Confused about levels

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karen1017

0
Jun 19, 2010
45
NE Oklahoma
I'm having trouble figuring out what to do next. Here are my current levels

FC - 11 (down from 18 at sundown last night)
CC - 0
TC - 11
pH - 7.5
TA - 140
CYA - 45
water temp - 85

I have been adding 6% bleach each night to bring the pool up and a little above shock level. One morning it only lost 1 ppm, but only once. Currently it is still losing more than that. I don't think I should put more dichlor because of the CYA level, but the chlorine is not holding. The water is clear. Any suggestions as to what to do next? Should I keep on adding bleach each night until it holds at shock level? Thanks for any help and suggestions.
 
Well, it sounds like you are very close. Here's the three things we'd like to see....

1. Your water is crystal clear.
2. You lose less than 1.0 FC during the FC overnight loss test (OCLT)
3. Your CC's test is .5 or less

I'm not sure if you have succesfully completed the OCLT....Have you?

Do you want some assistance setting it up or do you know how?
 
A couple of ideas:

When you do the overnight test, are you testing both times in the dark or early dawn? You are trying to measure the chlorine usage that's not due to sunlight, so any sun on the water will mess up the results.

Are you calculating the evening chlorine or do you go back after an hour or so of circulating to test it?
 
Thanks Durleigh and Mod Squad for your replies. I do measure at dusk and then after the chlorine added has circulated about an hour and again around 7:00 am. I would really like some help setting it up if possible. Not sure what OCLT is. Thanks again.
 
Thanks everyone for your help. I just added chlorine to bring the pool up to shock level and will test again in about 30 min, and then again early in the morning. I'll post those results. We are getting some bubbles in the return (just saw them tonight with a flashlight), could problems with the filter be causing my chlorine levels problem? We had been planning to get a new filter right away, just weren't sure which way to go. Any thoughts on filters?
 
The bubbles are not the fault of the filter.

Let's resolve your FC issues with the results of that test. I think you may be able to pass it.

OCLT is a standard abbreviation we have started to use for the Overnight FC Loss Test.

Once your pool water is settled in, we can track down the filter issue (which is likely an air leak on the suction side)
 
Here are my latest levels - 10:00 pm last night

FC 16.5

6:00 am -

FC - 15
CC - 0
T/A - 140
pH - 7.8

I lost 1.5 ppm during the night. Should I keep adding chlorine to shock level until I get a drop of 1ppm or less? If so, should I check the FC level several times a day to keep it at that level, or is doing it at night enough?
Thanks for the reply and help.
 
Still need help

As I posted last night in this forum, I'm confused about what to do next. Over night by FC dropped by only 1.5 ppm - from 16.5 to 15. By 6 pm tonight it was 6.5. So I added chlorine as suggested by the Pool Calculator, (but added a little more, as suggested in previous posts) and the FC is now 25. Here's the break down
10:00 pm - FC 16.5
6:00 am - FC 15
7:00 pm - FC 6.5, added chlorine
8:00 pm - FC 25

Am I doing the right things? Should I just keep adding bleach in the evening until I lose 1 ppm or less? Once it gets to that point, does it matter how much my ppm drop is during the day, as long as it doesn't go below recommended levels? Should I be checking FC levels during the day, and adding chlorine to keep my pool at shock level until it doesn't lose more than 1 ppm overnight? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
 

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It doesn't matter what your ppm loss is during then day when you are shocking the pool. What matters is the overnight loss because it takes the sunlight UV destruction of FC out of the equasion.

Describe to me how your water looks?

Don't add any more tonight. Test again in the morning before the sun hits the pool if you can.
 
Good morning. Got up early to check the FC in the dark.
5:00 am - FC 19.5
Pretty big loss overnight. When doing the test, I sometimes put 2-3 drops at a time before swirling of the R-0871 for up to about 12 drops, then swirl after each drop (and only when I have just added enough chlorine to bring it up to shock level at night, not on the a.m. test) could that skew the results? I'm not sure what I do from here. I plan on vacuuming and backwashing today. Do I keep adding bleach at night until it holds overnight?
I don't know what I would do without you guys. I was at a pool store in Tulsa this week looking at filters and saw a lot of folks spending a small fortune on chemicals. I wanted to shout "troublefreepool.com". But didn't.
 
Pretty big loss overnight
Click to expand...
. How much?

When doing the test, I sometimes put 2-3 drops at a time before swirling of the R-0871 for up to about 12 drops, then swirl after each drop (and only when I have just added enough chlorine to bring it up to shock level at night, not on the a.m. test) could that skew the results?
Click to expand...
The purist in me wants to tell you to do it one drop at a time for complete accuracy. The realist in me tells me that I do the same thing but just can't tell anybody!! :oops: :oops:

I was at a pool store in Tulsa this week looking at filters and saw a lot of folks spending a small fortune on chemicals. I wanted to shout "troublefreepool.com". But didn't.
Click to expand...
Over the years, that is a common thread that runs through us BBB'rs. It's almost frustrating, isn't it? Frankly, I stay completely out of the pool stores for that very reason.....I have trouble biting my tongue.
 
I'll just say one thing; SpeedStir!

I love using it. With it I can let it do the swirling and all I have to do is drop drops. Before I got it I would od like you and drop a few drops then swirl. Sometimes I'd miss the endpoint because as soon as I started swirling it'd change color.
 
Sorry about that!

You need to shock all the time, not just at night! Bring it to shock level and hold it there as often as you can until you pass the OCLT. If you hit it hard and often it shouldn't take long to be done.
 
speed stirrer is available through www.TFTteskits.net (or the link in many of our signatures it uses a magnet placed in the measuring cylinder to stir the water as you test... it is soooooooo much easier to use as you only need to stare and count drops on a stationary cylinder... no fuss no muss (Just don't lose your magnetic stirrer down the drain... as I always wash it and the cylinder out before touching it in the basin so your not exposing yourself to the chems...
 

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