Question about my testing kit...

[Kimnlogan]

This is our third year with our pool and each year has been a better start up (when we bought the house it had not been opened in 2yrs!). It was pretty clear when we opened but a lot of debris. Within a day we of course had green/cloudy water. I started the SLAM process but forgot to balance my ph/alk first so made some progress but not great. Since I've balanced and restarted SLAM we have blue but slightly cloudy.

Today I added 2 gallons of bleach. Per pool math I needed 1.3gal but I wanted to overdo it a little as it was quite sunny and I'm assuming our CYA is nil. (My kit is out of CYA testing supplies and I haven't wanted to add it and not know where we are ...plus we've been backwashing a ton with all of the debris). About an hour later my Chlorine only went from 4.5 to 6. I added another gallon a little later as it was getting pretty cloudy/evening. Now the Chlorine is only 8.

Soooo... here is the question. My powder for the chlorine testing is dark and kind of all clumped together and is 2yrs old. Could it be that it's not accurate? When I do the little 'blue box test' the chlorine is a nice dark yellow (cleary in the top range on the tester).

Last night I still had an OCLT result of 2 with 1ppm CC.

My last results right now (sun is down) are as follows...

FC 8
CC 1
Alk 100
CH 250
pH 7.5

My plan was to go ahead and hang a sock with the stabilizer in it before going to bed and check in the morning. Should I do something different? (let me know quick... it's gettin' dark! )

 

[AimeeH]

The powder is still good if it turns the water pink. It does darken and clump after time. You also want to make sure you are storing it inside and not outside in heat. I'd order some more to ship along with your CYA reagent.......or maybe a whole refill set from tftestkits.

 

[waterl0gged]

I wouldnt add CYA unless you can test for it . Would be way worse to over do it with CYA than wait for the test refill to come in .
I tried that last year ......... I was out of my CYA reagent , so I added some CYA THINKING I was low . BAD IDEA ! I fought that pool for over a month doing partial water refills to get it back into spec. Had to run VERY hich FC levels, and still fought algae blooms until the CYA came back down.

DONT DO IT !!!

 

[Kimnlogan]

Thanks! I actually thought of that after I posted the question... better to be low than high and fighting it. Just dumped another gallon of bleach in which if pool math is correct should raise my level to about 14-15. Will check in an hour and see.

Just not sure why my levels aren't coming up like they should... last year pool math was pretty close most of the time.

- - - Updated - - -

And thank you, Aimee... it does turn the water pink. However, when I get done testing and it's clear if I leave it sit for a few minutes it turns a bit pink again. ?Odd? I've been trying to dissolve it and let it sit for a couple of minutes after it turns pink... hopefully that will help.

 

[BestJoeyEver]

Is your bleach new? It does loose its potency after a while, or if you store it in the sun,which could result in less than anticipated results. (I'm assuming you're entering the correct percentage into pool math)

 

[gregsfc]

If it turns out to be true that you have no CYA, then I'd be careful not to get the FC too much higher than the pool math calculated shock level, because if there is no CYA in your pool, all the chlorine will be working at once with none in reserve, and you could bleach out your liner. I write this from experience. Your sort of in a catch 22. If your FC is too low for your CYA level that you don't know, you'll have trouble getting through the SLAM, but if your FC is too high for your CYA level, you could damage equipment. My first year of going TFP, I tried to be a cheap skate and continued to use the pool store and an OTO/PH tester for testing and did alot of guessing on my FC level for shocking that I probably didn't need anyway. The pool store test kept coming up that I had cc's, which I now think was bogus, because I've never had cc's since getting my own test kit, and no one from the pool store ever told me I should shock even though the report showed that I should. Anyway, I was shocking and using an OTO chlorine test; It was late Summer when I found this site, and I was trying to stretch it out to the next season before buying a test kit. But I found out that one can't operate that way with success.

Anyway, I'll leave this advice to the experts, but I do know that you can over do it on chlorine. Just be careful if you don't know your CYA.

 

[Kimnlogan]

Yes, brand new... but hmmm... glad you brought the percentage up... my husband actually brought some home today so probably not what I usually buy. Will go look... still seems WAY off though.

 

[proavia]

You say you started a SLAM - but what did you base your SLAM level off of? What was your last known CYA and what was the date of that result?

As for the 0870 dpd powder, you can grind it back up with a mortar and pestle or in a clean bowl with a couple of spoons.

Your signature mentions a "... new TF-100 test kit..." Was it new this year or in May of 2015, when you joined? It might be time to order a complete refill kit - TFTestkits.net - TF100 Refills - especially if you're running low on more than the CYA and 0870 reagents. Order it over the long weekend and it will most probably ship on Tuesday.

 

[Kimnlogan]

You say you started a SLAM - but what did you base your SLAM level off of? What was your last known CYA and what was the date of that result?

As for the 0870 dpd powder, you can grind it back up with a mortar and pestle or in a clean bowl with a couple of spoons.

Your signature mentions a "... new TF-100 test kit..." Was it new this year or in May of 2015, when you joined? It might be time to order a complete refill kit - TFTestkits.net - TF100 Refills - especially if you're running low on more than the CYA and 0870 reagents. Order it over the long weekend and it will most probably ship on Tuesday.

I was basing it on a CYA of 0 since I can't test and it's been over the winter (I have no idea what the last one was but sometime last summer).

And yes, ordering new but still doesn't explain why the levels won't go up! ARGGH!!!

And thanks.. will try grinding it back up... at least then I can get a scoopful instead of a clump.

- - - Updated - - -

Well... F*#&!@(!!!!! I added a gallon of 'regular' bleach which should have raised my level from 8 to 11... I got something like 9... if the kit is working... It's definitely not looking right... the black stuff is stuck to the walls of the tube and it always looks 'grey' and then turns pink again if I let it sit. I'm ordering new stuff but dont' want to lose all the progress we've made while I'm waiting for it to arrive. UGH!!!!!

 

[AimeeH]

I don't think your testing kit is the problem. But of course I could be mistaken.

You are getting that grayish blackish buildup on the testing vile? That does happen over time. You can clean that and the scoop with a solution of 1/3 muratic acid and 2/3 water. That build up does happen over time.

 

[proavia]

Without an accurate CYA result, you're flying blind. The CYA could be zero or it could be 50+. It's virtually impossible to SLAM without good, reliable test results. You've got stuff in the pool eating the chlorine about as fast as you are putting it in.

What strength bleach are you adding? And how old is it (Julian date)? 1 gallon of 8.25% bleach will add 5ppm FC to 17K gallons.

Your pool is about 17K gallons. You may want to consider adding 1 to 1.5 gallons of 8.25% bleach per day (just so it doesn't get much worse) until your reagents arrive - and start a proper SLAM once you retest all your numbers. Continuing on your present tack will result in your continued frustration, wasted money and lack of a swimmable sanitary pool.

 

[pabeader]

Earlier you mentioned that there was some debris in the pool. Have you made sure to remove it all? Even a small pile of leaves and whatever, can have a lasting effect on chlorine usage.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, it is normal for the mixture to turn back to a shade of pink if it sits. That's why the CC part of the test needs to be started right after the FC. Once all of the chlorine tests are complete, you can ignore any changes that occur.

 

[BestJoeyEver]

If you're adding the bleach pool math tells you to add but not getting the results expected, perhaps then volume of water you're giving to pool math is understated. Double check that you have the right volume in the top left corner.