FC 0 All else off the chart

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C

cherokee

0
Jun 26, 2008
9
Hello everyone,

We have a Wal-Mart pop-up pool, 18'x42" round. We used the start up kit and water was beautiful, didn't use the test strips tho, so I don't know the chem levels.

We had two days of rain on and off and pool turned green. Swept, vacummed, changed filter
and shocked. Green is gone, but water is cloudy.

I tested and PH was off the chart. Have been using PH minus, no improvement.

Last nite, after reading various posts I realized I needed at least a 5 test strip, not just the
3. Tested this morning, and everthing on the strip is showing max, except FC which is non
existent.

I put more PH- in but am thinking I'm going to have to drain to get the CYA lowered.

Is this right? Also what is steps for adjusting chems? You get the CYA down first, then PH, then FC or ?

Could the cloudy water be dead algae?

Also, since we live in North Central Arkansas, and have had more rain than we need this year,
am I going to be faced with green pool every time it rains? And if so, what do I need to do first?
Shock?

What could have made my CYA go through the roof?

Thank you for your patience, understanding and help with all this.
 
Welcome to TFP!

You really want a good quality test kit! That is the best investment in your pool you can make. I recommend a kit from TF Test Kits, see the link in my signature. The Taylor K-2006 is also good. I would not trust the results from the test strips.

Get a test from a pool store to double check your test strips while your real test kit is on order. If your FC level is really high your test strips might be way off. With real numbers, PH and FC are the first priority.

CYA is in dichlor, which is often used in granular "shock" products. There would also have been some in your startup kit.
 
Thanks for the welcome :)

I'll be ordering a test kit. In the meantime tho, my FC is 0, nothing showing on the test strip.

My concern is the CYA, if I'm not mistaken the only way to get that down is drain, is that right?

I don't want to be adding more chemical that I would just have to dump in the yard.
 
The tricky issue here is that if the FC level is actually very high, most test strips will show FC as zero. When FC is really high many of the other tests on the test strip will also read completely incorrectly. So we have no easy way of telling if the test strip should be believed or not, ie FC might be zero or it might be 15+.

Test strips are also known for having other problems. Even though test strips are often alright, sometimes they are way off. Until your new test kit comes, the only way to get any kind of confirmation of the test strip results is to go to a pool store.

If the test strips are right, the things you need to do are fairly drastic. I wouldn't want you doing those things if the test strips are actually wrong. If going to a pool store today is out of the question, there are some things you can try to attempt to clarify what is happening. But a pool store test is you best bet for today.
 
Ahhh, I see. I've learned something else new. Would never have thought if FC was very high it could show as 0. I appreciate the info. Today it's raining again, and they are calling for rain tomorrow also. I'm thinking since nobody can swim anyways I will wait till the rain clears before I run to pool store. Thank you so much Jason, I'm very appreciate of your advice and also how quickly you responded. We'll wait to see accurate test results and when I have them I'll be back to ask you for some more help.

thanks again!
 
Today is Thursday, the 2, and it rained yesterday. Pool turned green so I changed filter and vacummed. Still a little green but wanted to pull test results before I did anything else.

TChlorine 0 or so little I can't see it
PH 8.2
TA 300ppm
CYA 30ppm
THardness 210ppm

Your advice on how to proceed is very much appreciated.
 
A green pool means that low FC level is real this time.

You should bring the PH down significantly. I would aim for a PH of 7.2 for a while, until your TA level comes down. As long as your TA is that high, the PH will tend to drift up fairly rapidly. Or you can follow the full lowering TA procedure.

Other than that, your numbers look fairly good.

If you need them, instructions on fighting algae are here.
 
Yeah, to chime in - the earlier high CYA reported post was probably a result of the dirty/algae/cloudy water, not necessarily accurate, since it later showed 30ppm. Use the MA to lower the PH and gets some bleach in there. It could take several days with your filter to clear cloudy water, but it's important to have a good test kit so you can measure your FC and keep your chlorine levels where they need to be to kill and/or prevent algae (green water). Keep reading the articles in pool school and post your q's here! Good luck!
 

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Okay, just skimmed the articles and I have a question already. Should I lower PH first? Or shock to get rid of algae? Or can I do both at the same time? And excuse my ignorance, but what does MA stand for?
 
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