Does the "basic 5" drops test kit test for CYA? Is the "Acid demand" test for CYA or Ph adjustment?
dumb question about basic drops test kit. CYA/pucks Q added
- Thread starter PoolSchool
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Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit:
There is no CYA test. Acid demand just gives you a value of acid used to adjust your PH level down. The pool calculator in pool school is easy to use.
There is no CYA test. Acid demand just gives you a value of acid used to adjust your PH level down. The pool calculator in pool school is easy to use.
Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit:
I've checked out the pool calculator, trying to get the basics straight about what's happening with the water.
I saw this posted on ThePoolForum:
"Strangest thing CYA has been around 100 now the clerk tells me it is 32 in 2 days!! The 5 way test is still telling me cya level is around 100."
Just a quote from a CYA thread over there, before the person got a Taylor test kit, and no one reacted at all so I thought I might be missing something.
So the "acid demand" test on the 5-way is just if you have high-Ph, telling you how much muriatic acid to add if so? It didn't specify what sort of acid, got 'em confused.
Thanks for bearing with major redundancy. :-D
I've checked out the pool calculator, trying to get the basics straight about what's happening with the water.
I saw this posted on ThePoolForum:
"Strangest thing CYA has been around 100 now the clerk tells me it is 32 in 2 days!! The 5 way test is still telling me cya level is around 100."
Just a quote from a CYA thread over there, before the person got a Taylor test kit, and no one reacted at all so I thought I might be missing something.
So the "acid demand" test on the 5-way is just if you have high-Ph, telling you how much muriatic acid to add if so? It didn't specify what sort of acid, got 'em confused.
Thanks for bearing with major redundancy. :-D
Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit:
IT's not unusual for the pool store to be wildly wrong especially on the CYA test.
The acid demand is to give you an idea of how much acid to add but the Pool Calc does a better job.
IT's not unusual for the pool store to be wildly wrong especially on the CYA test.
The acid demand is to give you an idea of how much acid to add but the Pool Calc does a better job.
Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit:
But that's just how much muriatic acid to add, to adjust high Ph right? Has nothing to do with the acid to add for CYA, if I'm understanding correctly.
And I wasn't talking about the pool store in that quote. The poster didn't have a Taylor test kit yet, was using the "basic 5", and mentioned a couple times that they tested for CYA with it. No one said anything, so I asked about it here.
But that's just how much muriatic acid to add, to adjust high Ph right? Has nothing to do with the acid to add for CYA, if I'm understanding correctly.
And I wasn't talking about the pool store in that quote. The poster didn't have a Taylor test kit yet, was using the "basic 5", and mentioned a couple times that they tested for CYA with it. No one said anything, so I asked about it here.
Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit:
I'm sorry I didn't reread your first post. You're right, the acid demand is just for adjusting pH. There is no acid addition required for CYA adjustment.
CYA is a mild acid and if you want to know how much it would lower the pH You can use the PC for that too.
Walmart (& others) carry an HTH 6-way kit that does check CYA and it's pretty accurate. There are strips for testing CYA too but they aren't accurate at all.
I'm sorry I didn't reread your first post. You're right, the acid demand is just for adjusting pH. There is no acid addition required for CYA adjustment.
CYA is a mild acid and if you want to know how much it would lower the pH You can use the PC for that too.
Walmart (& others) carry an HTH 6-way kit that does check CYA and it's pretty accurate. There are strips for testing CYA too but they aren't accurate at all.
Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit:
There is a WalMart six way kit that includes a good quality CYA test. There are several different five way test kits; none of the ones I know of include a CYA test. I'm assuming that the poster in the other topic was talking about the WalMart kit.
Normally when talking about acid we mean something to lower the PH, typically either muriatic acid (preferred) or dry acid (more expensive). Cyanuric acid has "acid" in it's name, but is not something you would use to adjust the PH.
There is a WalMart six way kit that includes a good quality CYA test. There are several different five way test kits; none of the ones I know of include a CYA test. I'm assuming that the poster in the other topic was talking about the WalMart kit.
Normally when talking about acid we mean something to lower the PH, typically either muriatic acid (preferred) or dry acid (more expensive). Cyanuric acid has "acid" in it's name, but is not something you would use to adjust the PH.
Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit; ADDED: and Puc
I can imagine how simple it sounds, but the 'acid' thing was a little confusing. (that's what the 60s said : ) )
That does clear that up, on the acid and the "6-way" test kit instead.
_____________
One other topic if anyone feels like it. My Ph is just a tad high, and I don't have a test for CYA yet, but I know it's low/nothing because not holding Cl very well. It sounds like I am a candidate to raise my CYA a little, and also lower Ph a little at same time, with the dreaded Tri-Chlor pucks I have a bucket of from last year.
I understand going to the BBB method overrall, and I'm in that process, have only added baking soda for TA and liquid bleach so far, in addition to 3 pucks in about a month, figured some CYA from them couldn't hurt right now. I know the drawback to Tri-pucks is CYA build-up and acidity. However, with High-Ph and low CYA, the right scenario, I've read here that pucks could be right for this particular situation.
So, theoretically speaking, anyone want to venture an informed guess how long you would use pucks before CYA got to 40-50? I'm not being stubborn on the pucks, it's more not to waste that huge bucket. I thought I could use them for whatever period of time, kill the CYA/high Ph bird with one stone for now, then switch when CYA gets to the right place.
Thoughts on this exception to the rule? Thanks, didn't wanna keep piling on threads.
I can imagine how simple it sounds, but the 'acid' thing was a little confusing. (that's what the 60s said : ) )
That does clear that up, on the acid and the "6-way" test kit instead.
_____________
One other topic if anyone feels like it. My Ph is just a tad high, and I don't have a test for CYA yet, but I know it's low/nothing because not holding Cl very well. It sounds like I am a candidate to raise my CYA a little, and also lower Ph a little at same time, with the dreaded Tri-Chlor pucks I have a bucket of from last year.
I understand going to the BBB method overrall, and I'm in that process, have only added baking soda for TA and liquid bleach so far, in addition to 3 pucks in about a month, figured some CYA from them couldn't hurt right now. I know the drawback to Tri-pucks is CYA build-up and acidity. However, with High-Ph and low CYA, the right scenario, I've read here that pucks could be right for this particular situation.
So, theoretically speaking, anyone want to venture an informed guess how long you would use pucks before CYA got to 40-50? I'm not being stubborn on the pucks, it's more not to waste that huge bucket. I thought I could use them for whatever period of time, kill the CYA/high Ph bird with one stone for now, then switch when CYA gets to the right place.
Thoughts on this exception to the rule? Thanks, didn't wanna keep piling on threads.
Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit:
Trichlor tablets add chlorine, add CYA, and lower PH. If you need all three of those things done, then using trichlor tablets makes a lot of sense.
Trichlor tablets add CYA fairly slowly. You can use the Effects of Adding Chemicals section of the Pool Calculator (near the bottom) to see how much CYA a tablet will add to your pool.
Trichlor tablets add chlorine, add CYA, and lower PH. If you need all three of those things done, then using trichlor tablets makes a lot of sense.
Trichlor tablets add CYA fairly slowly. You can use the Effects of Adding Chemicals section of the Pool Calculator (near the bottom) to see how much CYA a tablet will add to your pool.
Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit:
Thanks, I didn't think about tablets being in the calculator. I'm going to keep track of how fast they build up CYA when I get the good test kit, meant to order last week, forgot about it. Happens to apply to my new water situation I guess, kinda glad I can get some good use of them. Figured someone had tracked the pucks before, throw some ballpark figure out on how fast they would go from 0-50 CYA and so forth.
Test kit gonna help me out, and great website y'all have here, very informative, gotta like the "less is more" approach, just gotta get used to the cycle of it all.
Thanks, I didn't think about tablets being in the calculator. I'm going to keep track of how fast they build up CYA when I get the good test kit, meant to order last week, forgot about it. Happens to apply to my new water situation I guess, kinda glad I can get some good use of them. Figured someone had tracked the pucks before, throw some ballpark figure out on how fast they would go from 0-50 CYA and so forth.
Test kit gonna help me out, and great website y'all have here, very informative, gotta like the "less is more" approach, just gotta get used to the cycle of it all.
Re: dumb question about basic drops test kit; ADDED: and Puc
You can use the chemical fact that for every 10 ppm Free Chlorine (FC) added by Trichlor, it also increases Cyanuric Acid (CYA) by 6.1 ppm. A typical pool uses between 1.5 and 2.5 ppm FC per day, so figure an average of 2 ppm FC assuming the pool is in direct sunlight. If using only Trichlor pucks/tabs for chlorination, that would mean 7*2*0.61 = 8.5 ppm CYA per week, so a pretty slow increase. Also, without any CYA in the water initially, the chlorine will get broken down by the UV in sunlight too quickly so the Trichlor pucks/tabs may not be able to keep up.PoolSchool said:
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