Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!?

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Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

I don't think I have a problem. I think it's the way I've tested for chlorine. I did shock this weekend prior to discovering that my testing was off. After adding 4 gallons of bleach, my FC test only showed an FC level of 3, and a TC of 5+. That's when I became suspicious of my FC test.

Any time I've shown low FC levels, and used my local Leslie's test as a control - my FC tests have always been low, while the pool store's are higher. Only the FC test has been off. Everything else always matches the tests from the pool store. As I posted above - when I shake up my R0001 before testing - my FC tests match up with the pool store readings.

I've got higher temps and no rain due this week - so I expect I'll balance everything out by the weekend.
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Well, well... warmer days and better test kit.

TFT FSA test shows FC around 5, CC at about 3. I figured that it had to be my mixing skills, and the kit. Also - temps have been low - never considered that the salt cell wasn't producing 'til I wnt back and read up on it.

Pool looks great - except for the iron stains. I'll attack those once everything else is done.

Added salt - 4500ppm(top limit for the SWG Breeze 40k gallon). 5 Year warranry - can be used in "special apps" up to 35K ppm?!? Sea water.

Back to fine tuning the TA and CYA.

Thanks.
 

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Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

I must be doing the tests wrong, or mis-reading them. I'll re-do all my tests again this afternoon and see what the numbers look like.

What is the ideal FC/CC? FC 5 CC 0?
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

I'll be doing the OCLT test tonight and tomorrow AM. I shut down last night, then kicked everything back on again this AM and set the SWG back to boost - to make sure I get the FC back up before tonight.

FC - 1.5
CC - 6!?!
TA 80-90
PH 7.4 - has been stable even though I've got a jet breaking the surface.
CYA 40
CH 40
Salt 4200

My test this am was about FC 1 with CC 6 - crazy numbers... water is crystal clear, but I shut down the filter and SWG last night. I did the test twice with similar results. Every morning there's a few bugs and a couple earthworms in the pool, nothing significant. The water doesn't smell, but the tests are consistent....

I'm starting to wonder if I have a dead mouse in the filter... or if the filter needs a refresh.... my pool spotlight isn't working either and the CGI breaker kicks when I've tried to reset. It was working last year, but it looks like it's out of whack. Not sure if it got hit with a sweeper, or what. I can see a bit of the housing That's a whole other issue. I've been waiting to fix that when I can shut down and it's warm enough to get in the pool... Maybe this weekend...
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Raise the FC with liquid chlorine and get it up to shock level. Running the OCLT at shock level will give a more accurate result if you are losing FC due to organics, than running the OCLT at normal chlorine levels.
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Off to the store... a few gallons of concentrated 8% from Food Lion. Around $1.65 ea.

Pool calculator tells me to use 3.5 gallons w/CYA of 40. I'll buy 6 and keep at it. The FC loss is just weird.
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Picked up 9 x 121 oz concentrated clorox at HomeCheapo yesterday - $4.97 for a carton of 3x121oz jugs. Hoping 9 jugs will be enough.

On call this weekend, and too many honey-dos to get to the shock yet.

I've left the salt cell running 24/7 at 50% and for the last couple days my CC has remained at 6.5 while FC manages to hold steady at 2.

If I can - I'll start the shock process this evening.

The water doesn't have a strong chlorine smell and remains crystal clear. No rashes or anything on the swimmers. I do see a little black dirt build up along the vinyl seams and in some of the nooks and crannies - but it's easily brushed away and disappears for a few hours before restteling. I vaccuumed a lot of it out after opening the pool this year. I still wonder if I need to refresh or stir up the filter.

This AM's numbers:
FC 2
CC 6 -6.5
PH 7.5
TA 90
didn't bother with CYA - as nothing's been added to affect it.
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Get the ph down to 7.2, waited a few hours then added 4 121 oz bottle of concentrated chlorox. about 2 hrs ago.

What's a reasonable time to do my first FAS test -3-4 hours after the first chlorine application?
 

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Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

ggoodwinj3 said:
Get the ph down to 7.2, waited a few hours then added 4 121 oz bottle of concentrated chlorox. about 2 hrs ago.

What's a reasonable time to do my first FAS test -3-4 hours after the first chlorine application?
Click to expand...
It should be pretty well mixed within an hour. You can be sure it's really mixed well by brushing.

If this is your OCLT, wait until there is no more sunlight on the pool.
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Just did the FAS .... FC2 CC12... this after nearly 4 gallons? Salt cell is off....

I'm seeing a grayish dust on the liner nooks and crannies. I think I'm fighting mustard algae... it turns into dust at a touch.... then resettles. I vacuumed up quite a bit when I opened... maybe this is what my problem has been all along. I may be fighting a sand filter full of this stuff....

I'll add 4 more bottles - see where I am in a couple hours and call it a day...
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Only at 3 FC and 12cc after 4 more bottles. At least CC is holding at 12. How could my water be as clear as it is , and see these numbers? Shouldn't the CC start to drop? The pool calculator suggests my FC should be a lot higher after that much chlorine... is this normal? I'm a little concerned about continuing to add chlorine.

I did see a water bug today... haven't seen that since the initial pool shock a couple weeks ago.

I had a huge problem with beetles last fall. The Polaris cleaner couldn't keep up. I had a pool company come out and clean it up. Hundreds of them every night. Like my pool was the bug graveyard.

I wonder if they vacuumed them into my filter?
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

This mornings first test: .05 FC 5.5 CC. I did this test twice.

Why would CC go from 12 down to 5.5 overnight?
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Just added 700oz of 8% chlorine. An hour and a half later my FC is 1 and CC is 10.

At least the CC is heading in the right direction.

I must have some nasty stuff in there somewhere. I have farmland and a bass pond about 200 yards behind my house. Frogs took over the pool this winter... found a dead one this AM - first in awhile. That probably explains alot.

I just ran out of bleach. Off to the store.... I can't get shock level it seems...
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Lets review your testing procedure, step by step.
You add a heaping scoop of powder, swirl.
You start adding the R0871 drops counting till clear, then divide by 2.
Then add the R0003 drops and solution turns pink if CCs are present.
Again start adding the R0871 till clear, then divide by 2.
Sound right?
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

I know - the numbers sound whacky. I have definitely been following the test rules, though "heaping" is subjective. The first couple of times I got these results, I retested using a real HEAPING spoonful of powder just to be sure. I also checked the FC against the Taylor test, and they matched. I can't imagine I'm that far off with these tests. I even considered video taping the test process - so that ya'll would believe me.

There's no doubt I'm using up a lot of chlorine really fast. Just added another 700 oz. I need to go to work, but will test prior to leaving. If the FC level is still way low, I'll kick on the swg at 50% maybe even 100% to try and maintain FC above 1 or 2, then shutdown and add more bleach tonight.

The CC is steadily coming down, but I won't hit the mustard shock value until I can bring up the FC number.

The weird thing is - the water has been really clear - save a bit of what appears to be dust in the nooks and crannies - that I thought was dirt - but must be mustard algae.
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

Tested th water again just before leaving... after another 700oz...

FC .05, CC 8.5 - and no reappearance of the "dust" !

Definitely on the right track. I kicked the SWG on and set it at "Boost". Hoping to maintain high enough FC to keep the shock process going for a few hours until I get home...
 
Re: Adding acid, dialing back salt generator - TA going up?!

After running the salt cell on boost for 6 or 8 hours - my readings dropped again: FC .05 CC 3

Added 7 121oz bottles of chlorine, and FC remains around .05/1 CC dropped to 7.

Obviously there's a relationship between the amount of TC and the FC /CC, but I don't understand why I'd get a FC reading at all on the first test.

PH is showing way low. Turned the jets up to aerate more.

Head scratch... off for more chlorine....
 

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