What is going on? Need some help

[Andiejj]

PLEASE..someone tell me something I might understand that is good.

Actually I have been getting some wonderful help from people here and I soooooo appreciate it. New issue. Need some insight.

Okay, tested 25th (wed)with tf-100:
fc 2.5
cc 0
ph 7.65
ta 60
ch 150
cya 0

okay added ch and cya on 25th and 26th.

Tested this past monday:
fc 7
cc 0
ph 7.6
t/a 90
ch 210
cya 0

Added some more CYA (about 1.5 pds. Total of 4.5 lbs since last week) and liittle bit of CH on Tuesday morning.

Tested yesterday w/ Taylor
ch - darker then 5 so "assume" 6-7
ph - 7.8

**added about 2 c of MA

Had to go to pool store this am so went ahead and took pool sample (going there anyway, hey let them do it). First thing he asked me was if I added ALOT of water lately. Other then then rain we have had lately - no. They report:
fc 0
cc 0
ph 7.8
ch 150
ta 80
cya 15

Okay... is it possible to have ZERO FC ???? ANd for my CH to drop from 210 to 150 in less then 48 hrs? They are telling me that I need to add 15 oz MA, 12 lbs of CH, and 2 lbs CYA and they want me to add chlorine. When I questioned the chlorine and explained I had just tested and it was high, they stated sometimes this happens with tablets. I had no clue what that meant but I have never used a tablet of anykind in my pool and explained this. He looked at me like I was crazy.

Okay, those who helped me in the past know what a pool dummy I am. So what do I make of all this? Where do I even start? Anyone willing to take me by the hand?????

 

[Backglass]

Okay... is it possible to have ZERO FC ????

Yes...it's also more possible to get a bad test from a pool store. If you have TF and Taylor test kits, I would trust those readings over the goon at the pool store ANY day!

Take your own readings and see what your chlorine is. If it's -0-, get some in ASAP and then post all your numbers here.

 

[JasonLion]

Trust your own numbers. Pool store testing is remarkably unreliable. There are some great pool stores out there, but many of them use unskilled people who get little if any training. Also, chlorine tends to "vanish" on the way to the pool store, so I am not surprised that it was zero. You can minimize this by using a clean and completely full container and keeping it out of the sun, but even then the chlorine reading will often go down on the way to the store.

The CYA test can sometimes read levels as high as 15 or 20 as zero. Give it the full week since the most recent addition and then test again.

Your PH is drifting up so you will need to add acid fairly soon. They had that part right.

 

[Andiejj]

What did I learn today???

Unless I want to be stressed out for kicks - do not take samples to pool store. GOT IT!


Okay, tested with Taylor and it looks like 5 maybe even a smidgen (is that a word?) darker. Those @$*^! Allrighty then, since last weds I have added 4.5 lbs of CYA and 10 lbs CH - total. Basically once last week and then once this week. I added the 15oz of MA just now. So, what are your thoughts on adding the Ch or CYA? Should I wait until the weekend and then retest? Or should I add more today and then wait and test until end of next week?

PS - thanks so much for all the input and for spoon feeding me. After leaving the pool store I called hubby and was freaking out and told him I knew once I got home and posted ya'll would help me. THANKS for the support!

 

[duraleigh]

Andrea,

to make it a little clearer, abbreviate chlorine with Cl.....CH is generally assumed to be Calcium.

 

[JasonLion]

Calcium can be retested several hours after adding some. You can bring your calcium level up quite a bit, I would aim for at least 300. If your pebble tech was just installed (last six weeks) you will get some calcium from the plaster curing so aim a little lower.

CYA should be given a full week after adding before retesting. If you added it through the skimmer remember not to backwash for a week.

 

[Andiejj]

Sorry for the confusion but in my post, ch was for calcium hardness. I added 10 lbs of calcium (??) to boost the hardness. I assume since my chlorine level was at least 5, not to worry about that. Perhaps I should go ahead and add the CH. PT was installed about 4 months ago. So I will start with the CH and add that.

Thanks for the tip about backwashing. I will not do that. Since I added CYA this week, perhaps I will wait until Monday and retest.