New TF 100 kit....questions...

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Thinkly

Thinkly

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2009
326
Overland Park, KS
I have officially taken the plunge thanks to the arrival of my new TF100 kit yesterday. My first test went ok but there were some diffculties. The first thing i discovered and already suspected was that my TC was too high for the standard test, so i had to do the drop test. That test yielded a result of 13.5 for TC.

So does that alter other tests since it is so high? Also my TA was way high for what i expected. I first was stumped because due to the high chlorine the water went from blue to yellow instead of red. I finally read that this was normal and then retested. Oddly enough the next time it turned to red. Go figure.... :!:

Anyway i performed the test 3 times because it kept giving me readings in the 200's, which isn't what the results from the pool store have been telling me. One thing i am concerned about is the R009 where you add drops, swirling between drops...the drops seemed to be MUCH smaller than the other reagents. Is this normal?

I am going to retest today but if it is accurate it appears i need to add muriatic acid. I think the calculator told me 36 oz. Regardless here are my results, i am just not totally confident in them... :oops:

FC 13.5
CC 0
TC 13.5
pH 7.8
TA 260
CYA 120

Water is crystal clear and has been for weeks. It does try and leave bathtub rings on the fiberglass sides from time to time but other than that all is well.
 
The ability to measure the higher chlorine levels is one of the great benefits of the good kit.

Static build-up is a problem for the TA test, and a possible solution is to wipe the dropper tip with a damp cloth between drops or at least periodically during testing.

The high chlorine can alter the pH test, although the reagent does allow for some elevated chlorine. It's usually a good idea to know what your pH is before you shock the pool so you can safely ignore it for a while.
 
I just took a sample up to the pool store to compare. This sample would have been taken 12 hrs later than my test. Here is what the pool store results are:

POOL STORE
FC 6.9
TC 7
CC .2
pH 8.0
Hardness 230
TA 180
CYA 50

TF100

FC 13.5
CC 0
TC 13.5
pH 7.8
TA 260
CYA 120

Some things jive some things don't. Obviously there is the time factor but I doubt my CYA could drop 70ppm overnight. The CYA test in the TF100 has you add drops till you can no longer see the black dot in the bottom of the tube. That seems a bit subjective...?

I am still new and learning so hopefully i will get more confidence with the kit. Right now i don't have much. It does look like i need to add some muriatic acid which i just bought. What is the best way to add? Pump running or pump off? I have read several different opinions.
 
The CYA test is a testy one to do. :-D You mix equal parts of pool water and reagent in the bottle (to the label marks) and swirl it. Then set it down for 30 seconds, then swirl it again and pour it into the view tube until the black dot completely disappears. At 120 you barely got any in before the dot was gone? You can pour the sample back and forth a few times to get a feel for where it disappears.

You will get better at it the more you do it.

Always add chems with the pump running and circulating the water. Most all the chemicals should be added in front of a flowing return.
Another note: Always test after the pump has been running about an hour.
 

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Beez said:
Bama Rambler said:
Sorry, I cheat cause I use a magnetic stirrer. Maybe I should have used intermingle??? :mrgreen:
Click to expand...
HAH! I've been cheating ever since I got the stirrer! You shakers should give it a try...you might like it on the wild side... :cool:
Click to expand...
Interesting. Since I was testing with cold water, I used the "shaken, not stirred" method, and warmed it at the same time.
 
Stirring with the magnetic stirrer should be fine since the point is just to have very thorough mixing, but you still have to stir for 30 seconds since it still takes time for the precipitation reaction to occur even with perfect mixing.
 
The TF100 kit just has a simple tube with a black dot in the bottom. I retested today and got the cya down to around 90 but i am beginning to think you can make it whatever you want, by either mixing longer or adding more sample water etc.
 
What I found after using my test kit for a while was that I was getting consistent readings from all my tests -- within the error band of the particular test. For me the CYA test has the largest error band, but the sample mixture last for a few moments and you can reuse it several times to zero in on a reading. I've taken my water to the pool store to be tested and their results were much different than mine (they used strips read by a computer). I trust my results over theirs.

Once you feel good about your CYA level you can forget what the pool store test says and decide how to manage your pool.

Good luck,
Gordon
 
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