Newbie needs advice on test readings etc.

[nikaboli]

Hi all..I hope I'm in the right spot and apologize before hand if I'm not.

We put up our pool last Monday, and Tuesday all the opening chemicals were installed, which included the following:

4# Stabilizer, added to skimmer per directions on bag

2# Super shock

and I stuck 3 pucks in the floater.

Before today, all I had was the cheapy OTO test ket from walmart, and have been adjusting the FC readings with liquid bleach to try and stay around 5. (each night it dropped to around 1). PH readings from that test all weak appeared to be around 7.4 avg.

Yesterday I got my Taylor K-2006 kit and did the tests this morning as early as I could, and they are as follows:

FC - 2.5
CC - 0
pH - Umm..bright pink. I added 10 drops of the R-0006 and it hadn't changed color yet. Any advice on what I am doing wrong testing, or if it's just that high?! I'm guessing with my TA number that high, the PH is very high.
TA - 250
CH - 225
CYA - I'm guessing 0...The black dot never disappeared with it filled to the brim.

So...my question is, do I attempt to raise my CYA right now? Having added the stabilizer just over a week ago (8 days), I would think it would be registering by now. (I read it can take a week to show if granular was used)

Did I do wrong by adding it to the skimmer, I've since read on here it should be added with sock method.

When I can get my CYA to an appropriate level (30-40??) can I discontinue the pucks, or should I take those out now? I've read those can raise the CYA too high.

Also, in regard to the PH, would I attempt to lower that with PH Lower or Acid before adjusting the CYA? Or will the CYA adjustment take care of that?

Sorry if this is a scattered post, I just don't want to forget to ask something and I know there is a wealth of knowledge on these boards.

Thank you so much!!

 

[Bama Rambler]

Welcome to TFP.

The first thing to do is make sure you're doing the pH test correctly. If you are, then use muriatic acid to lower it.

4 lbs of CYA should have raised your level to 28 ppm. that's still low enough that you may not be able to read it. I'd get everything else lined out and then work on that.

 

[nikaboli]

Okay thank you. I will retest it again this evening and see what I'm getting.

 

[jblizzle]

Out of curiosity, where did you find the K2006 locally usually that is hard to find? Are you sure it is not the K2005?

You use powder for the FAS-DPD chlorine test right?

Or maybe I read it wrong and you actually got it in the mail.

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

 

[nikaboli]

Yep, with powder. I felt like a scientist this morning testing the water! Ha!

It is the K-2006, I got it off amazon. My OP probably read like I "got" it yesterday, as in went to the store and got it. To be more clear, it "came in the mail" yesterday. I was excited too because it wasn't supposed to arrive until Friday!

 

[nikaboli]

Well, after a helpful pm last night, I retested my ph the CORRECT way, and was able to bring it down to a good level. I sometimes need help following simple directions.

Now, I just need to know if I should add any stabilizer. I did replace the pucks today because it had been a week and they were almost gone.

 

[anonapersona]

You started with CYA something like 0, then added enough to get to 28. Then you added some pucks of trichlor... how many, what weight? I suggest you use the Pool Calculator, down at the bottom where it says Effect of Adding Chemicals, to determine how much CYA those pucks added. Let's assume that it is 5 or 10 ppm. You would be right at the sweet spot around 40 maybe, unless you have backwashed that CYA from the skimmer. Any backwashing since you put CYA into the skimmer?

 

[nikaboli]

No, I have not backwashed.

I originally added 3 7oz pucks (99% triclor), so that added 8.7 bring total cya added at opening to almost 37. Then this morning I added 3 more pucks, of which I just realized I shouldn't have because it's 1 puck per 10,000. Grr...and these last pucks have other garbage in them. They aren't labled "dual action" anymore, but it's still the same thing! I think I'm just gonna take them out and buy granular stabilizer if I need it and then just use bleach from here on out. Or is that a bad idea?

But I'm still curious...if my cya level should at least be at 37...is it normal that when testing that my black dot doesn't disappear?