First TA100 test kit reading

[Martha_D]

YAY I got my test kit... very exciting.

Background: I had hired a pool maintenance guy last year who came this year and may or may not have added chemcals to the pool. Im not sure, but I know he put a chlorine float in the pool. Here are my readings

Weekly test:
FC - 16
CC - 0
TC - 16
TA - 110
CG - 160
CYA - 60

I did the daily test to try it out:
Chlorine was off the charts bright orange
PH was 7.5 as far as I could tell

ps- chemistry is fun

 

[Martha_D]

ok, I see my FC is way high and CYA is high... I think everything else is ok?

 

[Martha_D]

Should I simply add water, remove the chlorine float, and let the filter run?

 

[JasonLion]

The chlorine floater uses trichlor tablets. Trichlor constantly adds small amounts of CYA to the water. Your CYA is already just above the high end of the recommended range. It won't bee too long before it gets high enough to cause problems. You might want to think about using a different source of chlorine that doesn't add CYA.

Assuming "CG" is actually "CH", the rest of your numbers look good. FC is higher than it needs to be, but not high enough to be a problem.

 

[Martha_D]

Jason, yes, CG is meant to be CH. Is it a little low?

edit: I will follow recommendations... I do have a boatload of those tablets, but will use bleach if it is better

 

[JasonLion]

Yes, CH should be a little higher. There isn't any huge rush on that, but you want CH at 250 minimum for a plaster/gunite pool. Sorry, I should have noticed that last time.

 

[Martha_D]

Thanks Jason!

 

[Richard320]

I'd open that floater, break up the pucks so they dissolve faster, and when they're gone, stash the floater and save it for vacations. There's no other good way to get rid of the pucks, they're probably hazmat. I suppose if you have a weed patch somewhere you could toss them to dissolve....

Save the unused pucks for vacations. Or to replenish CYA lost to splashout or backwashing.

The high FC will come down rapidly once you stop adding more.

If you think chemistry is fun now, order up a speedstir. You ain't seen nothing yet.

 

[Martha_D]

I purchased some calcium chloride to raise th CH in my pool... the pool calculator says to add 503 oz (31 lbs) to the pool. Is this correct? It seems excessive, but then again Im a newbie!

Also, I have no idea how to add 31 lbs. of anything to my pool. How should I add it??

 

[Butterfly]

I purchased some calcium chloride to raise th CH in my pool... the pool calculator says to add 503 oz (31 lbs) to the pool. Is this correct? It seems excessive, but then again Im a newbie!

Also, I have no idea how to add 31 lbs. of anything to my pool. How should I add it??

That would raise CH in your pool by about 100ppm. Is that what you got?

You can broadcast it in the deep end of the pool, pump running. Then brush to dissolve.

 

[Martha_D]

yes I set the goal to 260... last reading was 160. When you say 'broadcast' does that mean just tossing the powder right in, or do I mix with water first?

 

[JasonLion]

Toss in, but try to spread it around so it doesn't clump. It is a sort of swing releasing a little at a time so it spreads out.