My first time testing

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tgillesp

tgillesp

0
May 18, 2011
28
Got my Taylor 2006 kit today. Wow, I hope I get better at this. I feel like everything I did was so inaccurate. So if I could get some advice please?

FC = 14.4
CC = 0
PH = possibly 7.8 or higher. This was really hard for me to tell the difference in color, but it also said to add a different drop to see how many drops would bring down to a different color. I added one drop and it appeared to have measured closer to 7.6
TA = 180 or 190 Not sure of the accuracy here either. The directions said add the 3rd drops until it changes from green to bright red. Well, it never changed to red, only pink. I kept counting up until 75 drops and still no red. I tried it again after readying TFP method and it said only until it changed from green to another color. I counted 18 or 19 drops.
CYA = somewhere around 75 or 80. I had a lot of trouble with the black dot. Is it supposed to completely dissappear so you cannot see a trace of it at all? Seemed like my eyes just still wanted to see a small hint of a black dot. I even tried cutting the water 50/50 and doing it again.

I really thought the kit would be much more accurate than the strips, but I don't find it much easier yet. I am pretty sure I got an accurate reading on free chlorine though.

So, does it appear that I need to make any adjustments, or should I try for more accurate results. Any ideas on that?

Thanks
Tracey

P.S. Just re-read Extended Test Kit Instructions and I just realized I've been rinsing my comparator tubes with tap water rather than pool water!!! Don't know how much this is affecting my accuracy.
 
That's why you should have gotten the TF100...ok just kidding :lol:

14.4 of FC is pretty darn accurate, something you could never accomplish with strips. On the TA, you are looking for the last color change. on CYA, just use the higher #, so we'll call it 80 (better to be conservative on this). Let's call PH 7.8 and try to reduce that to 7.2, which will reduce your TA a bit :goodjob:

To save on the Fas-dpd powder and reagent you can use a 10ml sample, which counts FC and CC in 0.5ppm increments and is more that enough preciseness :wink:
 
dmanb2b said:
To save on the Fas-dpd powder and reagent you can use a 10ml sample, which counts FC and CC in 0.5ppm increments and is more that enough preciseness :wink:
Click to expand...

Will I still use 2 scoops of the powder?

And on the TA, it goes from green to clear, then to pink. The first drop that turns it pink is what I count or the one before?

And I'm guessing by the CYA/Chlorine chart that I should keep my chlorine around 9?

Thanks. I'll work on the Ph tomorrow.
 
Yes, still two level scoops or one heaping scoop of powder.

You add drops until is starts to change color, then you keep adding drops as long as each drop changes the color further. The final drop, which does not change the color any further does not count.

With CYA at 70 to 80, the day to day range for FC is 6 to 11. I'd aim for around 8 or 9 and see how that does.
 
My results tonight:

FC = 11.8
CC = 0
TA = 150
Ph = 7.6 - 8.0
CH = 200
CYA = 90-100

The pool store told me cya was 78, but I stop seeing the black dot and get what looks like about 95 to me. I still have a hard time reading Ph when it is pink so I'm guessing either 7.6 - 8.0 because I have trouble with the variance in color. I might also mention that I have a lazy eye and week vision in other eye which probably makes it more difficult for me to read. I live alone so no one can read it for me. I did the acid demand test and it took 7 drops to lower to 7.2 which I could easily read. I added approx. 4 lbs of dry acid to lower Ph and TA. If I am calculating my SI correctly, I get somewhere between .3 and .4. From what I can tell that is pretty balanced right?
I have not added any bleach since my FC was 14.4 2 days ago.

Questions:
Is there an easier way for me to test CYA or just give up and go with the pool store of 78? I have not added anything to raise it.
Should I be using the OTO TC/ph test daily or the FAS/DPD? I have used FAS/DPD both of my first times so far.
Is it ever necessary to do an overnight FC test if CC = 0?
Should I add Calcium?
Do I begin aerating now to raise Ph or wait until I get new readings?
I also just re-read Extended Test Kit Instructions and realized I've been rinsing with tap water instead of pool water. Will this make much of a difference in my accuracy?

Overall, my water looks and feels pretty good.

thanks for all the help!

Tracey
 
tgillesp said:
My results tonight:

FC = 11.8
CC = 0
TA = 150
Ph = 7.6 - 8.0
CH = 200
CYA = 90-100

The pool store told me cya was 78, but I stop seeing the black dot and get what looks like about 95 to me. I still have a hard time reading Ph when it is pink so I'm guessing either 7.6 - 8.0 because I have trouble with the variance in color. I might also mention that I have a lazy eye and week vision in other eye which probably makes it more difficult for me to read. I live alone so no one can read it for me. I did the acid demand test and it took 7 drops to lower to 7.2 which I could easily read. I added approx. 4 lbs of dry acid to lower Ph and TA. If I am calculating my SI correctly, I get somewhere between .3 and .4. From what I can tell that is pretty balanced right?
I have not added any bleach since my FC was 14.4 2 days ago.

Questions:
Is there an easier way for me to test CYA or just give up and go with the pool store of 78? I have not added anything to raise it.
I trust your reading over the pool store's reading.
Should I be using the OTO TC/ph test daily or the FAS/DPD? I have used FAS/DPD both of my first times so far.
Because you have indicated that you have difficulty seeing different shades and colors, the FAS-DPD test is probably the best one for you. FWIW, this test is my routine chlorine test. I don't use the OTO at all.
Is it ever necessary to do an overnight FC test if CC = 0?
Yes. You can still lose FC and have a high organic load and still not have CC present.
Should I add Calcium?
Wait until you have everything else dialed in first. Your CH is not a pressing issue right now.
Do I begin aerating now to raise Ph or wait until I get new readings?
Well, if your pH is 7.6 to 8.0, you are looking more like you will need to lower your pH with an acid addition rather than try to raise it by aeration.
I also just re-read Extended Test Kit Instructions and realized I've been rinsing with tap water instead of pool water. Will this make much of a difference in my accuracy?
No.

Overall, my water looks and feels pretty good.

thanks for all the help!

Tracey
Click to expand...
 
Ok. I think this is getting a bit easier. Here are my new numbers this morning:

FC - 10.5
CC - 0
ph - 7.2
TA - 130

I was advised to lower ph to get TA down. What now? Should I try to lower TA a bit more? When should I try to increase ph again?

I did not measure CYA this time, but assume it is still around 90 or 95. It is cloudy here today and I know I won't be able to read it.

How long do these drops last? Seems I'm using a lot of drops. I've already used one bottle of the cya liquid trying to figure that out.

thanks for all the advice!!
 
It depends on which test kit you have. The Taylor kits tend to run out of a few things, especially CYA reagent, rather quickly. The TF100 has a more balanced combination.

Unless there is some reason to be in a hurry with lowering TA, you can just wait until the PH goes up to 7.8 and then lower it back down to 7.2. Repeat that a couple of times and the TA will come down.
 

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JasonLion said:
Unless there is some reason to be in a hurry with lowering TA, you can just wait until the PH goes up to 7.8 and then lower it back down to 7.2. Repeat that a couple of times and the TA will come down.
Click to expand...


So should I do something to raise ph or are you saying just wait until it goes up?
 
Okay, after a couple of weeks of testing and adjusting, and lowering cya and ph and trying to get alk down, these are my numbers today:

FC - 5.5
CC - 0
ph - 7.6
TA - 130
CYA - 50

Should I stay with these numbers or make any other adjustments? I started with an extremely high level of chlorine because my cya was so high. Finally, have gotten that down alot from over 150 down to 50 now. I sprung a leak a few days ago and been waiting on the pool guy to come out. I guess I need to learn how to patch a leak myself too! So I haven't tried to adjust much lately, since I'm having to add water every day. Looking at the cya/chlorine chart - I guess I should keep my chlorine around 6, just not sure if I should continue trying to lower the ph and TA.

My CC has been 0 every day!!! Water is beautiful, sparkling, clean!

thanks so much!
 
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