New Member in California & Test Results

[GJones]

Good Day pool experienced people. Newbie here trying to get my family swimming in our new 16' above ground pool. We set it up on June 11, 2016 and the water from the city line was "TERRIBLE!" Basically, the pool was greenish-brown by the time I could turn the pump on. Anyway, I borrowed my neighbors KT-2006 test kit today after reading tons of "cloudy" pool posts so I could post accurate numbers while asking for help and clarification. I have been fighting the pool water since turning on the pump and I can honestly say I am getting frustrated. My test results were as follows:

68 Degrees
FC - 22
TC - 26
pH - 7.8
TA - 120
CYA - 40

From all the reading I have done these are the areas that are the most important to me right now I think. If I am wrong please feel free to educate me. I was running the 1600GHP cartridge filter that came with the pool, cleaning the filter every 4 hours and loosing a lot of sleep. I installed a 13" Sand Filter with a 3/4hp pump today and was able to vacuum the pool today for the first time. I had a lot of grey/white stuff on the floor. I am assuming it was dead algae. I did not "vacuum to waste" for the first half of the cleaning then I remembered what I had read on here. The pool was very cloudy after vacuuming and has not gotten better.

I have back flushed the filter 3 times thus far today as I seem to be SLAMing the pool without knowing it. I have kept my FC at just below shock level since the pool went up. My pH and TA have finally stabilized some over the past 2 days. I read "How to SLAM" earlier this evening and used pool math to figure out how much Liquid Chlorine I needed and added 1 gal. I have been guessing until I was able to use the KT-2006 test set tonight. So please let me know if I am on the right track.

 

[needsajet]

Good stuff! and yep, you're SLAMing! I hope you plan to order your own test kit, or have ongoing access to your neighbor's. I'd suggest you check your reagents and make sure you have enough to finish the SLAM, and maybe keep you both well supplied. TFTestKits also sells the Taylor reagent refills.

No harm done, but let the FC drop down to 16, provided you're reasonably confident in your CYA at 40 PPM. You can see the SLAM (shock) level at 16 on this link. Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

Cleaning the filter a lot means you're cleaning the pool, so that's good too. It will take a number of days and can't be predicted, but you'll get there. Keep SLAMing until it's clear. Thanks for reading the procedure and getting up to speed on it.

You have a lot of CC which is TC minus FC, and usually what we report and talk about. That also means the SLAM is working.

The only thing I'd add is to brush the pool as often as you feel like it. Once a day at least, preferably twice as a minimum. After it looks fairly clear, you'll do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test (OCLT) which you can find in Pool School under table of contents.

Your pH is inaccurate and high while FC is above 10, so no need to test it for now. Only FC need be tested now, so you know how much chlorine to add to maintain 16 PPM FC. Good to test CC occasionally so you know what's happening in the water.

You got this. Keep it going and you've got sparkly water in your future. Way to go!

 

[GJones]

Thanks needsajet! My neighbors has cases of reagents for the test kit. He was paying a pool maintenance company to take care of his pool but got wise and told them to pack sand after he had to drain his in-ground pool twice in 2 years because it would not hold chlorine anymore. He got his test kit to double check what the maintenance company was doing and his CYA was "off the chart" (his words not mine) lol.

Anyway, I have access to his kit in the evening so I am gonna pick up the HTH 6 in 1 test kit at lunch today since it has some good reviews on here. Not the best but it is what I can afford right now but am still saving for a TF-100 at least.

The pool looked much better this morning. I back flushed the filter at 6am. It was the biggest jump in pressure since I started it up so at least I know it is cleaning. I was able to see the mosaic floor pattern this morning and A LOT of dark grey particles on the bottom. Gonna vacuum today at lunch and brush this evening. I am sure I will need to back flush at lunchtime also. Here is a picture of the pool at 7am. Moving closer to clear water

 

[GJones]

Came home late for lunch and was only able to vacuum the pool but low and behold I could totally see the bottom of the pool. I actually have "clear water". Still some work to be done and won't have the test kit till later this evening. But things are looking up

 

[needsajet]

Great progress!

Keep your FC up to 16 after it gets down to there (M for Maintain). When you brush and stir up the dead algae 'carcasses' it helps them get to the skimmer and on to the filter. Think about algae hiding places (e.g. back of skimmer weir, underside of ladder rungs, etc.) and scrub them with a mild bleach solution.

Well done. You got this!

 

[GJones]

Well got the test kit again and here are the results:

FC - 19
TC - 25
CC - 6
CYA - 50

Pool is clear and looking great but my I know it is not swim ready. I will continue to sweep and vacuum to waste till I get CC down to 0 and a lower TC number. My CYA jumped today due to my wife seeing the pool with clear water she put a tab float in the pool and put tablets in the strainer after I left this afternoon. Needless to say the tablets are all hidden now hahaha. My pool did not have a skimmer so tomorrow evening that will be installed. That should help with a lot of the organic matter that seems to be collecting on top of the water.

Anyway, I am under a ton of pressure from my wife and kids to get in the pool. I told them that is not gonna happen till I know it is safe. I gotta get the wife happy quickly but I really do not think there is anyway to make this go any faster.

 

[needsajet]

OK, with CYA of 50 PPM, your SLAM level is 20 PPM FC. Maintain, maintain, maintain at 20 PPM FC, as much as you can. You're right in what you're doing. You got this.

The way we present the numbers, yours are:

FC 19
CC 6

You can save the CYA reagent and stop testing that anymore for now, until the SLAM is over. It's working! The CC is high and wouldn't be nice for swimming anyway. It will start coming down and the light at the end of the tunnel will appear soon! (Glad you hid the pucks!!)

 

[GJones]

Hey needsajet! Check out my sparkling new pool! After 7 days of newbie stress my numbers are as follows:

FC 18
CC 0
CYA 60
pH 8.2

I am on the last leg of SLAMing. Tonight I will do the OCLT since I am meeting the other 2 requirements. My wife and kids are on me to start swimming and I may let them today since CC is now 0. I know I am caving to the pressure but a happy wife makes for a happy life hahaha.

Thanks for all the help and support.

 

[needsajet]

That's excellent! Glad you got your pool safe and looking good

pH is not accurate when FC is above 10, so you can skip that test until the FC drops back.

Don't let the CYA get any higher! No solid chlorine in puck or powder form. Get it off the property. Give it away to your worst enemy. Your SLAM level is now up to 24 PPM FC.

Looking forward to the OCLT. Remember that the start point is after sunset and the check sample is taken before sunset.

The pool is safe for swimming when it's clear to the bottom, and FC is between minimum FC and shock FC level for your CYA level. See Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

Just be sure you take the SLAM long enough, then keep FC at target, and you should be in fine shape all summer. Good work!

 

[needsajet]

Re: New Member in California & Test Results

When my pool is at shock level, I faintly smell "pool smell" on my skin when I get out. That's the residual FC combining with sweat and other stuff on my skin. I take a shower with my swimmers on when I get out, and haven't noticed any other effects.

- - - Updated - - -

The CYA test can be tricky. Be sure you shake the sample for 30 seconds after mixing. Some people let it sit for a minute or two and then shake it a bit more. Hold the test tube at waist height with the sun at your back as you add the sample. Glance away and then toward the tube. If you see the dot right away, add a bit more. If you don't see it right away, you're done and that's your number. You can pour it back into the mixing tube, shake it a bit, then test again. Some people test it that way 2 or 3 times to get their number.

 

[GJones]

Start OCLT readings:

FC 16
CC 0
CYA 50 (Doing it the way you explained. I was doing it at chest level.

After swimming today I had a little stronger than faint chlorine smell of chlorine but nothing like some pools I have been in. Wish me luck.

 

[GJones]

Well the OCLT is complete and if I read the directions correctly I have passed My morning numbers are exactly the same as my start numbers.

FC 16
CC 0
CYA 50 (That dot test is a pain hahaha)

Now I have crystal clear water which is awesome. Now am going to let FC drift down a little more but not much lol. Gun shy I guess you can say lol.

 

[needsajet]

Cheers, mate!! It's great to see that happen and know the dreaded algae is annihilated. At a maintenance level will be 4 to 8 PPM FC, it will stay beautiful.