TA Test

[CivengPE]

Our PB finished construction last week and is in the process of acid start up. I decided to run the initial test on my pool water and the TA test has me a bit perplexed. After adding the two drops of R-0007 and five drops of R-0008 the solution turns pink/red and not green.

Does this mean I have no TA or is the test not valid with an extremely low PH?

Thanks,
Shannon

 

[Richard320]

What's the FC level? pH level?

The R-007 is a chlorine neutralizer. If you have really high FC it might skew things. I do know it often causes it to go from green-pink to blue-yellow.

The other possibility is static electricity buildup on the R-008 bottle tip. Wipe it with a damp paper towel before testing.

A final thought: a while back there were a few posts about defective R-008 reagent. How long ago did you buy the kit?

 

[CivengPE]

The water being tested has no chlorine in it at all, so I din't even test that. The only thing added to the water so far has been 6 gallons of MA for the acid start up. Chlorine starts today.

 

[CivengPE]

I just received the kit a week or two ago. The PH is well below 6.8 I do not have a PH titration kit, so I can not tell you exactly how low.

 

[ping]

Try testing some tap water, that should be above zero. If that works, I would say your pool TA is really low.

 

[JasonLion]

From the Extended Test Kit Directions:

If the sample turns red, pink, or yellow, you are done, your TA is zero, and your PH is very very low.

So, your TA is zero, and your PH is really really low.

 

[CivengPE]

Thanks Guys. That's what I thought, but wanted to verify.

 

[JamesW]

Six gallons of 31.45 % acid will lower the TA by 190 ppm. So, it makes sense that the TA test goes straight to red, which indicates that the TA is zero, or lower.

The builder is doing an acid startup. They should rebalance the water at the correct time. They should be keeping you informed about what is happening and what to expect.

To get an idea of how low the TA is, test the fill water and subtract 190 ppm.

 

[CivengPE]

The pool builder, while being one of the best in the area has no idea about proper water balance... I asked yesterday, what level of TA, CYA etc they were going to bring the pool up to and his response was...I don't know what the levels are, we just use these bottles of stuff in the dosages recommended by the manufacturer.

I asked him to not add anything else, and that I would take over from here! My plan is to run a complete test on Wednsday and start brining in it to the BBB recommended levels.

 

[CivengPE]

My plan is to bring the CYA up to chlorine pool levels and then use pucks for the remainder of the month until I can fire up the SWG. Then, I will add any remaining CYA needed.

Sound right?

 

[CivengPE]

Oh... I almost forgot to mention this tidbit. I asked him what he used to shock the pool and he responded that it was a type of chlorine that was undetectable by any tests

FC 12 CC 0

 

[JasonLion]

You want to add both chlorine and CYA slowly and gently during the first three weeks of a fresh plaster startup. Trichlor tablets are ideal for that purpose.

 

[CivengPE]

You want to add both chlorine and CYA slowly and gently during the first three weeks of a fresh plaster startup. Trichlor tablets are ideal for that purpose.

So, just add the trichlor tablets to the skimmer and no extra CYA?

Any idea how I can figure out how many tabs to add? Maybe one in each (2) skimmer? Should I keep my pump running 24/7 during this time?

 

[BoDarville]

I just received the kit a week or two ago.

What kit are you using for testing?

My plan is to bring the CYA up to chlorine pool levels and then use pucks for the remainder of the month until I can fire up the SWG. Then, I will add any remaining CYA needed.

Sounds like a good plan. My only comment is to test the CYA while going through this process to make sure CYA does not get too high. Trichlor pucks will cause the CYA to increase, sometimes faster than you think. It is much easier to add CYA than it is to lower it if it gets too high. Use the pool calculator to help determine the dosage, but still test periodically.

Finally, put the trichlor tabs in an in-line chlorinator (if you have one). If not, place them in a floating chlorinator. Do not place the pucks in the skimmer.

 

[CivengPE]

I do not have an inline chlorination, so I will use the floating one. Do I just fill it up with the tablets or is there some method to determine how many to put in it?

I have the TF100 test kit.

Sorry for all of the dumb questions. This is our first pool.

 

[chem geek]

The more tablets, the more chlorine that gets added per time. How much you need depends on your chlorine demand. Figure you'll need at least 2 tablets in the feeder, but you might need 3 or 4. It depends on how much sun their is on the pool and on the pool temperature (especially if there is no sun on the pool) which determines how fast chlorine is getting used up. Why don't you start with a higher number such as 4 pucks and then measure and see how things go -- if the chlorine level is rising, take out a puck, etc.

 

[CivengPE]

The more tablets, the more chlorine that gets added per time. How much you need depends on your chlorine demand. Figure you'll need at least 2 tablets in the feeder, but you might need 3 or 4. It depends on how much sun their is on the pool and on the pool temperature (especially if there is no sun on the pool) which determines how fast chlorine is getting used up. Why don't you start with a higher number such as 4 pucks and then measure and see how things go -- if the chlorine level is rising, take out a puck, etc.

Will do. Thanks everyone for the advise!