New pool new test results

[ronniem]

Here are my fill water test results.
TA 90
PH 6.8-7.2

I added 1 GL of bleach, 4lbs of stabilizer, and 1 box of borax(to bring the PH up a bit) last night.
This morning my test results are...
pH - 7.2
FC - 1
CC - .5
TA - 90
CYA - less than 20

I added one more gl of bleach this morning before I left for work.
The 4lbs should bring my CYA up to 20 if I am guessing at my total volume correctly, but I have read on here that it can take a week to fully disolve. Should I bring the FC level up to shock level tonight untill the CC goes to zero?

Any suggestions or am I on the right track.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

I wouldn't worry about that, .5 is so small. I would bump the chlorine to a 2 or so till the CYA takes hold. Sometimes the CC will go away with a little help from the sun. Keep your pool uncovered for now, if you use a solar blanekt. You are correct test again after 5-6 days for the CYA. Are you testing with the TF-100?

 

[ronniem]

Yes pool is uncovered and I am not using a solar blanket. Pool is in the sun all day long(no trees around) Water is 90F without it.
Yes I am using the TF-100. I am loving this test kit so far. Very easy to use and well written instructions.

 

[duraleigh]

Hi, Ronnie,

1. The CYA seems to be on track. Since your calculations are right, I see no harm in adding another 4 lbs anytime which should bring you to the 40ppm mark. I understand about overshooting but you're starting from a known quantitiy of zero and even if you overshot by 20% (almost impossible) you'd still be in a good comfort range.

2. Unless you are not happy with the looks of your water, I would leave the .5 CC's alone and not shock. Anything less than 1.0 is considered negligible.

3. Assuming you bring your CYA up top 40ppm, you should boost your FC up to 3-5ppm and keep it there.

 

[ronniem]

Thanks Dave,

I will add another 4lbs of CYA tonight(after a quick dip after work :-D )
The water looks clear this morning so no problems there yet. I did not see any real change in PH from the borax last night though.
Will check that out this eveing also.

 

[duraleigh]

Ronnie,

Your pH may have been a little lower than you thought. It's just fine @ 7.2 but test it pretty often until you get a "feel" for it and then adjust accordingly.

Put just a little more FC in there when your out by the pool this evening.....Happy Swimming! :-D

 

[ronniem]

This evening FC was 2 and all others was the same. Did some first time cleaning with the hose and snorkel gear :-D
I added another 4lbs of cya and 1 gl of bleach when we got out tonight.
Thanks again for the help and all the info on this site.
Water was clearer today than when I filled it.

 

[ronniem]

Well things were going great but I messed up tonight...
Today my levels were...
pH - 7.5
FC - 1.5
CC - .0
TA - 100
CYA - 25-30
Temp 92
After a very nice swim in very very clear water I knew I had to bring the FC level up to around 4.
I should have used the calculator but I didn't . I added 3 gl of bleach thinking from earlier in the week that 1gl was raising my FC by 1.
I tested about an hour or so later and FC is at 11!!!
So i guess I just have to let the sun burn it up now right?
What FC level would be safe to swim in. I hope I did not mess up this weekend(weather looks good and Hot)
I feel like a doof...Should have came inside and checked the calc before adding.

 

[JasonLion]

You are fine, you just wasted a little bleach is all. The FC level is below shock level for your CYA level so it should be fine to swim in.

 

[Butterfly]

Just a reminder, don't let your FC drop below 2ppm! Keep it between 2ppm & 6ppm.

Actually, since it did drop below 2ppm, it could end up being a 'good' thing that you gave it a big drink of bleach!

 

[ronniem]

Thanks for the info. Now I just need to learn what kind of FC demand my pool has I guess. What kind of FC lose would you think I should be seeing on a daily basis being that my pool is in direct sunlight all day and swimmer load is only my son a few hours a day and my wife and me for an hour or so everyday?
Thanks again

 

[JasonLion]

A typical pool requires about 2 ppm of chlorine daily. The actual amount will vary, depending on how much direct sunlight the pool gets and how many people are swimming.

 

[ronniem]

got ya, thanks

 

[ronniem]

Tested the FC level yesterday afternoon and it was 4.5 . I am kind of wondering why the huge drop in FC. Could my 11 have been a false reading caused by taking the test too soon after adding bleach?
What is the normal amount of time you should wait before testing after adding bleach?
Thanks

 

[JasonLion]

You should wait at least half an hour with the pump running after adding bleach, and preferably a full hour, before testing levels.

 

[ronniem]

Well it was an hour when i tested and got the 11FC reading so it dropped from 11FC to 4.5 in 24hours!!
Does that sound fishy???

 

[JasonLion]

Your CYA level is towards the low end of the range, so I would expect you to lose 60+% of your FC over the course of a sunny day. If it was sunny, your FC loss seems reasonable.

 

[ronniem]

Thanks Jason, that makes sense now.