6 Week Old Pool - Lots of questions but test kit FIRST.

[Inflatableman1]

Hi all,

Really enjoy what I have been reading here for the last few days and just wish I'd found you a bit earlier. We have about a 6 week old pool in Panama. It has been haphazardly treated and it's time to straighten that out. Here are a few pictures:









The pool has had a bit of clarifier, algaecide, Dichlor and Trichlor added. The chlorine used is of Panamanian manufacture and at this point I'm not even sure if the active concentration would be considered North American standard. Total Dichlor - 22 lbs and a couple of pounds of Trichlor powder. There have been a few Trichlor pucks through the auto feeder as well. Whatever CYA is in that chlorine is the only CYA that is in my pool. The level had been dropped a few inches in the pool many times to sort out some small construction issues near the end; so CYA concentrate will be a hair lower than what the Trichlor and Dichlor provided.

The Poolmaster test kit is reading about 0.5 -1 ppm free chlorine. PH has been brought down to 7.6 ppm from >8.4 ppm with OMNI Sodium Bisulfate. TA is reading 180 ppm. Can someone give me an idea on what final TA I should be looking for?

I am going to order the TF-100. Being in Panama, that will take probably 10 days - 3 weeks to get here. I have about 4 lbs of Trichlor multifunction powder that I will treat with until it is gone or the test kit arrives. If CYA is high I will drain and refill as required. If no test kit yet, I will likely maintain with the Trichlor pucks instead of bleach to see if I can get a handle on how they work prior to going on vacation. I think they will be used when we are away.

My primary concern at this point is that I have everything I need with the test kit prior to ordering. I don't want to wait 3 weeks to get it only to find out that I don't have all I need. I will order the speedstir and the XL option. What else do you recommend for the test kit to cover all my bases?

The cheapest bleach I have found is at the local equivalent of Costco. USD 2 /gallon of 5.25% concentrate. But everywhere else, significantly higher in price, but typically lower in concentration. I haven't yet found any conditioner. Go figure. There is a pool behind just about every house.

Sorry for the long post. I am looking forward to this whole process, it should be fun!!

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Fantastic looking pool

Glad to see you are going to order on of the recommended test kits. That is the key to understanding and maintaining the pool.
Good too that you seem to know the trichlor and dichlor are adding CYA to your pool.

As far as the TA, well that is the least important thing to worry about. But you can see all the recommended levels here:
Recommended Chemistry Levels

TF-100 + XL + SpeedStir should be all you need since you do not have a SWG or borates. Their pressure gauges are very nice and a good price.

No problem using the tablets / dichlor to maintain your CYA level if you can not find it by itself.

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP! That is an awesome pool!

 

[DaninFLA]

that's a really sharp looking pool

- - - Updated - - -

if you just filled the pool, your CYA isn't going to be high with the pucks yet, so you should be good there. depending on your test results when you get your TF-100, you may want to use up the rest of them to get your CYA up, and then start using straight bleach. or if you can return them and get refund and buy stabilizer separately that would work too. for now, just keep your FC up so it stays super clear like it is now.

 

[Patrick_B]

Yes, very nice pool...tiles no less.

Welcome to TFP!

 

[Inflatableman1]

Thanks for the welcome. To update, TF-100 is on the way... somewhere between Miami and Panama. I hope a fast plane instead of a slow boat.

I have been getting antsy waiting for the kit, so keep looking for things to do with the pool before it gets here. Here's my new problem. We noticed just prior to filling the pool a sort of hazy rough finish on the tile in some places. We were at the point where it was let's just fill it and get it done. We were three months over time and quite a bit over original quote. Probably should have sorted it prior to filling. I think it's a film of some type left over from tile installation/grouting. When you rub it off, it looks kind of like super thin plastic or fibre.

It's one of those things most people wouldn't notice. It bugs me 1)because it's there. 2)When the light is just right it is quite noticeable to me in places. I went after it with a scotch brite type of pad and it will come off with a fair bit of elbow grease. But my elbow grease runs out at about 3 ft deep. And the snorkel upsets my beer consumption.

It's pretty hard on the pads. Anyone have any recommendations for something that may be more effective for cleaning this? Either products or technique appreciated.

I will be doing a partial drain when the test kit gets here. It could be as much as half. So I will also have the opportunity of a low fluid level in the future if that is the way to go. I don't feel the need to drain the whole pool now, I just wanna get swimming. But that may be an option as well.

 

[Inflatableman1]

New Test Results - Double Check Me Please

Hi all,

Thanks everyone for all the help so far. It's amazing. I'm sure you'd rather be sitting in your own pool than helping us all the time during pool season. It's appreciated.

Got the TF-100. Thanks to Rebecca at TF Testkits. This is a great piece of kit and am already loving the feeling of control over the pool that it provides.

A little history: Moderator Comment - Two threads merged together

6 Week Old Pool - Lots of questions but test kit FIRST.

Was worried about CYA being high due to 22 lbs of Dichlor in the pool. TF-100 sorted that worry out. First CYA test was less than 20 ppm. Added 5 lbs stabilizer. Now tests at 30 ppm and will bring that up in the next day or two.

Have been working PH from the high 7's to 7.2 with 19% MA. Will start stabilizing that around 7.5 ppm.

Temp 88 F
PH 7.5
FC 2.5 (Morning level, pre-dose of 1 gallon 5.25% Bleach, which increases by +/- 3 ppm)
CC 0
Ch 125
TA 90
CYA 30
Pool is clear

I am really worried about the CH. I have some "softer" stone in my pool and I think it's etching a bit. Going to have to do some hunting for calcium chloride.

Am I on the right track? Thanks.

Ryan

 

[sbcpool]

Re: New Test Results - Double Check Me Please

Calcium chloride can be found cheap: C-Force 50 lb. Calcium Ice Melt Bag-F11DCP48 - The Home Depot

 

[Inflatableman1]

Re: New Test Results - Double Check Me Please

Thanks SBC but I'm a couple thousand miles from Home Depot.

Anyone want to confirm I'm heading in the right direction?

 

[tim5055]

Re: New Test Results - Double Check Me Please

Was worried about CYA being high due to 22 lbs of Dichlor in the pool. TF-100 sorted that worry out. First CYA test was less than 20 ppm. Added 5 lbs stabilizer. Now tests at 30 ppm and will bring that up in the next day or two.

Have been working PH from the high 7's to 7.2 with 19% MA. Will start stabilizing that around 7.5 ppm.

Temp 88 F
PH 7.5
FC 2.5 (Morning level, pre-dose of 1 gallon 5.25% Bleach, which increases by +/- 3 ppm)
CC 0
Ch 125
TA 90
CYA 30
Pool is clear

I am really worried about the CH. I have some "softer" stone in my pool and I think it's etching a bit. Going to have to do some hunting for calcium chloride.

Am I on the right track? Thanks.

Ryan

You seem to be exactly where you need to be. As CYA takes a while to register on the test, don't be in a hurry to add more until you know what your current level is.

You are correct to bring that CH up. Do yo know what the CH is of your fill water? I would assume you will be adding quite a bit due to evaporation. If the fill CH is high, I would shoot for about 250 and then let fill water bring it up. If the fill is fairly low in CH then you can target a higher number.