chlorine (CC) in the pool, which is one of the ciritical values you'll need to monitor to know when you can stop the SLAM.

After that, yes...my 'everything's going fine" typical process is to add chlorine every day (after a while, you get a real good feel for how much it uses), check the chlorine with the K-1000 every other day, and then FAS/DPD drop test once a week. If *anything* about the pool (clarity, smell, feel, anything) changes at any time, I immediately start using the FAS/DPD test daily until whatever it is is resolved.
 

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Received the CYA today. After cleaning out most of the leaves and adding 2 gallons of chlorine, I put 1/2 cup of the CYA granules in a sock and hung it in front of the return. I am running the pump and will take a reading tomorrow. ( The cya is from poolmate and states it is 98% cyanuric acid hydrate. I bought a 7lb bag, lol)

Joan
:paddle:
 
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