New Pool Water, new to pools, help with testing

[JenniferSDG]

I just bought a house with a pool. It was filthy algae green, so we drained. I have just refilled my 16K gallon pool with city water. Because we were going out of town before we could treat or get the pump working regularly, we shocked it with 1.5 gallons household bleach. The next day (last Friday) I had it tested at LPS (my Taylor kit just arrived today):

FAC 6
TAC 6
CH 50
CYA 20
TA 40
pH 7.9

I put two pucks into the pool Friday night for while we were gone (as of today, Wednesday morning, still mostly in the little floating thing). I used a simple test strip to test, and all numbers are low (I think). Before I run a Taylor test, what is the first thing I should correct? I thought it was TA, but want to make sure before I add a bunch of baking soda.
Jennifer

Thanks in advance - this forum is going to be a life-saver!

 

[AftonJeeper]

Worry about pH and FC first. TA should be about the last thing most people end up worrying about. With 30 minutes between adding acid and bleach.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!

So you added only bleach, then took a sample to Leslies and they show CYA of 20?? That is interesting. Confirms that you do not want to have them test your water.

Run a full test excluding CYA with your Taylor kit. Once you get those tests, post them up.

Put 30 ppm worth of CYA powder in a tube sock. Hang in front of a return to dissolve. Do not let it rest on the side of the pool.

Other items we need to wait until you have accurate tests.

Take care.

 

[JenniferSDG]

Thank you both for the starting information. I can't get to the store to get CYA powder until the weekend (and is there a brand you recommend? We are going for reasonably priced/as natural - like Baking soda - as possible).

Should I do anything other than keep the chlorine level up until I can add the CYA powder?

 

[kimkats]

If I am reading you above post correctly your numbers are from guess strips. You need to do the Taylor tests before you do anything with your pool.

Did you drain 100% of your water? If so then you will have 0 CYA so don't bother testing for it.

Kim

 

[mknauss]

CYA is cyanuric acid. No substitutes. During the summer Walmart has it as does Home Depot and Lowes. Not sure about now. Otherwise Leslies will have 'conditioner' or 'stabilizer', just be sure it is 100% cyanuric or isocyanuric acid.

It will be OK to wait for it until the weekend. Just monitor your FC daily to be sure you keep some chlorine in the pool.

Take care.

 

[JenniferSDG]

Thank you! That's a relieving help.

 

[mknauss]

I took a quick look at Folsom city water. Your CH is really low. So you will need to add Calcium soon. Again, this weekend is OK, but do it soon. Get your CH to 300 ppm or so. Leslies again will have it, and it will be way overpriced. Home Depot or Lowes might have ice melt? The big issue is to be sure it is as close to 100% calcium chloride as possible.

Take care.

 

[cfherrman]

You can use pool math "effects of adding chemicals" and see how much two pucks will add of cya, then use pool math to add more cya powder to bring it up to 30. Add the powder hanging in socks not touching the pool.

Wait to buy anything, except fc and cya, untill you test.

 

[JenniferSDG]

Hi all - back from vacation and took a water testing at 8:30 this morning with my Taylor 2006:

FC - 2.4
pH - 7.0 (took 1 drop to get to 7.2, 2 drops to 7.5)
TA - 30
CH - 80
CYA - none

We have not run the pump or done anything in the pool for a week - I left 2 pucks sitting in the floating thing 7 days ago, and they are still mostly there. I'm curious to know - what's my first step? First thing to correct, etc., now that I have accurate numbers.

Thank you!

 

[mknauss]

Add CYA and calcium. Also run your pump a couple hours per day to mix the water. I would also add enough baking soda to raise your TA to 60. Your CSI is very negative and is slowly eating your plaster. So time to get things straightened out!

Use PoolMath for amounts. Once you have the amounts post them here and we will review.

 

[JenniferSDG]

According to PoolMath:
CH - to raise from 80 to 260 -- add 426 oz by weight or 341 oz by volume of Calcium Chloride (about 26 lbs of the stuff) (also on amazon: Amazon.com : 96% Pure CALCIUM CHLORIDE Snow Outdoor)
CYA - to raise from ? to 40 -- add 85 oz by weight or 89 oz by volume of stabilizer (5.3 lbs) -- found this on amazon (our local stores don't carry this right now) - Amazon.com : Pool Mate 1-2607B Stabilizer and Conditioner for Swimming Pools, 7-Pound : Garden Outdoor which should do the job for that. Have to wait two days, but at least its affordable!!

Will get 7 lb Baking soda to raise the TA to 60 as well.

And sorry, don't know CSI?

 

[mknauss]

CSI. read this. Pool School - Calcium Scaling

It is a measure of how your water is either aggressive, can eat plaster, or has a scaling tendency. Anything with CSI below -0.6 is aggressive.

CSI is calculated on PollMath.

 

[JenniferSDG]

CSI.
CSI is calculated on PollMath.

THANKS - got it now. See it there and whoa nelly bad. Ordering the appropriate stuff now!

 

[Philo]

"pH - 7.0 (took 1 drop to get to 7.2, 2 drops to 7.5)"

What does this mean ....

 

[JenniferSDG]

"pH - 7.0 (took 1 drop to get to 7.2, 2 drops to 7.5)"

What does this mean ....

Sorry, wasn't clear. Per the testing directions, after I achieved the pH level (7.0), I added drops until it got to a level I wanted, which was then to be translated into how much to add to raise the pH to the level I wanted. It took 1 drop of the reagent to raise it to 7.2. Just sharing in case that meant anything to those who are kindly responding!

 

[mknauss]

The Taylor kit has the acid demand thing. TF 100 does not. Use poolmath for chemical adds.

 

[cfherrman]

Add 4 lbs of cya and retest when mixed so you don't add to much, as you can always add more later.

Pull the pucks out as they will add cya, unless you use pool math to see how much cya they will add over time and reduce that from your powder.

 

[JenniferSDG]

Okay, buying the ice melt (largely calcium chloride, a bit of magnesium chloride and sodium chloride), the only thing I could find locally. It is, needless to say, in solid form. Can I just broadcast it over the pool while the pump is running and allow it to "melt" in that way?

 

[mknauss]

Okay, buying the ice melt (largely calcium chloride, a bit of magnesium chloride and sodium chloride), the only thing I could find locally. It is, needless to say, in solid form. Can I just broadcast it over the pool while the pump is running and allow it to "melt" in that way?

See Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals. The Calcium Hardness section.

You broadcast the product across the deep end of the pool. Start with about half you are shown to need from PoolMath. Then test the next day after running the pump for a few hours. This will keep you from over shooting your level.

Take care.