Need Advice

[bobisthedog]

Hello all,

Brand new here and I know i want to use your system after following it for a year now. I'm loving the idea of using Clorox rather than chlorine with stabilizers

My current test results are:
FC 2
TC 2
CC 0
PH 7.5
TA 85
CH 530-550 lost count
CYA 25 or less...could still see black dot at 30 but not when tube all way filled

Where should I go from here? The pool is Blue and mostly clear...it does seem a bit cloudy and when pump is off a layer of cloudy film builds up on steps and bottom of hot tub.

I should note, that I have used a Pool RX and recently added a new one this year. I just read about how the group doesn't really prefer them. I personally chose it when the guy who installed my new Intelliflo VS recommended it. Seems to have worked well last year with reduced chlorine levels (wife insisted we use less chlorine because of health effects?)

Pumped to be on board.

 

[Isaac-1]

Welcome,I would first suggest reading pool school in detail a couple of times (link in the upper right of every page), next tell us a bit more about your pool , region where you live, fill water source (is your fill water also high in calcium hardness?), how you use your pool, how much sunlight does it get, etc. The next thing you will need to do is convince your wife that often the problem with many pools is not too much chlorine, it is often too little, and "that chlorine smell" is really the smell of combined chloride compounds caused by incomplete oxidation. A simple experiment to show this effect is ask her to carefully smell an open Clorox bottle, and note how you have a fresh smell with only a hint of "that chlorine smell".

 

[bobisthedog]

Sorry about that...I read it many times before posting and then spaced on the details. here they are:

I live in San Jose, CA..The fill water is city water, but I have not tested it for CH yet. I will do that and report back. We use the pool mostly in the late spring and throughout the summer. I have a 7 year old who loves it, but never pees in it. I'd say we use it 1-3 times a week from may to Sept and sometimes early oct.

My wife isn't worried about the chlorine smell as much as she is the chlorine absorption and toxic effects on the body. I'd love to find the lower end of FC and CC that keep me right on the edge as i too don't like too much chlorine. I've swam for many years and after prolonged laps can definately tell the difference after higher chlorine eposure (sore throat, headaches, etc.)

 

[jblizzle]

There are a lot of threads discussing your chlorine concerns. Usually this is a result of bad experiences with improperly maintained public or indoor pools. Following the recommendations in Pool School you will not have any of the same problems.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[bobisthedog]

OK, I tested the CH of my fill water and it came out around 130. I retested the pool again today as it had been running for 24 hours with clean filters (looks great right now) and here are the results:

FC 2
TC 2
CC 0
PH 7.5
TA 90
CH 550-570
CYA 20-25...basically the only time I can't see the black dot is when it is completely filled.

Questions:

1. What should I do about the CH level being so high?
2. I have a whitish dust that gathers on my steps and bottom of my HT after a few days of not brushing it, maybe this is plaster and causing the CH to rise? When I wash out the filters there is a lot of this stuff as well. Sand like consistency out of the Cartridge filters.
3. Is there any reason to worry about the CYA being so low? From my understanding and what i read in pool school it means I need less FC? So the 2ppm I'm at right now is ok?
4. Am I doing CC right? I get ) because from what I read the CC# is FC-TC and both are a 2 in my pool?

I am willing to go to a higher chlorine level and have gotten the approval from my wife. Like someone said in here she won't even notice. I do wonder though if it is necessary since my CYA is so low? One last Q, how long should I be running my pump this time of year...weather is 55-75 and getting warmer in these parts.

Thanks again for all the help!
Cassidy

 

[bobisthedog]

I also just read the the copper may be interfering with the CH test...it does turn purple before it turns Blue...well before. I will do what that website suggest and retest later

 

[duraleigh]

1. For now, the CH is livable. Keep your pH below 8 and all will be fine.

2. It's not plaster but I don't know what it is. It may be dead algae

3. You should increase your CYA to 40-50, then maintain about 3-5ppm FC

4. Your chlorine tests appear correct.

Are you saying your FC remained at 2ppm for 24 hours? Did you add any during that time?

 

[bobisthedog]

Yes, it may be dead algae as I had a lot last year...

So I increase the CYA with cyanuric acid from pool store...about how much for a 15K pool? I'm guessing Muratic acid will do nothing for this except lower my PH which i don't want. (asking because I have some)

Yes, the FC remained at 2ppm over 18 hour period. Is that wrong?

 

[duraleigh]

Have you found the Pool Calculator yet? The link is in my sig. Try it and see if you can figure out how much CYA to add....Post back if you need, it's a bit intimidating at first.

Pretty unusual but not completely implausible for you to retain all your FC for that long. FC is constantly being consumed in most situations. What are you using to test your water?

How much have you read in Pool School?

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, bobisthedog

Most of use the http://www.poolcalculator.com to calculate our chemical additions. I get 80 oz of cya to raise your 15000 gallon pool from 0 to 40 ppm.

I agree that maintaining 2 ppm FC over that time period is unusual unless your pool is still cold and covered.

 

[bobisthedog]

Forgot to mention, I still have a floater in the water, so this is probably why the FC remained the same.

I use the I-care test system from Taylor...K1005 kit. I will up the CYA and FC and report back...

 

[jblizzle]

To really understand your chlorine levels, I would recommend you add the FAS-DPD chlorine test to your kit. That is the sole reason we recommend the K-2006 and the TF-100 test kits. The FAS-DPD is really the most important test in the bunch.

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