Just tested my pool for the first time...now I need help, pl

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C

cj_acker

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Jan 13, 2010
12
Northern Idaho
This is the first time I have tested our water, so please be patient with me :)
We started using pool in August and had pool person test it then and then again in, I believe, October. Both times he added what was needed, but he is an hour and a half away and we are rural so I want to be able to handle the chemicals myself unless I have an emergency you won't be able to help me with.

Indoor pool, SWG

PH......8 (or possibly a little higher-the highest reading on my vial was 8)

TA.....150-175

CH......150-175



CYA....0

When I tested, the #'s on our monitor:
(don't know if you need these)
Pool temp......75 degrees
Pool chlor.......30%
Salt level........3000

Hopefully, you can tell me what to do next. Let me know if you need something else. I hope to get better at this.
 
First things first, you needs some Muratic Acid to lower your PH down, try a target of 7.2 as with your higher TA and newer finish, the PH will rise up again on its own.... do you know how to use the Pool Calculator to determine dosing for the acid?

Even though your pool is indoor, about 20ppm of CYA in the pool would be good for your situation.

No chlorine reading? You say 30% I assume that's the SWG setting? Did you test the chlorine?

Have you obtained an FAS-DPD test yet?
 
Thanks so much for answering so soon.
I looked at the pool calculator, and with the readings I have, it looks like I should add about 48 oz. of muratic acid to lower the PH..does that sound reasonable to you? Should I add it right away?

I didn't do a chlorine reading...assumed I didn't need to with the SWG (I don't know why I assumed that :? ) I will read that and post as soon as possible.

Thanks for info on CYA.

What is the FAS-DPD test?

Thanks.
 
cj_acker said:
I looked at the pool calculator, and with the readings I have, it looks like I should add about 48 oz. of muratic acid to lower the PH..does that sound reasonable to you? Should I add it right away?

48 oz. of 31.45% Muriatic Acid is a conservative amount for a 23K gallon pool if your target is 7.2, but that's OK. Add that amount to the deep end, pump/filter running and test it again after a few hours (or more.) You can always add more to push the pH down further.

What is the FAS-DPD test?

The FAS-DPD titration test is a chlorine drop test that uses a powder (added to sample) that turns the sample pink if chlorine is present; the test result is obtained by adding a titrant until the pink entirely disappears (it turns clear.) It has several advantages over DPD (pink) and OTO (yellow) methods. Based on your last post it would appear you're using the DPD method. If you're interested in upgrading your chlorine test, see Taylor K-1515-A*

Per your most recent post, the pool is lacking chlorine. After you have the pH adjusted where you want it, recommend using the Pool Calculator to determine right amount of liquid chlorine to be added in order to register at least a 1 ppm free chlorine reading. You'll want to wait some time (filtering) between application of muriatic acid and chlorine. Your SWG may be malfunctioning or filter/pump time inadequate or SWG should be upward adjusted.


EDIT 01-21-2010 (9:28 pm PST)

* Taylor is not the only source for the FAS-DPD kit. You can get slightly better pricing via Poolcenter.com and TFTestkits (2 oz instead of .75 oz R-0871 titrant):

$23.22 + ship http://www.poolcenter.com/taylor_test_kits.htm
$26.00 + ship http://duraleighcon378.corecommerce.com ... t-p47.html

END EDIT
Click to expand...
 
I've been reminded that when applying chemicals such as muriatic acid to pool water, the chemicals should be poured in front of a return -- not necessarily in the deep end. You were probably already aware of this... but I thought it should be mentioned for any readers who may not be familiar with the procedure. In my pool, it happens that one of the returns is in the deep end and the main drain directly below, so I divert suction to 100% main drain and pour the muriatic acid slowly, about a foot out from the pool coping and close to the water's surface, directly in front of the return. That way it doesn't just sit on the bottom or sides of the pool before dispersing.
 
You will come to find that folk on here are a bit OCD about the FAS-DPD test because it is so accurate and easy to use and there is no guesswork about "shades" of pink. :wink:

Your SWG could be operating, you could have an underlying organic situation that is consuming the chlorine as quickly as the SWG can produce it. One way to tell if it's working is to test the water where it comes out of the cell for the presence of FC.

I would recommend you test your FC - add enough chlorine to reach a level of 2-3ppm today, using bleach to accomplish this (use the Pool Calc) and then test it 24 hours later. If the FC isn't holding, then it's very likely an organic situation requiring that you shock your pool.
 
Bleach=liquid chlorine. What little bit of salt that is introduced is miniscule.
What small amount of salt that is added to the water by using liquid chlorine is far better than adding excess CYA as happens when using dichlor or trichlor.

TDS is basically an irrelevent number as well, IMO.

{edit: Chemgeek beat me to it and has a far better explaination}
 

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cj, Listen to Poolmom and Chemgeek. They won't steer you in the wrong direction.They are also very patient with new pool people. :) Get a better test kit, you won't regret it. I love my TF test kit and it wasn't hard to learn how to do. If you can do what they suggest your pool will be balanced and perfect soon. Kim
 
cj_acker said:
I tested this morning and PH was still 8. so added another 48 oz.
When I get it down, I will ask what to do next.
Do you have to stay out of the pool for a certain length of time after you add the muratic acid?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
If you poured the acid very slowly over a return flow at the deep end with the pump running, then you should be able to go into the pool within an hour (probably less, but I'm being conservative). For more thorough mixing, use a pool brush to lightly brush the side and bottom of the pool where you added acid to prevent any pooling. Once mixed, it stays mixed (just like chlorine), but both acid and chlorine are initially denser than water until more thoroughly mixed.
 
chem geek said:
[quote="cj_acker":i5ptm3fp]I tested this morning and PH was still 8. so added another 48 oz.
When I get it down, I will ask what to do next.
Do you have to stay out of the pool for a certain length of time after you add the muratic acid?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
If you poured the acid very slowly over a return flow at the deep end with the pump running, then you should be able to go into the pool within an hour (probably less, but I'm being conservative). For more thorough mixing, use a pool brush to lightly brush the side and bottom of the pool where you added acid to prevent any pooling. Once mixed, it stays mixed (just like chlorine), but both acid and chlorine are initially denser than water until more thoroughly mixed.[/quote:i5ptm3fp]And to add even more mixing (in order to speed up the time it takes to incorporate the acid into the pool water) try diverting suction from your skimmer to the main drain -- especially during the time immediately after application -- and running your automated pool cleaner. If you have no cleaner, vacuuming will also work to mix it up faster.
 
Since last posting, we have cleaned the cell. The salt level is now registering 3100.

I have added a total of 2 gallons of muric acid and the ph is still 8. (top color on the indicator). I'm assuming I continue to add the acid until the ph comes down. Is this correct?
Thanks
 
cj_acker said:
Since last posting, we have cleaned the cell. The salt level is now registering 3100.

I have added a total of 2 gallons of muric acid and the ph is still 8. (top color on the indicator). I'm assuming I continue to add the acid until the ph comes down. Is this correct?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Correct. What % strength is listed on the bottles?

cj_acker said:
Also..forgot to ask:
Above it was suggested I raise the CYA to at least 20....what do I add to raise the CYA?
(You can really tell I'm a newbie at this, but want to learn to do it right)
Thanks again.
Click to expand...

CYA is sold separately, is available online if you don't see it in stores right now. Use the Pool Calc to determine how much to add. Look on the active ingredient label for Cyanuric Acid - you want it to be at least 90% or more CYA.

CYA levels can also be raised by using Dichlor granular chlorined, sometimes sold in 1 and 2 lb packages, so when one is boosting the FC level with Dichlor, you can also increase the CYA level, and kill two birds with one stone. But be very careful with calculations if you go the Dichlor route, it's easy to overshoot your goal.
 
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