Taylor test kit from Leslie's Pool. Help please!

[GCL68]

New to the forum and this is my first post. I have had my four year old 18 foot round above ground pool for four years without any problems until now...Heavy rain storm made water cloudy. Leslie's Fresh n' Clear (oxidizer?) cleared it up. I've had them check my CYA level they said it was at 35.
When I checked it with my Taylor kit a couple of weeks later it was at 100 I also tested it with Acu-check and read around 90-100 (Hard to get a accurate reading with them).
Now my FC and CC level won't hold overnight. Find myself puring in a gollon of 12.5% chlorine a day.

I recently purchased a Shark Chlorine tablet (3" tabs) dispenser and filled it with five tabs. Left two holes open for 8,500 gallon pool per instructions. Could it be the tablets raised my CYA by 65 in just two weeks :idea:

I've always used Acu-Check test strips. I've now purchased a deluxe kit at Leslie's Pools which also includes a CYA check (Paid over $60.00 for kit). I've always used 3" pool tabs in a floating dipenser. I ususally shock with 12.5% liquid Chlorine. I'm being told that Cal-Hypo shock (granular) would make my chlorine levels stay normal longer by Leslie's.
My Readings (pool looks clear).
FC 0.5
CC: 1.0
PH: 7.2
CYA: 100
TA: 100
I'm losing my chlorine readings overnight. I keep adding 12.5% (gallon) Chlorine daily(early morning) and find my Chlorine levels to be very low in the A.M. The pool is in direct sunlight 6-7 hours a day.
My Filter (Cartridge) runs 9 hours daily (Proline model).

My Android pool app Simple Pool Pro keep telling me to raise my FC to 8.0 - 10.5 :?: App also advises me to that CYA is high and pool needs to be drained 45%. But, safe levels of CYA is between 30-100 according to my Taylor test kit manual.

How frequently should I be testing for Chlorine and PH and CYA since that level is at 100? My wife has had pools all her life and she tells me that I only need to test once/per week (CL & PH only).

Any help or comments would be appreciated.

 

[dmanb2b]

Welcome to TFP! If you have not already opened the kit, return it, unless it has the FAS-DPD chlorine test in it. If you have opened it you can order a FAS-DPD kit seperately from tf testkits.net
Hate to say this, but both your wife and Leslie's are wrong.

Your first issue is that your CYA is too high and yes it is possible that the pucks raised them to that level. It is also very likely that the Leslie's CYA result of 35 was just plain wrong.

Our rule of thumb is to test FC and PH daily. I usuallly test for FC and CC as well. TA, CH and CYA weekly.

Unfortunately, since your CYA is at 100 or higher, you are going to need a partial drain to lower CYA and be able to shock. It is almost impossible to effectively shock a pool with CYA at 100+. Leslie's also is feeding you garbage about cal-hypo lasting longer. Chlorine is chlorine and the only difference between cal-hyp and liquid bleach is that cal-hypo will also raise you CH levels, which since you have a AGP does nothing for you.

Take a thourough ready through pool school and work on lowering your CYA level. You will then need the fas-dpd chlorine test to ensure you are raising FC to shock level. Follow the advice of this board and you will be shocked (pun intended) at how easy and cost efective pool care can be. Yes...most of us have been pool stored, just like you. But believe in the advice here and you will be back to enjoying your oasis for sure :good job:

 

[GCL68]

Thanks ! You are dman...lol... When you say shock levels, do you mean an FC of 5.0 ? My Kit measures Chlorine levels up to 5.0. I agree that the Hypo Cal shock at 73% at Leslie's is no better than good ol' liquid 12.5%. How long should my FC level hold.. I keep hearing people on shock once a week. Could it be possible that the chlorine levels remain at normal range for that long? I've removed my Chlorine tablet floating dispenser from the pool and removed 20% of the water; and re-filled. When should I check my CYA again?

 

[dmanb2b]

You are very welcome. That what I meant about needing the FAS-DPD FC test. FC of 5 is too low for a pool with CYA at 100+, which is why you likely have organics causing you to lose chlorine raipdly. Shock level for a pool with CYA at 100 is somewhere around 35ppm FC...hence why it does not make sense to try and shock with CYA so high.

Below is a link to the CYA/FC relationship chart, which may help you vizulize a little better what I am trying to describe.

pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

Once you lower your CYA to a more manageable level, follow the below link

pool-school/shocking_your_pool

You will need to supplement your test kit with a FAS-DPD test...here is a link

http://tftestkits.net/FAS-DPD-Chlorine- ... t-p47.html

Wish we found you first...Leslies is notorious for pushing the DPD Deluxe kit which can only test up to 5ppm. The only kits we recommend can be found below

pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

Hope this helps

 

[dmanb2b]

you can recheck CYA now...but 20% refill will only have lowered CYA by 20%...you'll want CYA at 60 or below to start the shock process.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

I've removed my Chlorine tablet floating dispenser from the pool and removed 20% of the water; and re-filled. When should I check my CYA again?

If you have a CYA of 90-100 and you dumped 20% you'll may be closer to 72-80 now. However the test is less reliable that high - so you may find that you were over 100. Do the test again and if it is simlar to before do another test with 50/50 pool water and tap water and then double the result to see what the real CYA level is.

BTW - you asked if your CYA could have gone from 35 to 90 from using 5 pucks - the answer is no. Assuming your 18' pool is about 4' deep it would have about 7600 gallons in it. Each puck weighs about 7oz and 35oz of Trichlor would only raise the CYA 17ppm - and that would be after they were totally gone. If you had any left in the floater then only the part that was already dissolved would apply. 35+17=52 - a LONG way from 90-100!

 

[GCL68]

Sounds like Leslie's test results for CYA were way off. I removed the chlorine tablet dispenser and went ahead and ordered the TF-100 kit. Time to get serious about this... Allbeit too late since I'm in New England and plan on closing the pool around Labor Day. So, with a CYA of say 60, my Chlorine levels ahould hold after 24 hours (after shocking)?
If I'm understading you correctly, at 100 ppm CYA, my FC will drop rapidly...

 

[GCL68]

I've removed my Chlorine tablet floating dispenser from the pool and removed 20% of the water; and re-filled. When should I check my CYA again?

If you have a CYA of 90-100 and you dumped 20% you'll may be closer to 72-80 now. However the test is less reliable that high - so you may find that you were over 100. Do the test again and if it is simlar to before do another test with 50/50 pool water and tap water and then double the result to see what the real CYA level is.

BTW - you asked if your CYA could have gone from 35 to 90 from using 5 pucks - the answer is no. Assuming your 18' pool is about 4' deep it would have about 7600 gallons in it. Each puck weighs about 7oz and 35oz of Trichlor would only raise the CYA 17ppm - and that would be after they were totally gone. If you had any left in the floater then only the part that was already dissolved would apply. 35+17=52 - a LONG way from 90-100!

I've always used a chlorine tablet dispenser (for four years) first time my CYA is at 100. What could've caused it to spike?

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Sounds like Leslie's test results for CYA were way off. I removed the chlorine tablet dispenser and went ahead and ordered the TF-100 kit. Time to get serious about this... Allbeit too late since I'm in New England and plan on closing the pool around Labor Day. So, with a CYA of say 60, my Chlorine levels ahould hold after 24 hours (after shocking)?
If I'm understading you correctly, at 100 ppm CYA, my FC will drop rapidly...

No - kind of the opposite. The more CYA you have the longer the FC will hold IF there is nothing organic eating it. The problem is that the higher the CYA level, the less active chlorine available to fight organics at a given moment with the same concentration of chlorine. Sooooo you need to load it waaaaaaaay up to kill off stuff - the levels needed are crazy high with a high CYA level. This makes fighting an algae outbreak a really difficult task.

In practice if you don't have a salt water chlorine generator then you need to try to keep the CYA between 30 and 50 to make it easier to deal with oops moments when algae slips in because you let the chlorine drop too low. If you are perfect and never slip up - you could try to manage with a higher CYA level but it's not that practical.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

I've always used a chlorine tablet dispenser (for four years) first time my CYA is at 100. What could've caused it to spike?

Each year over winter it can drop - it doesn't always. Also as you backwash or rainfall enters the pool and you take water out the level can go down some.

The truth is - your levels could be much higher than 100 and you may have been able to get by for a while - but eventually the algae monster makes the pool cloudy and smelly or even green... unless you find a way to keep upping the FC and staying ahead of the beast. OR you can manage the CYA and not have that escalation of minimum FC going up and up and up...

 

[GCL68]

According to my Leslie's pool (Taylor test kit) my CYA level was 100 (or more). I will be checking CYA tomorrow. I really do think that the 3" chlorine tablet use did me in over the four year period. They are known to spike the CYA and I used at least 20 or so over the course of this year alone.

 

[GCL68]

Well, my CYA is slowly dropping (now at 90). I'm awaiting my TFT-100 kit. My water is crystal clear after adding liquid shock at 12.5%. Forecast is for thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow morning. Will need to shock again.

 

[duraleigh]

Forecast is for thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow morning. Will need to shock again.

Not necessarily. Why don't you start over and post a full set of results when you get the new kit....excepting CYA.

I assume you are not going to drain any further, correct?

Thunderstorms have VERY little affect on pool parameters. mix the water by keeping the pump running for at least an hour before you test.

 

[GCL68]

No, I'm not going to drain any further. I plan on closing the pool down for the season around Labor Day or a week after. Sould I use the 1 inch winterizing pellets sold in a self dispensing canister? I always had done so, but this time I feel that if I did I will have elevated CYA levels. Does this make sense?

 

[duraleigh]

Don't use anything, especially "pellets", which most likely contain CYA. until you determine the need to shock.

Do you know what the OCLT is? Have you done it yet? The article can be found in pool school and that should be your next step unless you have already recently performed and passed it.

 

[dmanb2b]

Nah...just raise the water to shock level with bleach and cover it up. BBB is a minimalist way of taking care of your pool and we do not advocate using anything you do not understand how it impacts your water chemistry. I have not the slight clue what the benefit of the pellets are, unless they are just trichlor tabs. The key to opening up a pool that has not gone green is to open it before your pool water warms up to over 60 deg, which helps algae grow.

As Dave mentions...take a read through pool school while you wait for the kit...link is in my sig.

 

[duraleigh]

On second thought, unless you are going to use the pool more, I like dman's idea of just closing it down with shock level bleach.

 

[GCL68]

On second thought, unless you are going to use the pool more, I like dman's idea of just closing it down with shock level bleach.

Yes, I agree, I will close it down with shock up to level. I will not use the 1 inch tabs which will raise my CYA even higher over the Winter months. When my TF-100 kit comes in I will test my CC & FC levels. Currently my CYA is high at 90 (Tested with Leslie's pool kit). I'd like to see it around 50 or so. Those bleeping pellets...Why do they even sell them I've used them for four years...time for me to stop. Some of my local pool stores are all talk and sales :blah:

 

[GCL68]

Don't use anything, especially "pellets", which most likely contain CYA. until you determine the need to shock.

Do you know what the OCLT is? Have you done it yet? The article can be found in pool school and that should be your next step unless you have already recently performed and passed it.

Unfortunately, I don't, but I will look it up here. I was a acu-check test strip user for years, but found them to be of no help due to their with range. For example a CYA of 50-100 is acceptable on their test strip.

 

[GCL68]

Finally! A FC reading in the morning of 22 and still a high CYA of 80... With my work schedule its difficult to shock at dusk, so I've been doing so at dawn when the pool doesn't have any sunlight on it yet; been getting better results when adding 12.5% liquid chlorine in the A.M. Water is crystal clear with no visible algae. Had some light green cloudy algae at center of pool floating around... Ever since that cleared up my FC reading have also returned. I might also add that those evil 3 inch chlorine tabs have been out of the pool for a couple of weeks now.