TA issue? or okay?

[Snickerdoodle]

The pool store today said this:
TC 2.0
FC 1.9
PH 7.4
TA 20
CA 106
CYA 60
Salt 3800
Temp 90

This is what I got. I'm a newbie and am learning a lot but I think I have the testing down pat now.
FC 3
CC 0
PH 7.4
TA 80
CA 160 (turns purple at 120, turns blue at 160)
CYA 60


How can the TA be so different?

They told me my saturation index is -1.20 and the acceptable range is -.3 to +.3.

Is there anything I should be doing to "fix" the saturation index, or anything else? The water is clear, not quite sparkling, but not far off.

Thanks so much. We've totally enjoyed our new pool this first summer. My kids are having a ball!
Snick

 

[lightingguy]

Since you have a vinyl pool you dont really care what the saturation index is. If they were a pool store you could trust they should know that.

If your TA was really 20 I think you could expect fairly erratic behaviour in your PH. Again they should be able to tell you that.

It looks like your test was done by machine (FC 1.9 for example). Those little decimal points make it look accurate - but they are horrible. I wouldn't trust any of it.

With a CYA of 60 you dont want to go below 5ppm on the FC.

 

[BBBliever]

+1 on the TA and SI issue. The pool store hand to find something wrong with your water. Did they try to sell you TA increaser? Sounds like you have a good test kit. Why bother going to the pool store?

If I ever need to go to a pool store the last thing I would do is ask them to test my water, unless I wanted a laugh. As little as I know about water chemistry I could school most the employees at my local store.

 

[Snickerdoodle]

Thanks guys. I took the water to the pool store, just to see if I was crazy-off my own testing. I use the Taylor 2006 kit.

Yes, funnily enough, they did want me to buy about 5 different things, :lol: and I knew that that was coming, so I just said that I had all those "items" at home.

My PH does inch up each each week, and I have to lower it on a regular basis, but nothing higher than 7.6 or 7.8.

I just upped my swg to increase the chlorine to 5 ppm.

Any other wonky numbers that I need to worry about?
thx
Snick

 

[ultra800_96]

You can plug your numbers into the pool calculator & see what your csi numbers are. I don't worry too much, excepting looking for higher issues that could cause scaling, cause that's what my fill water tends to lead to. I also have a vinyl liner pool. I think you could also bump your salt generator a bit higher. I also am currently at 60 cya, & I keep my FC at a comfortable 5-ish. According to the Chlorine/CYA chart found in pool school, the minimum is 3 & target 4, for a salt generated pool with your cya. I think it would help your clarity a bunch. My water really sparkles maintaining it at 5 with a 12 hour pump timing. Your pump run time may also help get it sparkling also.

 

[BBBliever]

My PH does inch up each each week, and I have to lower it on a regular basis, but nothing higher than 7.6 or 7.8.

So is my TA okay at 80? Any other wonky numbers that I need to worry about?
thx

Kind of normal for PH to gradually work its way up. You can try to lower TA between 60 to 80 to see if you PH will hold more steady.

 

[Snickerdoodle]

You can plug your numbers into the pool calculator & see what your csi numbers are. I think you could also bump your salt generator a bit higher. I also am currently at 60 cya, & I keep my FC at a comfortable 5-ish. According to the Chlorine/CYA chart found in pool school, the minimum is 3 & target 4, for a salt generated pool with your cya. I think it would help your clarity a bunch. My water really sparkles maintaining it at 5 with a 12 hour pump timing. Your pump run time may also help get it sparkling also.

I had lowered my swg because the cya fell to 40-45 ish and I didn't want to overproduce. I just bumped up the cya to 60 over the last week (sock system). So thanks for the reminder to bump it back up again.

I run my pump for 8 hours a day, at night.

Thanks!
Snick

 

[ultra800_96]

I certainly wouldn't worry about a TA of 80. Mine is around 90 now after starting at around 250. The usual ph corrections (acid additions) are going to keep working the TA down anyway till it finds it's sweet spot.

It sure seems you are doing a good job of testing & maintaining. Trust your own results & don't let the pool store confuse the issue.

 

[JamesW]

Pool stores can be somewhat inaccurate, especially if the clerk is new and/or rushed. They might be reporting "Adjusted Alkalinity", which is the TA - 1/3 of the cyanuric acid. So, your TA might have measured 40 ppm at the pool store and they subtracted 20 ppm for the cyanuric acid part. As long as the pH is not low and falling, then your TA is not too low. I wouldn't lower the pH unless it went over 7.9, and then I would only lower it to about 7.8.

CA 160 (turns purple at 120, turns blue at 160)

This indicates metal ion interference in the test. Add 5 drops of the last reagent first, mix well and then do the test as normal. Add the 5 drops to the drop count to get your calcium hardness.

 

[Bama Rambler]

I noticed that you have a swcg so in reality you want your CYA to be 70 or so and your FC will be 5 to with a swcg.
You also want to keep your TA on the low side to help with pH rises.