Realy No Idea

[DeathB4Me]

Hello everyone, ok i'll get right to it.

I just got a leslie's deluxe poolcare DPD test kit which tests for:
Free Chlorine
Total Chlorine
Bromine
PH
Acid Demand
Total Alkalinity

I know i could have gotten a better one but my budget is not so good right now. I do not know how to make sense of the tests because i only see a test for Cl, Br, and Ph, and a sample tube that marks up to 25ml and i do not know how to test for the other stuff.
PLease help me because this chemistry is driving me crazy

 

[Richard320]

Sounds like the Taylor K-1004 kit. It's a decent kit, but incomplete. It will do the three tests you will do most often, but not really high chlorine nor CYA, which can be a big problem if you're using those pucks in a floater.

Unless you're using Bromine in your pool, which I doubt because it's pricey, ignore that test. Just pretend those marks aren't there.

There should be directions in the booklet stuck in the lid. If not, they're here.

pH is easy. Fill the tube to the mark, add 5 drops of the red stuff, cap it, tip it upside down to mix, then look at it against a white background and match colors. Acid Demand involves adding the appropriate reagent a drop at a time until the color matches what you want. It's pretty useless - Pool Calculator does a better job.

Chlorine is not much harder than pH.

The 25 ml vial is for Total Alkalinity - TA. Add drops, swirl, add a different one, swirl, add the third one a drop at a time, swirl a lot between drops and count how many until it turns pink/red.

 

[DeathB4Me]

Thanks a lot that really helped

 

[dianne]

ME too!!! my test kit is for. Chlorine, Total Active Bromine, PH, Total alkalinity, water hardness, stabilizer and cyanuric tests. the chlorine test says a continuous development of color indicates combined chlorine. and the bromine test is the same test as for chlorine..just read a different color chart?!

earlier this month, a pool store sold my husband 24 pounds of baking soda (that wasn't what they called it!) for $42!!

i'm shocking the pool now...it's been cloudy....before it was cloudy there was algae. i've never had this much trouble getting the pool crystal clear.
the readings earlier today were
chlorine 1
ph 7.3
TA 130
bromine 2
hardness 150 ppm

we ordered the borate test strips.....would love to use the BBB system. tired of spending money and not enjoying the pool.

 

[dmanb2b]

we ordered the borate test strips.....would love to use the BBB system. tired of spending money and not enjoying the pool.

Welcome to TFP...Borate strips are not needed unless you plan on bringing your borate level to around 50ppm. You can still follow BBB without having borates at 50ppm, but a lot of us like to do so...but it is an added expense.

 

[dianne]

well now it shows that i'm new....i thought you HAD to use borax as part of the BBB system. doesn't that take care of algae?

 

[dmanb2b]

borax is primarily used as a replacement for pool store PH+. Maintaining a borate level at 50ppm can help to prevent algae, but not as a primary defense and most of us add it for the added water softness and sparkly effect. The primary sanitizer/algaecide...That's chlorine's role. If you maintain your FC according to the FC/CYA chart...you will keep alage away, use Muratic Acid (PH down) or Borax (PH+) to balance PH. After you get the hang of BBB, you may opt to raise borates to 50ppm, but it is not needed. As evidenced HERE.

Duraleigh..owns TFP and TFTestkits.net and although his pool is huge, he does not borate...but that is some seriously clear water with just bleach and a sand filter.

 

[anonapersona]

.would love to use the BBB system. tired of spending money and not enjoying the pool.

Welcome. The BBB system is really just serious attention to testing and then adding exactly what is needed, no more and no less, as calculated by the Pool Calculator.

Most of us manage with only bleach and Muriatic Acid. I occasionally use trichlor pucks, when I must for vacation or when CYA is low and I can afford that luxury. I also sometimes use Cal-Hypo when CH is low or when I want to get to shock FC levels fast.

Other than that, I use my Wall Whale brush, only maybe monthly because I am lazy and the pool is fine. And once or twice a year I spray the moss rock coping with 50% bleach and scrub with a SS brush when I notice it is getting greenish and chlorine consumption is above normal. Of course, knowing what is normal means I keep records.

 

[dianne]

i had never heard of a whale tale brush....when i was brushing on monday i kept trying to think of a way to keep the brush against the wall!!! so glad someone already invented a way!!! our pool is 20x49 and it takes so long AND all of my energy. i can't wait to get to the pool store now. the pool has been filtering all day and overnight. it still isn't clear! looks foggy. any suggestions?

 

[anonapersona]

There is a thread somewhere here called Things I though Everybody Knew, or something to that effect, that will have all sorts of cool tips. And be sure to use the Search function when you think you need advice, most things have come up before. And the more you read, the more you will learn about proper terminology and basic pool stuff. There is a photo section that has pictures of typical pool equipment that can help also.