this will probably be long, sorry. and a little repetitive with my other posts. warning: I'm an extreme worrywart about my pool.
the stats:
30,000 gal swcg pool. plastered fall 2010, then closed. opened June 2011, pool stored for June & July. TFP from Aug till now. TF-100 kit used daily. Mastertemp pool heater, sand filter. pH goes from 7.5 to 7.7/7.8 daily, for which I use 2 cups 3 oz 31% MA daily
my 9/20 test results:
FC 7.0
TC 7.5
cc .5 or less
CYA 60 ish
TA 90( pink at 8 drops, really vivid pink at 9. TA has dropped from 140 to 90 since Aug 1)
pH 7.6
CH 320 (I'm really having a hard time with this test. I get anywhere from 320-390)
salt 3670 (my swcg ok range 3000-4300)
I'm not sure, but I thinkt my water seems tinted faintly blue. When I look at the white plastic main drain cover it seems very light blue looking from above the pool. So I did WAAAY to much reading and started to worry that it's Cu staining/ in the water. So I took a sample to the pool store:
9/20 pool store results
FC 3.9
TC 3.9
cc 0
pH 7.9
CH 390
TA 74
CA 55
Copper 0.13 (acceptable upper limit is 0-0.3)
Iron .05 (0-.3 acceptable)
salt 2500
Now for my questions:
1. Do I have excess copper or is this small amount okay? The only 2 possible sources are my heater or algaecide: 3-4 1# bags of granular shock I used before I found TFP (bioguard Smartshock which has .26% CuCitrate) The liquid algaecide I used on opening the pool does not have copper according to the package (at least it says "non-staining"). I have had no issues at all with the heater. Maybe I'm over-analyzing the color of the water, but I really think its more blue than earler in the season!
Any suggestions as to what to do? Do I test further for Copper? Should I bypass the heater? Quit worrying?
2. Whose pH numbers are correct? I was under the impression that pool stores were usually good with pH. I do not want the pH to be 7.9! I'm starting to doubt my ability to test the water at all!
3. The pool store, FWIW, said that "Low total alkalinity like my reading of 74 will corrode the copper in the heater" As far as i know, the copper in the heater could get damaged from very low pH but my pH is always high. I add the 2cups acid everynight very slowly about 1 minute) into the deep end in front of the returns.
Am I possibly damaging the heater adding acid every night? Maybe I should distribute it better/more slowly?
4. To make things even more complicated, I have thought for quite a while that I have scaling issues due to incorrect plaster curing last fall: lots of dark grey areas especially the deep end, they are more visible at sundown, etc when sun not directly on pool. they seem slightly worse as the season goes on. should I try to post a picture to see if you all can help with that? could the grey coloration be copper as well?
Thank you in advance for your help. There literally are no gunite pool builders within 200 miles of my home that I could find, so I am completely at the mercy of my own extremely pitiful knowledge of pool maintainance. My pool builder said :just use liquid chlorine, your generator, and acid and you'll be fine. I need a bit more handholding than that! I am about ready to fill the pool in, but my family might not like that!
the stats:
30,000 gal swcg pool. plastered fall 2010, then closed. opened June 2011, pool stored for June & July. TFP from Aug till now. TF-100 kit used daily. Mastertemp pool heater, sand filter. pH goes from 7.5 to 7.7/7.8 daily, for which I use 2 cups 3 oz 31% MA daily
my 9/20 test results:
FC 7.0
TC 7.5
cc .5 or less
CYA 60 ish
TA 90( pink at 8 drops, really vivid pink at 9. TA has dropped from 140 to 90 since Aug 1)
pH 7.6
CH 320 (I'm really having a hard time with this test. I get anywhere from 320-390)
salt 3670 (my swcg ok range 3000-4300)
I'm not sure, but I thinkt my water seems tinted faintly blue. When I look at the white plastic main drain cover it seems very light blue looking from above the pool. So I did WAAAY to much reading and started to worry that it's Cu staining/ in the water. So I took a sample to the pool store:
9/20 pool store results
FC 3.9
TC 3.9
cc 0
pH 7.9
CH 390
TA 74
CA 55
Copper 0.13 (acceptable upper limit is 0-0.3)
Iron .05 (0-.3 acceptable)
salt 2500
Now for my questions:
1. Do I have excess copper or is this small amount okay? The only 2 possible sources are my heater or algaecide: 3-4 1# bags of granular shock I used before I found TFP (bioguard Smartshock which has .26% CuCitrate) The liquid algaecide I used on opening the pool does not have copper according to the package (at least it says "non-staining"). I have had no issues at all with the heater. Maybe I'm over-analyzing the color of the water, but I really think its more blue than earler in the season!
Any suggestions as to what to do? Do I test further for Copper? Should I bypass the heater? Quit worrying?
2. Whose pH numbers are correct? I was under the impression that pool stores were usually good with pH. I do not want the pH to be 7.9! I'm starting to doubt my ability to test the water at all!
3. The pool store, FWIW, said that "Low total alkalinity like my reading of 74 will corrode the copper in the heater" As far as i know, the copper in the heater could get damaged from very low pH but my pH is always high. I add the 2cups acid everynight very slowly about 1 minute) into the deep end in front of the returns.
Am I possibly damaging the heater adding acid every night? Maybe I should distribute it better/more slowly?
4. To make things even more complicated, I have thought for quite a while that I have scaling issues due to incorrect plaster curing last fall: lots of dark grey areas especially the deep end, they are more visible at sundown, etc when sun not directly on pool. they seem slightly worse as the season goes on. should I try to post a picture to see if you all can help with that? could the grey coloration be copper as well?
Thank you in advance for your help. There literally are no gunite pool builders within 200 miles of my home that I could find, so I am completely at the mercy of my own extremely pitiful knowledge of pool maintainance. My pool builder said :just use liquid chlorine, your generator, and acid and you'll be fine. I need a bit more handholding than that! I am about ready to fill the pool in, but my family might not like that!
