First time testing a pool EVER

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jimim

Bronze Supporter
Jun 20, 2016
3,588
NE/Pa
I have my build going on right now. Plaster this week. I got my test kit from Becky last week. My sister-in-law has a pool so I went over today. I have some questions so I know i'm on the right track. Here are my results.

Above ground vinyl which is 12000 gallons. She chlorinates with Tri-pucks (not Di)

pH: 6.8
TC (FC): 5.5
TA: 70
CYA: 50

What we did:

1. She didn't have Soda ash or borax. She had ph increaser. I couldn't read the bottle cause it doesn't have her size pool or her ph. So i used the pool math calculator for soda ash/washing soda. Said to add 42oz by volume. If i read the bottle I guessed at 44oz so close.

That's my first question. Can we sub ph increaser in pool math for soda ash till she runs out of it?

We are shooting for a 7.4 target

2. TA we didn't touch since it was 70 and in range.

That ok?

3. CYA will change cause she has tabs floating right now. 4 of them. Her FC is 5.5 so I wanted to drop Bleach but since she had the pucks floating already we kept them in cause in pool math it said to use 4 which she had. She is coming off pucks after this to bleach only from walmart 10%.


SO how did we do? Should we be shooting for diff targets from what i mentioned?

Targets are pH 7.4, CYA 50, TA 70, FC to 8 since CYA is 50 so target is 6-8. Was told here to go on high side.

My other question is the TA test. . . it says to do drops so green guest red. my question is how red? as soon as it changes the slightest, which isn't really red. It's like pinkish or do you add more drops to darken it cause that really changes the results of test then when u multiply?

Other questions: the pucks. best way to float them? skimmer, holder in water?

dropping acid or bleach best tech? in front of jet slowly poured like it says in pool school right?


So feel free to bash my tech or targets or anything. i want to make sure i got this down so my pool is managed correctly along with hers now.

thanks! that was easier than i thought! unless i did this all wrong when I hear back from you guys! lol

jim
 
jimim said:
I have my build going on right now. Plaster this week. I got my test kit from Becky last week. My sister-in-law has a pool so I went over today. I have some questions so I know i'm on the right track. Here are my results.

Above ground vinyl which is 12000 gallons. She chlorinates with Tri-pucks (not Di)

pH: 6.8
TC (FC): 5.5
TA: 70
CYA: 50

What we did:

1. She didn't have Soda ash or borax. She had ph increaser. I couldn't read the bottle cause it doesn't have her size pool or her ph. So i used the pool math calculator for soda ash/washing soda. Said to add 42oz by volume. If i read the bottle I guessed at 44oz so close.

That's my first question. Can we sub ph increaser in pool math for soda ash till she runs out of it?
Right now, I can't answer this. I would have to know the brand to see the ingredients. It sounds like 'pool store' stuff that has other no-no ingredients. Others here will know.

We are shooting for a 7.4 target
That sounds good.

2. TA we didn't touch since it was 70 and in range.

That ok?
Looks good to me!

3. CYA will change cause she has tabs floating right now. 4 of them. Her FC is 5.5 so I wanted to drop Bleach but since she had the pucks floating already we kept them in cause in pool math it said to use 4 which she had. She is coming off pucks after this to bleach only from walmart 10%.
'coming off pucks' - I had to chuckle, like an addiction. That's what TFP is here for!! Get people off those impure chems.


SO how did we do? Should we be shooting for diff targets from what i mentioned?
Excellent!

Targets are pH 7.4, CYA 50, TA 70, FC to 8 since CYA is 50 so target is 6-8. Was told here to go on high side.
That's what I usually do depending on circumstances.

My other question is the TA test. . . it says to do drops so green guest red. my question is how red? as soon as it changes the slightest, which isn't really red. It's like pinkish or do you add more drops to darken it cause that really changes the results of test then when u multiply?

Here are a couple of different ways to explain it. (Jim, this explanation is for the CH test but also works for the TA test but with different colors)
A. Try this explanation:
"First, add R-0012 one drop at a time until the color changes from red to blue.
Slowly add drops (still counting) until the blue stops getting darker.
Subtract that last number. The # of drops to record is the last number when the blue turned darker."

B. You use this if it's easier:

"Example 1:
Added 5 drops and the color turned blue.
Added 1 more drop; the color is now darker.
Added 1 more drop; no change in the blue.
# to record is 6 (the last drop added with a change to darker blue)

Example 2:
Added 5 drops and the color turned blue.
Added 1 more drop; no change in the blue.
# to record is 5 (the last drop added with a change to darker blue)"

Other questions: the pucks. best way to float them? skimmer, holder in water?
I can't answer this.

dropping acid or bleach best tech? in front of jet slowly poured like it says in pool school right?
Yes, very slowly in front of a jet/return; best in the deepest part of the pool. Be careful with bleach and your clothes. By the plain jane bleach - no frangrance, no spashless, et. Extra caution with MA!!! Eye, nose, mouth, hand protection. As you get to know it better, you may drop the hand protection. Pour it very slowly so the water from the jet/return will carry it out to the pool.

So feel free to bash my tech or targets or anything. i want to make sure i got this down so my pool is managed correctly along with hers now.
Top of the class!!!

thanks! that was easier than i thought! unless i did this all wrong when I hear back from you guys! lol

jim
Click to expand...

Here's hoping this helps!
Suz
 
thanks!

here is the exact thing we used.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/hth-pH-I...75035&wl11=online&wl12=52056348&wl13=&veh=sem

active ingredient is sodium carbonate.

oh man the color changing thing! so my TA is wrong then. I got to 7 drops it went from green to very very light red (pinkish. . . deff deff saw a color change!) i recorded that. i did for the heck of it do it again and added more and saw it get darker.

soooooooo pretty much what you are saying to do is have color change. add another drop and keep going till no darker a color happens then minus 1 pretty much?

she is a puck addict. i found a pail of them under the table! she gets it now though. i showed her home much cheaper adding the bleach from walmart would have been.

ok so we are on the right track. i'm going over to test tomorrow. i'll post back tomorrow results.

so as of now we pucked it up tonight and threw in a bunch of that ph increaser.

i hit you with a pm with more questions cause you all have me all kinda confused on the other build thread with all the testing going on! lol

thanks!
jim
 
Barbie pink!! That's right! I usually get a slightly lighter Barbie pink. If I add another drop, it's obviously darker then. I do try one more drop, but usually there is no change at that point, so I don't count the drop.

The example I posted above is for the CH test, but just use the word red or Barbie pink instead of blue. I won't be around tomorrow, but sometimes it does help to do the tests with someone by phone.

Maybe don't read the other build thread. Lol! I'm sorry you're more confused......
 
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