Newbie needs a litlle direction

[William Shouse]

Hello everyone...great site! I've been reading up on the pool school and its starting to make sense to me but I am a little confused. Just got my TF-100 test kit and have done 3 seperate set of tests over 4 days so far. pool has been crystal clear for past week but got up this morning and noticed a slight green line accros the edge of the shallow end right at the start of the slope. could it be Algea?
prior to this I've had problems with the whole floor covered in green stuff. Thought it was pollen (still not sure) I would vaccum to waste and a week later same thing would happen. Why the green strip???

Here are readings from last 4 days:
Day one
PH 7.5
FC 10.0
CC .5
TA 200
CYA 40

2 Days Later
PH 7.8
FC 4.0
CC .5
TA 160
CYA 35

Current (Added 4 3" Chlorine tabletes yesterday afternoon to skimmers)
PH 7.5
FC 9
CC .5
TA 140
CYA 50
CH 50

 

[woodyp]

I haven't seen anything ion the news about an alien invasion..........so it would be a good guess you are on the edge of an algae bloom. The stuff loves creases, edges and breaks better than anything else. Your CC hasn't dropped or burned off in 4 days so you would be a good candidate to follow how to shock your pool in pool school. Welcome!

 

[jblizzle]

Stop using tablets as they are adding CYA and you are already at the top of the recommended level (although your readings are a little inconsistent). Make sure you follow these instructions: extended-test-kit-directions-t25081.html#p206397

Do an OCLT to see if you have algae starting to form. If so, then you should go through the shock process.

 

[csever82]

I haven't seen anything ion the news about an alien invasion..........so it would be a good guess you are on the edge of an algae bloom. The stuff loves creases, edges and breaks better than anything else. Your CC hasn't dropped or burned off in 4 days so you would be a good candidate to follow how to shock your pool in pool school. Welcome!

:lol: Yeah, no alien invasions that I'm aware of, either.

I am by no means an expert, but I would have to agree that your consistent CC of 0.5 suggests shocking your pool is in order. Learn how to shock it here.

 

[William Shouse]

jblizzle, I was gona start using bleach as of yesterday but I let my girlfriend talk me into using the tablets! I know my readings are inconsistent and I'm sure its human error. A couple of days before my test kit arrived I dumped 10 gallons of bleach in because I was sick of the whole floor turning green. I'm thinking I never kept the pool at shock level long enough to clear it all up and when the chlorine level droped hello algea again!! Am I thinking in the right direction here? Planning on doing an OCLT in the morning. So yall are saying that its best to have CC at zero and if it raises to .5 then thats the begining of algea?
Last test was done inside...much easier to read them!!

 

[jblizzle]

Sounds like you have the right idea. You need to go through the shock process if you see algae or the pool is cloudy or when your CC are > 0.5. Having them stay at 0.5ppm is not necessarily bad, but should be a flag to pay attention.

So, bump the FC up a bit. Do the OCLT and based on the outcome you will know if you should do the shock process (correctly this time )

Note that the CYA test is still supposed to be outside with the sun behind you.

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, William Shouse

I was gona start using bleach as of yesterday but I let my girlfriend talk me into using the tablets!

Why, is she a pool chemist

Your cya looks just about right so stop using the tabs.

 

[William Shouse]

Why, is she a pool chemist

:lol: :lol: Well...she is the "girlfriend" they know it all ya know!
Thanks for the help everyone! I was thinking that I had approached the shocking process the wrong way. I always thought of it as a one time treatment until I started reading pool school.

 

[jblizzle]

If you believe the pool stores it is a one time treatment

You drop a nuke of chlorine in and HOPE that it is enough to kill everything at once ... who cares if it damages your pool surface or equipment ... they certainly do not.

The method here is safe and effective ... although may take a little more understanding, time and effort.

 

[William Shouse]

Removed chlorine tablets from pool and Did OCLT and I lost 1ppm overnight with cc of .5
Another Question
While doing cc test, I added one drop which turned it back to clear. I got up to get a cup of coffee and when I came back it had turned slightly back to pink so I added one more drop and back to clear again. Does the second drop factor into the reading or is it normal for it to turn back pink if it sits for a minute or so?

 

[duraleigh]

is it normal for it to turn back pink if it sits for a minute or so?

Very normal...happens every time.

Besides, if you're like me, you should be getting that coffee VERY first thing in the morning to clear the cobwebs

 

[William Shouse]

so then as soon as you notice it turn clear your done. which means I had cc of .5
cc has held at .5 for about a week, I'm losing some Fc overnight, and I'm seeing slight start of algea almost everyday. So far I've just been keeping it in check. gona shock and get rid of it for good now!

 

[linen]

Normally if you have an OCLT of 1 ppm or less, we would say you don't need to shock. Is any of the stuff on the walls? Is it more in shady portions of the pool?

CC showing slight pink and clearing with one drop is not uncommon and below where we would automatically say to shock.

 

[jblizzle]

If you are actually seeing algae, then you are correct that you should go through the check process.

Posted with Tapatalk ... sorry if I sound short ... hate typing on phone

 

[William Shouse]

the visible algea is right at the start of the slope. Its narrow and only a couple feet long. Seen some on the sloped walls of the deep end yesterday. When I brush it, it looks like a dust cloud under the water. Thats why I thought it was pollen. The water was crystall clear a couple days ago and now its just a slight bit cloudy. The brightness from the water a few days ago was blinding!! I want it back just like that!
Ph is 7.8 and mine and the kids eyes were burning a little yesterday. Could that cause the cloudiness? I'm going to add acid to reduce ph to 7.5 and see what happens before starting shock process

 

[jblizzle]

Eye irritation is usually caused by pH being our of whack or CC in the pool.

Posted with Tapatalk ... sorry if I sound short ... hate typing on phone

 

[William Shouse]

PH 7.8
TA 170
Adding 34oz of acid then take another reading after sun goes down and doing another OCLT. I had just taken four 3" chlorine tablets out of the skimmers last night about 30 minutes before I took my readings. I want to make sure they didn't effect the test results that I got on the first OCLT.
Hope I'm on the right track here!?

 

[William Shouse]

FC 4
CC .5
PH 7.2 after adding acid
TA 140
CYA 50



Ok, second OCLT showed a loss of 1.5ppm FC and seen algea forming again (more this time) and the water was more cloudy than yesterday. The FC was down to 4 this morning. CC is still at .5 so I Added 192oz of 6% bleach and brushed the entire pool. I know I need to raise it to shock level but I have my kids this weekend and they are gona want to swim today. Would it be safe for them to swim at a shock level of 16ppm?