First Tests

[Muckmuck]

Probably like a lot of other newbies poppin up around here I found you all via the latest Costco Connection. This is my first pool, we bought the house next door via shortsale last year. The pool was in rough shape so we had it replastered in December and replaced the 3/4 HP pump and 100 sqft filter in May. I had been using pucks in a floater since it was replastered and have put maybe 6 bags of shock in since the new equipment was installed. My test kit arrived today and here are the results:

FC 9
CC .5
PH 7.7
TA 200
CH 370
CYA 70

I am not very confident in the PH but my wife came up with the same guestimate looking at the color. Where do I go from here?

Max

 

[JamesW]

I would say that your first priority should be to start working that TA down to avoid scaling. Lower the pH to 7.2 to 7.3 and keep it down by adding acid as needed. Maintain FC at 5 ppm minimum. Read through pool school for more information.

 

[duraleigh]

+1 what JamesW said. What does your water look like?

 

[Muckmuck]

My water is clear and "sparkly". Does the fact that the pool has been recently replastered have any bearing on the TA level?


Max

 

[Richard320]

Where do I go from here?

Swimming.

When the pH hits 7.8 (or now, if you're just dying to play with the kit) lower pH to 7.2. That will help lower the TA.

You DO realize that you're done with pucks and powders for the season, right? CH is already up there, and it will get worse through evaporation, and CYA is already a bit high, even for Las Vegas heat and sun. Costco has decent prices on Chlorox, but shop around a little. Sometimes the big hardware chains or even pool stores have a better price per %-oz on 10 or 12.5% chlorine.

You will need to keep FC up high enough for that CYA level, as stated above. But if you do, you can pretty much be sure you will never need to "shock" the pool. The good news is, when the water cools down in the winter, and there's less sun, you use a lot less bleach than you do in the winter.

 

[duraleigh]

Does the fact that the pool has been recently replastered have any bearing on the TA level?

Not much. Regardless of the cause, you need to bring it down either by doing what JamesW suggests or following the article for reducing it in pool school.

 

[JamesW]

What are the pH, TA and Calcium Hardness of your fill water?

 

[Muckmuck]

What are the pH, TA and Calcium Hardness of your fill water?

I will test the fill water tomorrow, our water here is very hard.



Max

 

[Muckmuck]

I'm Back!!!

I measured the TA of my supply water and it is 170, silly me forgot about measuring the PH and CH of it though. Thursday morning my levels were:
FC 5
CC .5
PH 7.7
TA 210

I added 1 quart of 10% Chlorine and 2 quarts of Muriatic Acid which brought my levels to:
FC 9
CC .5
PH 7.0

I turned on the feed to my slide to aerate and let it go until today. The levels this morning were:
FC 2
CC .5
PH 7.3
TA 140

Then I added a quart of Muriatic acid and 1 1/2 quarts of 10% Chlorine which resulted in these levels this afternoon.
FC 7.5
CC .5
PH 7.1

What should I be shooting for in regards to levels once I get the TA down to a reasonable level?

Max

 

[Richard320]

Re: I'm Back!!!

What should I be shooting for in regards to levels once I get the TA down to a reasonable level?

Max

http://www.poolcalculator.com/ can help. Plug the pool size into the top. Put your readings into the now column. Down at the bottom of the table, select the pool surface, chlorine source, and troublefree. Boom! NBow you have recommended levels. But not quite....you will never be able to maintain recommended CH levels in Vegas. Well, not without constant water replacement. But you will see a figure called CSI. If your now column shows it between -.6 and +.6, you're okay. Closer to zero is better. Play with pH and TA figures if you need to adjust CSI into range.