My pool was opened this week. I had the water tested at Leslies pool store with the following results: FC=4,TC=4,CH=220,CYA=40,TA=180,PH=7.5,TDS=800. TA is high but the man at the pool store suggested leaving it alone since the PH is good. He said the TA would not hurt anything. The paper recommendation said to add 1 lb 11 oz of dry acid. Should I add the dry acid or leave it alone? Thank you.
Should I adjust TA in my pool or leave it alone?
- Thread starter Brockm1
- Start date
Welcome Brock,
Right now your pH of 7.5 (if correct) is fine. Your TA will likely contribute to pH rise, but it's best to focus on pH first.
Do you plan on taking care of this pool on your own? If you do, it will be the best thing you can do for it, but it will require some effort on your part to learn.
Start with the very basics in Pool School. Click the links in my signature and they will take you there. Start with the ABC's and work your way through. We don't rely on Pool Store testing as it is often not accurate and they are only motivated to sell you SOMETHING each time you are in. As in your case, you really don't need the dry acid (which we don't usually recommend) when your pH is really OK. But, their paper said to add it anyway.
If you decide to do this, you will need a proper test kit. I only suggest the TF 100 because you can't beat the value of this kit. Once you get into it, we are always here to help and answer questions if you want to learn how to do this. Let us know, and enjoy the forums.
Right now your pH of 7.5 (if correct) is fine. Your TA will likely contribute to pH rise, but it's best to focus on pH first.
Do you plan on taking care of this pool on your own? If you do, it will be the best thing you can do for it, but it will require some effort on your part to learn.
Start with the very basics in Pool School. Click the links in my signature and they will take you there. Start with the ABC's and work your way through. We don't rely on Pool Store testing as it is often not accurate and they are only motivated to sell you SOMETHING each time you are in. As in your case, you really don't need the dry acid (which we don't usually recommend) when your pH is really OK. But, their paper said to add it anyway.
If you decide to do this, you will need a proper test kit. I only suggest the TF 100 because you can't beat the value of this kit. Once you get into it, we are always here to help and answer questions if you want to learn how to do this. Let us know, and enjoy the forums.
Thank you for your reply. I am trying to take care of the pool myself. I bought the Taylor K2006 kit but have not used it yet, I may need your help. I will follow the links provided and try to educate myself on pool care. I went to the pool store for the first water test to get started, but I will be trying to do things myself. I will keep in touch
with questions.
with questions.
Your periodic acid acid adjustments will bring down the TA. It may take awhile if you have high TA fill water and are having to add water alot.
TA causes the pH to go up. The higher the TA the faster the pH will go up. I find my pH holds steady about 80ppm. You will eventually find a balance point somewhere along the lines. If you have a low TA (such as 80 or your balance point) and add anything acid like a trichlor puck, your pH will go down fairly quick. Thats why they recommend a TA 100+ when using trichlor tabs.
TA causes the pH to go up. The higher the TA the faster the pH will go up. I find my pH holds steady about 80ppm. You will eventually find a balance point somewhere along the lines. If you have a low TA (such as 80 or your balance point) and add anything acid like a trichlor puck, your pH will go down fairly quick. Thats why they recommend a TA 100+ when using trichlor tabs.
It's easy. If you watch the videos, it will be even easier. The TF100 and the K-2006 use the exact same reagents. Once you start taking your own readings and dosing and seeing results, a light bulb will go off and it will all make sense. http://www.youtube.com/user/TF100TestKit
The dry acid is fine, but when it's gone, switch to muriatic acid. The dry acid adds sulfur. I don't exactly know what conditions it might take for it to start smelling, but I don;t wanbt to find out and I doubt you do, either.
I've been using dry acid for years. Ive never smelled a bit of sulfur. 
Hehe. It does add sulfates which like to attack concrete. I have vinyl and dont have to worry about that. If you have concrete you want to use Muriatic Acid. I did buy a jug of muriatic acid the other day and first time using it, really carefully. The dry acid seems safer but the muriatic acid is quicker. The full strength muriatic acid is about half price of a jug of dry acid when you figure the MA lasts twice as long.
Hehe. It does add sulfates which like to attack concrete. I have vinyl and dont have to worry about that. If you have concrete you want to use Muriatic Acid. I did buy a jug of muriatic acid the other day and first time using it, really carefully. The dry acid seems safer but the muriatic acid is quicker. The full strength muriatic acid is about half price of a jug of dry acid when you figure the MA lasts twice as long.Hi All, Thanks for your replies. I used the K6000 test kit yesterday and today. Yesterday, FC=5,CC=5, PH=7.8 - 8.0 and TA =180, CYA=50. I went went ahead and added 1lb of dry acid to bring down the PH. I tested again this morning and I got the following readings today:
FC=5,CC=5,PH=7.8,TA=180. Yesterday I added 12 more oz of dry acid to get the PH down a bit more. This was 1 oz over the pool store recommendation. I am trying to move away from the pool store, but I did use their recommended amt. I know that I would have to add a lot more acid to get the TA way down. I also bought bleach. The pool was shocked with 6 lbs of Diclor when it was opened. The pool company hit it hard because there was a mold in the spa which they drained twice. I backwashed the day after it was opened. Triclor tablets ar in the skimmer. I would like to use bleach to keep the CYA from going way up. Please advise how often and how much bleach I should be putting in. I can use the pool calculator and the recommended amts of bleach. If FC is at 5 and the recommendation is 5, shoule I be adding bleach daily? I think
I read that chlorine should be put in daily. I still have one tablet in each skimmer that have not completely dissolved. Do I wait till they are gone to start using the bleach?
Sorry to ask some many questions, but I really need the help. Thanks again.
sin and I have been putting Triclor
FC=5,CC=5,PH=7.8,TA=180. Yesterday I added 12 more oz of dry acid to get the PH down a bit more. This was 1 oz over the pool store recommendation. I am trying to move away from the pool store, but I did use their recommended amt. I know that I would have to add a lot more acid to get the TA way down. I also bought bleach. The pool was shocked with 6 lbs of Diclor when it was opened. The pool company hit it hard because there was a mold in the spa which they drained twice. I backwashed the day after it was opened. Triclor tablets ar in the skimmer. I would like to use bleach to keep the CYA from going way up. Please advise how often and how much bleach I should be putting in. I can use the pool calculator and the recommended amts of bleach. If FC is at 5 and the recommendation is 5, shoule I be adding bleach daily? I think
I read that chlorine should be put in daily. I still have one tablet in each skimmer that have not completely dissolved. Do I wait till they are gone to start using the bleach?
Sorry to ask some many questions, but I really need the help. Thanks again.
sin and I have been putting Triclor
It's really easy, once you do it a few times.
You test pH and FC every day. If pH is too high, you then test TA so you can get the appropriate dose of acid from poolmath. Then you add the necessary bleach to get FC up to your target, let that mix a while, and then add the acid to adjust pH if it's needed. How to use poolmath. The key is setting your target. If CYA is 50, your minimum FC is 4; If you target 6 and the next day you're down to 3.5, target 6.5. You want just enough FC so that you don't dip below minimum before you add again. And no, doubling up so you can skip a day doesn't work; your pool is like a pet. Feeding it double and then starving it the next day will just lead to problems. You'll quickly learn your pool's appetite and personality and in a couple weeks, you'll be able to accurately guess the readings before you even test.
Let whatever pucks you have in the pool dissolve, and stop using them. Stop using any powdered chlorines; they have unwanted additives that can build up and cause problems. How to Chlorinate
You test pH and FC every day. If pH is too high, you then test TA so you can get the appropriate dose of acid from poolmath. Then you add the necessary bleach to get FC up to your target, let that mix a while, and then add the acid to adjust pH if it's needed. How to use poolmath. The key is setting your target. If CYA is 50, your minimum FC is 4; If you target 6 and the next day you're down to 3.5, target 6.5. You want just enough FC so that you don't dip below minimum before you add again. And no, doubling up so you can skip a day doesn't work; your pool is like a pet. Feeding it double and then starving it the next day will just lead to problems. You'll quickly learn your pool's appetite and personality and in a couple weeks, you'll be able to accurately guess the readings before you even test.
Let whatever pucks you have in the pool dissolve, and stop using them. Stop using any powdered chlorines; they have unwanted additives that can build up and cause problems. How to Chlorinate
Thank you for your quick reply and your help. I will let you know how things are going in a couple of days.
Hi, I have been using bleach to chlorinate the pool for almost a week. I am using the Taylor k-2006 test kit. I am trying to double check myself with aqua check select test strips.
With Taylor test kit this morning I got the following: FC=5.5, CC=.5, TA=160, PH=7.6. The test strips agree with everything but the FC is 1 with the test strips. I dipped two of them to check. I think I did the FC test correctly with my test kit. I ordered the kit from Amazon.com this year so I am hoping that the reagents are good. Any ideas?
Also, I added 21 oz's of dry acid yesterday to get the PH from 7.8 to 7.5(per pool calculator) yesterday. Thanks, Mary
With Taylor test kit this morning I got the following: FC=5.5, CC=.5, TA=160, PH=7.6. The test strips agree with everything but the FC is 1 with the test strips. I dipped two of them to check. I think I did the FC test correctly with my test kit. I ordered the kit from Amazon.com this year so I am hoping that the reagents are good. Any ideas?
Also, I added 21 oz's of dry acid yesterday to get the PH from 7.8 to 7.5(per pool calculator) yesterday. Thanks, Mary
Hi , I have been using bleach since reading your last reply. I test multiple times a day with the Taylor K-2006 test kit. I show FC values with the test kit, but when I use Aqua Chek Select or LaMotte test strips I always see no FC with the strip. My current readings with the test kit are FC=6, PH=7.7, TA=140 and CYA is between 50-60. I do not
understand why the strips show no FC. They show TAC of about 5. I shocked my pool on Tuesday with 255oz of bleach to a shock FC=12. Yesterday, I added 14 oz o algecide
(Leslies Algae Control) and put 1 puck in a floating chlorine dispenser. I did this only becuase I am not sure what I am doing is correct. I started getting quite a bit of leaf stains as my pool is under trees. I was hoping the Puck will bring down the TA a bit and help with the stain when pump is not running. I do not want to use any more pucks. Please reply to this message. What am I doing wrong?
understand why the strips show no FC. They show TAC of about 5. I shocked my pool on Tuesday with 255oz of bleach to a shock FC=12. Yesterday, I added 14 oz o algecide
(Leslies Algae Control) and put 1 puck in a floating chlorine dispenser. I did this only becuase I am not sure what I am doing is correct. I started getting quite a bit of leaf stains as my pool is under trees. I was hoping the Puck will bring down the TA a bit and help with the stain when pump is not running. I do not want to use any more pucks. Please reply to this message. What am I doing wrong?
Based upon your description, it sounds like your strips are showing TC ~5, and K-2006 shows FC 6. What is your CC reading?
Strips are unable to differentiate FC and CC, and aren't very accurate - just use the K-2006 results.
What you need to do is to SLAM your pool, it seems like 1) your FC is below SL for CYA50-60 2) you didn't maintain SL.
I'd also recommend you read ABCs of pool water chemistry so that you have a better understanding of what your test numbers mean.
Strips are unable to differentiate FC and CC, and aren't very accurate - just use the K-2006 results.
What you need to do is to SLAM your pool, it seems like 1) your FC is below SL for CYA50-60 2) you didn't maintain SL.
I'd also recommend you read ABCs of pool water chemistry so that you have a better understanding of what your test numbers mean.
The CC=.5 with the K-2006 test kit. With the strips TC=5 minus FC=0 to 1 , the CC would be 4 PPM. Thats a big difference from the test kit readings. I did not go up to SL of 24 because I was afraid of too much chlorine. If my FC is really 6, do I use the pool calculator to go from 6 to 24 to determine the amt of bleach or do I assume I am at 0 and go to 24?
You do the FAS-DPD test just the way the videos show. Whatever FC number you get, you plug that into the NOW column and your target is 24. Be sure you have the correct size for your pool entered, and the correct bleach strength. And throw those strips away. You've proven to yourself that they're not accurate.
Where it says "Now" you plug in your current FC reading, then put in your target amount, making sure you have all the other perimeters put in correctly, (pool volume, type and strength of chlorine, etc.)and it will tell you how much to add.
- May 22, 2013
- 2,796
- Pool Size
- 12000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Never assume if at all possible, test or measure. Like Richard said, "You've proven to yourself that they're not accurate.", toss them away !! They will just confuse you and I'm new to my test kit and I understand it's confusing enough without second guessing yourself against an unreliable test strip. If you think your test is not right or it just doesn't feel right post it and ask. It's also handy to keep a log of your tests, the adjustments you make and the "goal" of the addition.
The chlorine tablets (pucks) are bad for maintenance. Each time you add one it helps with your FC temporarily as the FC does get used up and you constantly need more but with the tablet you are also adding CYA or stabilizer too and that is cumulative and just keeps driveing up your CYA reading and also keeps driving up your need for higher and higher levels of FC to keep the pool clean and sanitary. You should stop using pucks.
In the chart you can see how as the CYA rises you need to add more and more bleach to do the same thing --> http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock
The bad thing is the only way to lower the CYA level is to pump out water and dilute the remaining water with new water.
Test your FC with the test kit and then use Pool Math http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html to figure out how much liquid bleach you need to go from what you have to your SLAM or shock level and then you need to MAINTAIN that level.
The chlorine tablets (pucks) are bad for maintenance. Each time you add one it helps with your FC temporarily as the FC does get used up and you constantly need more but with the tablet you are also adding CYA or stabilizer too and that is cumulative and just keeps driveing up your CYA reading and also keeps driving up your need for higher and higher levels of FC to keep the pool clean and sanitary. You should stop using pucks.
In the chart you can see how as the CYA rises you need to add more and more bleach to do the same thing --> http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock
The bad thing is the only way to lower the CYA level is to pump out water and dilute the remaining water with new water.
Test your FC with the test kit and then use Pool Math http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html to figure out how much liquid bleach you need to go from what you have to your SLAM or shock level and then you need to MAINTAIN that level.