chrisjb8685 + TFTest Kit arrive 5/21 Help

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chrisjb8685

chrisjb8685

0
LifeTime Supporter
May 17, 2010
32
Blue Earth Cty., MN
I just became a lifetime supporter and am glad to have found this site. We live in MN and have SWG 48,000 gallon "worked great for the first three years then a season of $$$ last summer pool." Am hoping for a better run this year.

I am ordering a TF-100 kit and will soon be posting some numbers but last year was CYA disaster. I finally got ahead of it in September. I've been open for a 2 weeks now and am still waiting to see the deep end but progress looks positive. I've been adding bleach as the SWG does not like cold water. CYA has already gone from 45 - 20 in a 10 day span so I've been hitting it hard with bleach. I'll be asking for help shortly. Seems like patience is what is called for.

One quick question now, IF I'm on top of it now and the SWG is keeping up, how soon will a pool clear once it has started to show signs of progress?
Chris
 
Re: chrisjb8685

Welcome to TFP!

There really isn't any way to tell exactly how long your pool will take to clear as much of it depends on what your test results are and how well your are staying on top of maintaining the pool at shock level.

Once you get your TF-100, run a panel of tests. Then start a new thread and post the results and we will guide you in the right direction.
 
Re: chrisjb8685

Hi All,

I just got some numbers back.

FC - 4.7
CC - 5.8
Ph - 7.6
TA - 120
CYA - 20 (had been 15 so it is at least holding with a sock full of CYA) (I know that is low for SWG)
Salt - 3020
Hardness - 220

I will be unable to FC test daily until my TFTest kit comes but would like to know how much bleach I can safely add even if I can't for sure maintain "shock level". I don't want to lose the progress I've made.

Should I move this to a "Just Getting Started" post?

Chris
 
Re: chrisjb8685

Chris, there's a couple things in your post that bothers me.
1) Your CYA went from 45 to less than 20 in a few days? I assume that was pool store testing. I wouldn't believe it. Wait for your TF-100 and test it yourself. I took a sample of tap water to a PS the other day and they told me the CYA was 35. Just to give you an example.
2) You don't say how much bleach you have added.

If we assume that your CYA is 20 then your shock level according to pool calculator is 11. If we also assume that your FC is 4.7 then you'll need to add 5 gallons of 6% bleach to get there according to pool calculator. You do know how to use the Pool calculator don't you? ;)
 
Re: chrisjb8685

Yes. I have figured out how to use the pool calculator.

Since Saturday (May 15) I have added 20 - 96oz jugs of 6%.

One thing that I am unsure of is this: Do I pour all of the bleach in at once or over the course of a few hours?

And a follow-up to that: Should I turn of my SWG when I pour bleach into the skimmer?

Also, there are some other baseline info that I need to get into my post. Should I just start a new thread or continue down this road. (If so, how do I do this?)

Thanks,
Chris
 
Re: chrisjb8685

Good on you for figuring out the PC. That's one of your most helpful things to know.

You pour the bleach in a steady stream in front of a return. Don't pour it into the skimmer.

You can leave the SWCG on and it'll help maintain your FC level a bit. You'll turn it off when doing the overnight drop test so as not to skew the test.

I'll let another mod decide if it needs to be split and/or moved because I think it'd lose some continuity if it's split off at this point.

Go ahead and post the other info.
 
Re: chrisjb8685

chrisjb8685 said:
FC - 4.7
CC - 5.8

CYA - 20
Click to expand...

Have you let your FC drop to 0 at any point - are you seeing your CYA drop mysteriously?

Is that CC reading correct? I'm wondering if this is a case where CYA converted to ammonia, which is reacting with the chlorine and turning into high CC readings.

Moving the post... :wink:
 
Re: chrisjb8685 + starting up

Last summer my FC was at 0 most of the time and I went through CYA and shock at an alarming rate with little success. The only time the pool "cleared" was when I poured in bottles of Pro Team Metal Out and that only lasted a few days. The pool store, pro-team techs and Goldline SWG had no explanation for the CYA drop. (I finally had a clear pool in mid-September which is not an optimally nice time to swim in MN.)

That is how I ended up here.

That said: At start up I registered no chlorine and the pool temp was 47 and the SWG was not activated. I took in samples to the pool store each week since and have not had a time when the FC was at 0 but my TC has exceeded my FC each time the water has been tested which has been 4 times thus far.(Pool was opened on May 2) Since then the tests have been
FC 1.5 TC 4.5 CYA 40
FC 6.5 TC 6.8 CYA 25
FC 5.7 TC 5.5 CYA 20

At this point I don't want to add CYA because if I am feeding ammonia it is kind of an expensive meal, and I am aware that higher CYA means more bleach.

BUT - lower CYA also means a less efficient SWG.

I should say that the water is getting noticeably clearer each day but there is a slight greenish tint that I suspect might be a little bit of iron as we are on a well.

A few more facts on the pool. Sand Filter with new media last year, no heater, one new SWG cell rated for 40,000 (I got by with a 30% output most of the first 3 years.) 1 1/2 - 1/3 HP pump.

Again, I am hoping to stay ahead until my kit comes which was shipped today. Please let me know of any other info that will help you help me. My oldest is graduating and a pool party is planned June 20th so I have a little bit of time but I definitely want to get it right this summer.

Chris
 
Re: chrisjb8685 + starting up

Chris, you definitely have a really good understanding. :goodjob:

As you said, when your kit arrives you can make a definite plan of action, but in the interim staying ahead
with a shock level based on your CYA of 20?

I'm sure you know, but if you could find a source for liquid chlorine (10% to 12.5%) it might be less expensive and you would have less jugs to carry.

Have you added any sequestrant since you opened the pool?

Do you know what your CYA level was when you closed the pool last year?

It would be very helpful to have your pool and equipment specs listed in your sig.
Along with the basic info, be sure to include the SWCG rating (40K) along with all other info.
List any info, including age of pool, # of returns, # of skimmers, # lbs. sand filter, etc. that you can squeeze in a five-line limit :)
Go to User Control Panel, (upper left under TFP LOGO), select Profile, then Edit Sig.

The pool party for your daughter should be a big hit :party:
 

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Re: chrisjb8685 + starting up

Thanks for the support thus far.

Store chemicals in thus far are 1 qt utikem (linear?) algae and one qt. utikem iron out (All from Menards)

Iron reading from May 15th showed no iron.

I poured in 7 jugs of 6% tonight in front of the returns.

With lights on I can see what appear to be either lots of small bubbles or small particles floating happily past. I'm thinking they might be from the SWG with some dead stuff also.

I'll see how it looks in the morning.
 
Re: chrisjb8685 + starting up

Starting to see a little deeper into the pool although the clarity leaves much to be desired.

Should I be adding CYA? It is at 20

Also, how do I get rid of the combined chlorine? The pool has a funny chlorine smell.

Will a slower pump rate filter the finer stuff or should I leave it on high?
 
Re: chrisjb8685 + starting up

You continue shocking until the CC is .5 or less. So keep the FC at 10 by testing and adding bleach as often as hourly and the CC should come down. Sunlight helps destroy them too.

I would wait until the CC comes down before you raise the CYA
It's fine to put the pump on low...
 
Re: chrisjb8685 + starting up

I don't know that much about zeobrite, but assuming it is equivalent to regular sand, I would probably suggest getting your water completely balanced, most importantly getting your CC down to zero, and holding your FC over night.

If at that point adding some DE to your filter if you are still having cloudy water.
 
Re: chrisjb8685 + starting up

Chris,
Clarifiers and flocculants are never necessary to clear a pool, assuming sufficient chlorine and functioning filtration. They can speed up the process (sometimes), but generally are not worth the expense.
 
Re: chrisjb8685 + starting up

Melt In The Sun said:
Chris,
Clarifiers and flocculants are never necessary to clear a pool, assuming sufficient chlorine and functioning filtration.
Click to expand...

All right. I can almost see the bottom of the deep end. I can't update the numbers yet but the chlorine smell is starting to diminish and the stuff floating past the lights at night seems to mostly be bubbles.

My pressure on the tank has only gone up 2 psi in the last week but the water has continued to clear each day so I think it is filtering. (The first week saw several +10 psi readings with a drop after backwashing.) Is it worth backwashing if the pressure hasn't risen or will that only slow the process?

My kit should come tomorrow and then I'll hit it hard this weekend.

Be ready with the info.

Peace,
Chris
 
Re: chrisjb8685 + TFtest Kit has arrived 5/21 Help

I just got my kit and ran these numbers. All week I have been putting bleach in at night and running the SWG. I've also had a sock of CYA in front of a return. I assume by the CC only being .5 that I've gotten on top of the pool pretty well. The pool continues to clear and I can now make out the outlines of the deep end and could "see" the tiger shark on the bottom as it was working. But there is some more clearing that is needed. Filter is running 24/7 on high. (If I put it on low speed I get a lot of bubbles on the surface and I assume that is from the SWG.)

FC - 17
CC - .5
pH - 7.4
CYA - 40
TA - 190
CH - 300
Temp - 69

So what are the next steps?

Chris
 
get ready to do the overnight FC loss test...your pretty close. Then once you confirm you are done shocking, you can let your FC come down to target level and work on adjusting your PH.....even though it currently reads 7.4, it is most likely artificially hiogh due to the high FC and you will need to add borax...but for right now get the overnight fc loss test done... your on the right path
 

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