Calcium hardness help!! Swg setup.

[tndtanaka]

Before finding your site I was a Leslie's customer. I primarily used the for water testing outside my OTO but I did get pool stored!!

I just received my TF-100, have read for hours on your site and have figured out the basics. I am trying to install my SWG but have encountered a CH problem. I do have the speed stir and have read your extended directions.
Test results yesterday
FC 2.0
CC 0
Ph 7.7
Cya 80
Ta 120
Ch 650 !!!
Clear water

After I took ph down to 7.4 today's reading...didn't retest TA
Also know my chlorine has to go up experimenting with 10% and pool math

Today ch 600 using the instruction to add the 5 drops of R0012 first

Once I found cya on high side I picked up liquid chlorine to help me until I can install the SWG.
Leslie's last ch test reading was 260 on 5/23. The ONLY chemical additions were Chlorbrite which I just stopped and Morton's pool salt.

We also completely cleaned our DE filter and added new DE.

I tested my current fill water at 175.

Here is the problem/question.... Could my Morton's pool salt be contaminated with calcium? I could add some of it to my fill water and test that theory.

Other theory is that Leslie's calcium tests are all bad !! I actually added some hardness up initially because my fill water is low. Maybe their tests are off and I added too much when I set up the pool.

I don't mind the cost of a partial drain but we are in a major water shortage/ drought here and I don't want pool popping/ problems. I am afraid to drain!!!

Would you keep adding salt, set up the swg anyway starting with a ch that high?
Will the regular use of stain and scale removers/ scale free, etc. help with scaling on the swg?

The pool is 7 months old and I had been using some scale free on it but I do have some calcium on the grout lines above the water line. Not bad but you can see it on the brown tile.

I have been watching my chemistry vigilantly, I've just been ignorant. This is my first pool.

 

[JasonLion]

It is not the salt, it is your fill water (plus the pool store simply being completely wrong). When there is evaporation, the calcium stays in the pool. Then when you top off the water level you add more calcium. So the level just keeps going up.

Go ahead and setup the SWG and keep adding salt. Just make sure you keep the PH at 7.6 or below until you can get the TA down quite a bit. You might have some trouble with calcium scaling in the SWG, but there are ways to work around that if it comes up.

 

[tndtanaka]

Thank you !!

How could they be so wrong?!!! In so many tests?!

I will go back today and if they don't catch it I'm going to have a little discussion with them!!

Today my fill water is only 175 and they originally tested it at 90 back in December. They told me my fill water could have changed since then. I added hardness up per their test results back in December and I was testing weekly with them. I always under added what they said to creep up.

So essentially they sold me an expensive pool additive that I didn't really need and I overdosed it and they never caught it on any of their tests.:ncool:

I am going to verify at another pool store to see if anyone knows what they are doing! I want to buy my liquid chlorine elsewhere! I've wasted enough $$$ with Leslie's.

I've already passed on your website and I am going to be sure no one else I know gets duped!

 

[JasonLion]

I wouldn't bother talking to the pool store. There is very little positive that can come out of it.

 

[Richard320]

High Calcium is a way of life here.

And the fill water will vary a lot by season. Sometimes it comes from up north via the aqueduct, sometimes from the Colorado River, sometimes from wells.

You won't get anywhere with the pool store. Usually they get to 300 Ch and write "300+" on the sheet and just wait until the TDS is high enough to recommend a drain. In the meantime, they'll sell you scale remover.

 

[tndtanaka]

Ok so I retested with my Taylor with the 25 ml, not the 10ml on the enclosed laminated card. I got 490 yay! OK my blue has a purple hue but it was stable with more drops so I think it's good.

Pool store got 260 again two times by two different people but I watched them carefully and had the manager explain how they do the test. He did the second test.

The R0010 reagent that we carefully count drop by drop is administered by them in a 10 drop shot. I think this might be how their tests are off.

....and I was nice. I didn't chew them out.....although another customer in there wanted to know how I was so knowledgeable and I referred them to your site!

 

[tndtanaka]

I know...I'm really nice. I just explained the problem and made the manager verify the test. They got 260 twice with two different people, one the manager. I retested with 25ml on my Taylor and got 490. Told the kids to have a splash fest and they are having a ball!! My cya is high thanks to the store as well. 5/23 they told me it was 60. Today they both told me it was 100. I carefully tested twice today and it is around 80 possibly 90 as I have really good eyesight and can barely see the dot at 90. I might retest with the high cya instructions and see what I get.

 

[Richard320]

If you don't have a speedstir, maybe you should. It makes the CH test much easier to manage. My CH readings went down about 200 points when I started using it. Same water, just better mixing. When CH gets up in the 800 range, it takes a long time, even with the speedstir. I use the speedstir for all my tests, except pH and the OTO chlorine test.

You can order one here. You can also get some more R-0012 reagent. You'll go through it at an alarming rate.

Don't even bother with the 25 ml sample. It just doesn't really matter if you get 490 with 25 ml or 475 or 500 with a 10 ml sample. To heap disappointment on you, my experience is that purple to sky blue is at least 4 more drops. And that's using the speedstir. It will go from pink to sort of purple and then indigo blue and finally to sky blue.