New Pool Numbers

[TK]

Got my first water test done for my new pool and it seems the numbers are pretty good:

Saturation Index: -1.2
CYA: 50
Tot. Chlorine: 2.1
Free Chlorine: 2.1
PH: ewal. 6.6
Total Alkalinity: 79
Adj Total Alkalinity: 64
Hardness: 193
Minerals: 2900
Borates: 54

What I added to the pool was 23.5 pounds of Balance Pak 100, 4.25 lbs of Balance Pak 200. I also added my weekly dose of Renewal. Hoping to do another test by the end of the week to see how these numbers improve. Let me know what you guys thinks about the numbers.

My Pool:
24000 gallons,Vinyl free form, Pentair FNS Plus DE Filter, Whisper Flow 1 HP, Easy touch, IntelliChlor, Prowler 720

Thanks,

TKING

 

[JohnT]

pH is very low.

You are aware your Balance Pak 100 is just baking soda, aren't you?

Renewal is basically salt. Routine addition isn't necessary, particularly without a salt test result.

 

[duraleigh]

TK,

Frankly, the numbers are not good at all. As John says, you need to immediately get your pH up into the mid7's. After that, you do not have enough chlorine in your pool.

AS you read more on the forum, you will find you do not need any of the products you have been adding but that is secondary.....get your pH up!

 

[TK]

Well hopefully I will get a test done on Friday so see where I stand. I need to get my own test kit I know. So what chemicals will I need to get my Ph up and more chlorine.

My PB and myself are at odds and he only gave me a crash course in how to add DE, and backwash the filter. That is it, did not show me how to use the intellichlor or any other functions of the pool. He added all the chemicals to the pool on 5/11, I added all the salt on 5/12 (24 bags I believe). I did not get a test until last Friday which was 1/20/11 and that is when I bought and added the Balance Paks. So if I do not use the products that the pool store is telling me, then what do I use with me salt system. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Another question, I have a concrete coping on my pool and the PB forgot to install the safety rope. I have the rope and the the washers to install but did not know what is the best way to install. Do i drill it into the coping or high on the liner walls?

Thanks,
TK

 

[JohnT]

The chemicals you need to add depend on your test results. Your salt won't drop quickly, and when you need it you can add Morton's Solar Salt. Check out this article on Recommended Pool Chemicals
for some guidance.

 

[TK]

New numbers on 5/27/11

Temp: 80
Sat Index: .5
CYA: 115
Tot Chlorine: 2.6
Free Chlorine: 2.6
PH: 8.1
Tot Alk: 132
Adj. Tot Alk: 97
Hardness: 205
Minerals: 2900
Borates: 37

 

[Richard320]

How did CYA more than double? How come pH jumped a huge amount?

Where are these test results coming from? Something doesn't sound right.

If you don't have your own proper test kit, you will never get things balanced.

 

[TK]

The only thing that I did from last week was add the balance pak's as described above. I did run my intellichlor system at 100% for 12 hours, 6 hours on Tuesday and 6 hours yesterday. Other than that I added some water in the pool with my hose, but nothing else.

The pool store suggested that I add 4.5 lbs of Lo 'N Slo.

 

[mynewpool]

Just listen to the people here so you do not get pool stored anymore. It has happened to all of us or at least it did to me. Once I took the advice of the people here, my pool cleared up.

 

[TK]

My pool is clear as a bell, but the numbers are all over the map it seems. I'll be honest, I don't know much about the numbers but I am going to do some reading over the weekend. My PB has really let me down, once it was complete he never showed me much as far as running the system so it is trial are error at this point.

 

[RobbieH]

Fire the pool guy, ignore your pool store's comments, get a good test kit and get some accurate numbers, then this group can help you get in balance AND save you money!

 

[Richard320]

Okay, a little research tells me that you've added a whole bunch of baking soda and a bunch of soda ash. The good news is the MSDS's show them to be pure, nothing weird added. Renewal is vague.....minerals and salts and inorganic acid. Cyanuric acid? I don't know. Do you? The lo-n-slo is just dry acid.

If these numbers are correct - and you still haven't said where you got them, but I suspect the Pool Store - you need to lower pH NOW. But only add half the acid you should at a time - they way you overshot tells me that either the test is wrong, the gallons are wrong, or both. Add, mix, retest, then add more if needed.

My advice is to get a proper test kit ASAP. Stop buying overpriced fancy-packaged chemicals. Read Pool School, and use Pool Calculator. Otherwise you'll be bouncing all over the place, with an unswimmable pool and an empty wallet.

 

[TK]

The numbers came from the pool store, the PB owns these pool stores as well.

Mineral Springs Renewal, they tell me that I need to add this once a week at $14.00 a week.

Sodium Bisulfate: 23.8%
Other :76.2 %

Shouldn't I be able to adjust ph with my mineral springs system?

 

[Richard320]

The numbers came from the pool store, the PB owns these pool stores as well.

Mineral Springs Renewal, they tell me that I need to add this once a week at $14.00 a week.

Sodium Bisulfate: 23.8%
Other :76.2 %

Shouldn't I be able to adjust ph with my mineral springs system?

I'm sure they have some form of acid with a pretty label, a glowing description, and a hefty price tag.

I'm completely unfamiliar with the product lineup, however. I have hard water, so I never need to raise pH or TA. All I use is muriatic acid and liquid bleach. Probably costs me $5.00 a week or so. And my pool is so clear you can determine that the screws on the drain cover are phillips head, through 8' of water!

 

[mynewpool]

The numbers came from the pool store, the PB owns these pool stores as well.

Mineral Springs Renewal, they tell me that I need to add this once a week at $14.00 a week.

Sodium Bisulfate: 23.8%
Other :76.2 %

Shouldn't I be able to adjust ph with my mineral springs system?

Trust me do not take the advice of the people at the pool store unless you have to for warranty purposes. Other than that listen to the people here and you will get where you need to be.

 

[TK]

Got my new Test Kit in, the TF-100. I did one test for practice and another one this afternoon. The only problem that I

 

[TK]

Sorry, I hit return before I submitted before. The only problem that I have is that it is hard to distinguish ph and cl, so those numbers I am not sure on. So here are the numbers:

Minerals: 3450
Temp: 88
FC: 4
CC: .5
TC: 4.5
TA: 150
CYA: 60
PH: JUST A GUESS BUT 7.8 OR 8.2
CL: Just a guess but 5

 

[Richard320]

Sorry, I hit return before I submitted before. The only problem that I have is that it is hard to distinguish ph and cl, so those numbers I am not sure on. So here are the numbers:

Minerals: 3450
Temp: 88
FC: 4
CC: .5
TC: 4.5
TA: 150
CYA: 60
PH: JUST A GUESS BUT 7.8 OR 8.2
CL: Just a guess but 5

pH needs to come down. TA will come down eventually if you keep pH around 7.5. You want to see a peach color - not orange, not pink. Somewhere right in the middle of the tester.

By minerals, do you mean Salt?

CYA is still a little low for a saltwater chlorine generator.

FC is right at the lower limit, raise the percentage on your SWG a notch. You may need to lower it again once you get more CYA added. By the way, if you are using the powder & drops to measure FC, you don't need to do the color matching test. It's testing the same thing, and you can see for yourself, it's not as accurate.

How does the water look?

 

[TK]

yes, the salt level is at 3450, last week it was around 2800. Today I ran the SWG at 100% for 12 hours. I was told to run it once a week at 100%. I tested the FC according to the directions which was the powder and the drops.

The water has always been crystal clear and we have been swimming a few times. It feels great, just sometimes it makes you your skin feel dry. I am going to punch in some numbers on the calculator tonight to see what I need to add.

 

[maxepr1]

yes, the salt level is at 3450, last week it was around 2800. Today I ran the SWG at 100% for 12 hours. I was told to run it once a week at 100%. I tested the FC according to the directions which was the powder and the drops.

The water has always been crystal clear and we have been swimming a few times. It feels great, just sometimes it makes you your skin feel dry. I am going to punch in some numbers on the calculator tonight to see what I need to add.

TK, running at 100% your going to smoke that thing! You shouldn't be running at half that level. You should run a overnight FC test, I'll bet you don't pass! Add bleach to bring your level back up when it drops that low. SWG can be used to maintain once your there.