Little Blue Scoop with the TF-100

[techguy]

If your gauge is slowly climbing, that is a good sign it is collecting the debris from the pool. If you are looking to speed the process, adding enough DE to increase the PSI by +1 PSI and then watching the gauge can improve the speed in which the junk is collected. It also make the pressure (and gauge) rise faster (much faster than expected at times).

I always think of this as a project to do while you putter around the back yard weeding or mowing or other "honey-do" jobs. This way you can keep and ear on the pump. I know I can hear the difference in noise as the pressures rise on my filter.

 

[wmorge]

[attachment=0:8sbkxkgx]mms_picture8.jpg[/attachment:8sbkxkgx]
Passed OCLT.
10:30p last night
CC's with 5ml 1
CC's with 10ml .05
FC 6 raised it to 14 for the night.
CYA 35
CH 390
Ph 8.2 Heavy rain
TA 110

This morning 7a FC held at 14
I test ph again at 1pm it dropped back to 7.4
58 jugs of Chlorine so far.....

 

[wmorge]

Re: DE question?

I bought a 10lb bag of DE. I am concerned about the safety of this stuff.. Does everyone use a mask when handling it? I put in 1/2 a cup yesterday and was careful not to breath it in during and used rubber gloves to scoop it out. I put the bag away in my shed and when I did I slightly dropped it making the powder puff out and into my nose.. It burnt.. I'm a little worried.. I tried another 1/2 cup today.. with a mask on and gloves. I'm not sure I understand the process ..Yesterday,my clean pressure is 12, after adding the half cup ,pressure went up to 16. I back washed and it remained at 14 throughout the day and at noon today I added another half cup. I let it rise to 22 and back washed. it's now at 13. How often do I add the D.E. and are my concerns warranted with handling it??

 

[jblizzle]

If your clean pressure is 13psi, you should add enough DE to raise to 14psi. Then you should be backwashing when it reaches 16 psi (25% over the clean pressure). Which should drop you back to 13psi to start the process over. This is going to happen a lot is there is a bunch of stuff in the water to filter out.

The DE is completely optional, do not use it if you are not comfortable with it.

 

[wmorge]

Here are my numbers at 6p FC 7 CC 1 PH 7.2 TA 140. going out to raise fc to 14. Should I lower TA? I read that to lower TA you have to lower PH first which lowers TA than aerate to get ph back up? If I should adjust it how low do I take PH?

Thanks

 

[jblizzle]

Worry about the TA when you have nothing better to do

 

[wmorge]

Yep.. Just found this link in pool school on lowering TA.:

There are two reasons to lower your total alkalinity (TA) right away, because you want to slow down the rate that the PH rises, or if high TA is contributing to a high calcium saturation index (CSI) which puts you at risk of calcium scaling. You shouldn't lower TA just to reach a target number. Make sure you actually have one of the above issues before lowering your TA.

My PH seems to stay within range.. so the second reason is calcium? Wondering if that could be contributing to my slow road to clarity? It was at 110 the last time I tested. Anyways.. I'll find something better to do.

 

[Richard320]

Yep.. Just found this link in pool school on lowering TA.:

There are two reasons to lower your total alkalinity (TA) right away, because you want to slow down the rate that the PH rises, or if high TA is contributing to a high calcium saturation index (CSI) which puts you at risk of calcium scaling. You shouldn't lower TA just to reach a target number. Make sure you actually have one of the above issues before lowering your TA.

My PH seems to stay within range.. so the second reason is calcium? Wondering if that could be contributing to my slow road to clarity? It was at 110 the last time I tested. Anyways.. I'll find something better to do.

110 CH? Hah! I laugh at your puny number!

Here's a novel idea....relax and enjoy the pool.

 

[wmorge]

I wish my CH was 110. That was what my TA was 3 days ago... My CH is 390. Looking back on my notes over the last month.. I see my TA went up to 160 once and lowest 100. I wont fuss over 140

 

[wmorge]

I am super excited to see the pattern on the liner in the shallow end and into the slope of the deep. I haven't been real aggressive with the shocking process, letting it drop during the day so we can swim but I raise it back up with 1.5 gallons each night and usually it's 7 by evening the following night. My clear water has taken longer than should I imagine,but It looks better than it did all year last year. How much bleach/chlorine should I anticipate using daily once I'm clear?

 

[Richard320]

I am super excited to see the pattern on the liner in the shallow end and into the slope of the deep. I haven't been real aggressive with the shocking process, letting it drop during the day so we can swim but I raise it back up with 1.5 gallons each night and usually it's 7 by evening the following night. My clear water has taken longer than should I imagine,but It looks better than it did all year last year. How much bleach/chlorine should I anticipate using daily once I'm clear?

Once the shock process is complete, probably about a half gallon of 8.25% bleach. You won't know for sure until you start testing daily.

 

[wmorge]

Good Friday Morning! I hope you all had a nice 4th of July! I have a praise report .. I can see the deep end. I used 2 cups

of D.E yesterday. Still a bit cloudy but I'm so excited!! I consistently loose 6 ppm during the day so when would be a good time to

bump up CYA? Thank You Richard for answering my last question on Chlorine usage once clear, raising CYA will help right?

I need to retest cya , currently It's been 35 .. We had so much rain the past week I was filled to the edge..and with several back

washes it might have lowered. Pictures coming soon!

 

[wmorge]

June 30th [attachment=1:8riyk0oa]mms_picture.jpg[/attachment:8riyk0oa]

July 4th The black spot is a leaf. [attachment=0:8riyk0oa]mms_picture (4).jpg[/attachment:8riyk0oa]

 

[RobbieH]

I would think that a CYA of 35 would be a good number for Indiana.

You are going to continue to lose FC rapidly until the shock process is complete. That's one of the criteria of how to know the shock process is complete, you have to pass the OCLT.

 

[wmorge]

Robbie, I've passed OCLT for several nights, my CC's are .05 so I'm just waiting to clear. My sand probably needs to be inspected and cleaned but don't have easy

access without cutting pipes.. Hubs nor I have plumbing skills so we have been procrastinating and just putting in D.E. which helps a lot. During daylight is when

I loose chlorine so I thought bumping cya up a bit might help.

 

[RobbieH]

Let me ask another question. I show your proper FC level to be from 3 to 7 with CYA of 35. Are you going above 7 and calculating from there? The reason I ask is this, if you go above your recommended FC level given your CYA, it will drop very fast as it comes back into range.

I am going on 3 years with my new filter and sand, never had to clean it. In fact, since my equipment is all indoors, it would be a difficult task to do so. If your water is clearing, your filter is most likely just fine. It just takes a while with a sand filter.

 

[wmorge]

I'm Sorry, I'm not understanding your question. I test morning and evening. It's been at 13 or 14 in the morning. I let it drop during the day so we can swim. I then test in evening usually between 6 and 9pm. I calculate and then add chlorine to bring it back up for the night. I don't ever retest to see if I've reach my shock number...just assume I did. So my morning loss is either not reaching my shock # or a loss of 1 ppm. Depending on test results I add 1 gal plus 1 to 3 quarts every night so I'm hoping that isn't going to be the norm once I'm finished with the shock process.

 

[RobbieH]

You do not need to bring your FC to 13-14. That is most likely the issue. You do not need to go any higher than 7 if your CYA is 35. Anything over 7 is going to be consumed by the sun at a very rapid rate. 14 is your shock rate, and there is no need to go that high if you are not going through the shock process. If you ARE going through the process, 14 is your MINIMUM rate, and must be held until you pass all three criteria - one being a clear pool.

 

[wmorge]

We took ownership June 6th 2011. First year the previous owner put in a new liner, new pump and fresh water of course but as for the sand in the filter I don't have any information. Not knowing what to do we paid $120 to have it closed ,the winter cover that came with the pool had several holes in it. I tried patching them but it didn't work so it was a mess at opening. Without knowing what I was doing. I could never get it clean. We closed it ourselves late Oct. green and full of leaves with a new winter cover. Now I am here at TFP : ) and seeing the bottom of my deep end.. cloudy but I can see it.. couldn't at all last year. .. So from a year long swam mess .. I am just assuming the sand needs to be cleaned. At least inspected and rearranged. I am still in the Shock process.. I've met 2 out of 3.

 

[wmorge]

Re: liner question?

I can see the wrinkles I've made with the my broken vacuum last year!! Yeah!! I've never noticed this until this year that there is a white line on the liner all around the parameter of the pool. In some areas it is about 2 to 3 inches away from the wall.. the other areas are right in the edge . Is this line a guide for the installers to make sure it's installed properly and evenly? I'm wondering if this shows how far I pulled the liner??