First test results

[Lenola22]

Just used my tf-100 test kit and here are the results. Let me first say I was using eclipse 3 at start up but have since stopped. My inline chlorinator is at its highest setting and I attempted to aerate the pool for the last 12 hrs.

FC-4
CC-1-0
TC-4-5
TA-220
CH-410
Cya-60
PH-7.5 using the k1000 kit
CL-2
BR-4
I know the CH is extremely high as is the alkalinity however if possible I don't want to drain a third of my pool to correct these numbers. Pool really has not been used this year except for a day or two. Today is our first 90 degree day and temps r going bk to 70 next week. Water is clear and I only plan to shock w 8.25 bleach.

Your thoughts and help are appreciated.
Thanks mike

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Good choice on the test kit

Your CYA is already above the recommended levels. You need to stop using the puck now and switch to bleach or you will be having to replace water soon to lower the CYA.

Have you read Pool School? Specifically:
pool-school/types_chlorine_pool

 

[Lenola22]

Yes I have read it. Are u saying to stop using the in line chlorinator. It has 3" pucks inside and I usually just shock once a week

 

[Richard320]

Yes, you need to stop using pucks. You keep adding CYA and eventually, your chlorine will be ineffective. If you maintain the minimum FC for your CYA, you will not need to shock weekly, or possibly ever. Here's one of my better pieces of writing, which I posted just yesterday in another thread.

We'll take a 16000 gallon pool, because that's what I have. On a fresh fill, prominent national pool chain recommends 2.5 pounds pf stabilizer per 10,000 gallons, which works out nicely to 4 pounds which brings CYA to 30.

With an average loss of 2 PPM/Day or 14 ppm/week, I'll have added 8.6 PPM/CYA if I used trichlor pucks perfectly. And they recommend a weekly "shock" of dichlor between 5 and 10 FC.. 2-3 oz per 10,000 gallons. Split the difference; I'll add 4 oz. CYA went up another .9.

So..by the end of week one, I have added 9.5 more CYA. It is now 39.5. Mimimum FC for that is 3, so I'm probably okay.

Week two, up to 49 CYA.
Week three, 58.5. Minimum FC should be 5, but they recommend 3 as ideal, so the pool looks a bit hazy. So I'll toss in a little extra dichlor "shock" to jack FC up to 10. Which adds another 6.4 CYA. Keeping count? We're up to 64.9 now.

That caught the algae just in time.. we had two weeks of good luck. A steady diet of pucks and 4 oz. "shock" each week only added another 19, up to 73.9 now.

Week 6 it started looking funky, so we "shocked"it once again. CYA is up to 99.3. But minimum FC to keep algae at bay is 8, and we're still holding things to 3, because prominent national chain's preprinted sheet shows that as ideal. So algae got a toehold and the pool has a bit of a tint. So we throw two whole bags of dichlor in which jacks it another 7.6 by the time week 7 is over, we're at 116.4, because we had pucks in the floater the whole time.

So...in 7 weeks, from 30 to 116.4. Let's say there are no more algae outbreaks because they sold me a huge bucket of phos-free and another of yellow-out monopersulfate "shock" Nothing but the pucks and the extra 4 oz of dichlor "shock" weekly. So the next 7 weeks added 66.5, which brings the total to 182.9 CYA.

Now if we didn't understand this and things looked a bit hazy, we might throw an extra puck or two in the floater every couple weeks, which will drive it over 200 easily.

 

[Lenola22]

Ok I am going to remove the pucks. Just so I am absolutely clear Now, my only source chlorine will be adding Clorox bleach periodically

 

[jblizzle]

You should be adding liquid chlorine (whether Clorox, or Walmart brand, or higher strength (10-12.5%)) every day to maintain the appropriate FC levels for you CYA. For a CYA of 60pp, according to Pool School chart, you should never let the FC drop below 5ppm. This means you should likely target 8-9ppm everyday to ensure that it does not drop below 5ppm.

 

[Lenola22]

Apparently I need to start pool school over. I was under the impression that I still used the in line chlorinator with the tabs to maintain the chlorine level. And then used the bleach as a shock alternative.

 

[Lenola22]

So I removed the 12 pucks this morning and added 96 oz of 8.25 bleach. Will my cya drop on its own or do I have to do a partial drain/refill

 

[Lenola22]

I will ck levels this afternoon. Also keep in mind my pool is in direct sunlight from 7-7. Your post about increasing the cya makes sense and I think that's how I ended up with green algae last year despit my test strips showing normal levels of chlorine. Thanks again for the help and truth

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Just so I am absolutely clear Now, my only source chlorine will be adding Clorox bleach periodically

Not periodically - every day. You have to add enough chlorine every day (evening is best) to keep your FC above the "min" for your CYA level, AT ALL TIMES.

In your first post above, you listed a CC of 1. If this is correct, you should shock the pool. A CC reading higher than .5 indicates the need to shock. I also suggest you do an overnight FC lost test (instructions in Pool School) to ensure something else isn't going on.

 

[Lenola22]

I believe the cc is actually at 0 but will do another test after work. I am getting frustrated my water is crystal clear. Had a lot of rain last week but after doing first test I was mostly concearned with the high levels of TA and CH. a d I now understand why to add bleach daily as it replaces the tablets which add to the CH. Iguess now my primary question is what test numbers should I be aiming for daily and or weekly.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/recommended_levels

 

[Lenola22]

Ok so I how do I lower the TA and ch

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

High TA doesn't matter too much. High TA causes Ph to drift up... Big deal. If it does, you simply lower the PH down to 7.2 every time you see it drift up to 7.8. Eventually the TA should drop down into the recommended range, because Muratic Acid, what you would use to lower the PH, also lowers the TA. Does that make sense?

Your CH is on the high end but as long as you keep your PH in check it won't matter much.
Test your CH on your Tap water (fill water) and post back.

 

[Lenola22]

Ok will do. Sorry for all thee questions but I am tired of being pool stored vcorqd $100 every time I get my water tested.

 

[Lenola22]

Ok here are today's numbers
PH 7.7
CL 5
BR 10
FC 7.5
CC 0
T. 7.5
TA 210
Cya 70

 

[jblizzle]

No point is reporting Br ... you do not have bromine in the pool.

Those look fine ... besides the CYA being a little high. Just make sure the FC does not drop below 5ppm.

 

[Lenola22]

Will do. I have yo admit I really want t put two tablets bk in the chlorinator

 

[Richard320]

Will do. I have yo admit I really want t put two tablets bk in the chlorinator

I've read somewhere that it takes three weeks to learn a new habit.

 

[Lenola22]

Ok water is still clear. I had one day where I was working and FC dropped to 4 I added bleach and by next morning all was good. If I am doing everything correct my primary focus has been ph which has been consistently at 7.5, FC, and cya. I have been adding bleach nightly based off of the cya chart typically 40/50 oz per night which seems like a lot to me. Overnight I have seen a drop of about 2 ppm. And I have also noticed the cya # going down requiring more bleach. Your thoughts and more importantly confirmation I'm doing this right.
Thanks mike