New pool, trying to figure things out

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Bronzeback5

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Jun 14, 2015
47
Wheatfield, IN
New pool owner and just got it all set up and filled. It looks good but not great. I filled it up using an ecoone hose filter and for sure that saved my butt because my iron has been awful the last few weeks. Anyways, I have added 2lbs of cya over the last 2 days from a sock and have put 128oz of 10%chlorine. I have used the pool calculator and read quite a bit from this site. Some I understand, and some I don't like the different chlorine readings and what I should be shooting for. I'll quit rambling and show my numbers and listen to any advise. I am using a tf-100 test kit.


Fc- 11.5

Cc- 1

Tc- 12.5

CYA- 30

TA- 180

PH- 7.5

CL- 5 ??? On the k-1000 test kit
 
Welcome to TFP!

Sounds like you are well ahead of most of us when we first got pools, so great job there! You are also holding the Cadillac of test kits so again you are ahead of the game!

Just a heads up, the yellow chlorine test is one you don't need to post. It is kind of a broad chlorine test that once you get used to your pool and testing you can use to get a rough idea if your chlorine is taking a significant dive. Your FC and CC test is where you get your specific numbers.

Speaking of which, your CC is worrisome. Anything above 1 indicates a problem, and if you are noticing some cloudiness then you might have a bit of algae. You will want to start a SLAM to make sure that everything is cleared out. Luckily you caught it early so it shouldn't be a long process. Once you get through that you will be starting with a clean pool and it will be easy to keep that way by following the methods you have read about here.

Here is the SLAM article, make sure you follow it carefully, especially making sure not to end it before meeting all three criteria: Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain
 
Bronzeback5 said:
So I have allot of chlorine in my pool? Does the fc number tell me that alone?
Click to expand...

Your CC is 'used up' combined chlorine that indicates you have something living in your pool. Your FC is free chlorine that is available to kill things.

You don't want any CC as it usually means there are things living in your pool (otherwise the FC would oxidize and get rid of the CC; it can't get rid of the CC if there are things living in the pool as it has to focus on killing them first).

To get rid of CC, and kill the bacteria/algae you keep your FC level at shock level. It will get used up and turn into CC and when all the stuff is dead your FC can oxidize your CC and you'll get rid of that too. Then you can let your FC drop to the recommended level for your CYA. See this chart for your recommended level (after getting rid of the CC) and your shock level (to get rid of it) Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart

Also remember it takes a week for all the CYA to show up on your test, so you may actually have a higher CYA level than what you measured if you just added two days ago.

That's what SLAMing is.

That being said, if you just filled your pool and put in appropriate chlorine from the start, you may want to redo your test before starting a SLAM. Maybe you made a mistake and don't have any CC after all.
 
It took a week to fill with low water pressure and giving the pump lots of breaks. We also got dumped on with several inches of rain almost every day during the fill. I don't know if this would affect it or not.

I see my first mistake. I used the pool calculator and figured their is no way that adding just 44 oz of chlorine would suffice for a new pool so I dumped the whole gallon in there. I will retest tomorrow morning before work.
 
It was a lucky "mistake" then! With a CC reading of 1.0, something you don't want in your pool (algae, bacteria, etc.), is being killed by your FC. That's what CC represents. You want CC to be 0.5 or less.

We are suggesting you get your FC even higher so that you kill off whatever bad stuff is making that CC.
 
Came home to a green pool last night. Got another 4-5 inches of rain in the last 2 days. I have not been running the filter but a few hours a day because for now it is on an extension cord and all the rain I did not feel comfortable, I think that was my downfall.


So I added chlorine and the filter will keep running. It will get a scrubbing every day. I'd there anything else I should be doing?


Fc- 16

Cc- .5

Tc- 16.5


Is this too high of a chlorine level? My wife is nagging saying I turned the pool green with to much chlorine and I should go to the pool store because I don't know what I'm doing, partially true I guess lol.


Thanks for any help.
 

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Have you been adding bleach every day? You have to feed your pool every day to maintain it.

Now you need to SLAM. Here is a link to how to do it. Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain

Tell your wife you are taking better care of your pool than the pool store ever will AND saving MUCH money in the process!

I saw that you work long hours. Is there any way your wife can/will do some testing and adding? If she can/will your pool will get clear again.

Kim
 
This morning was 16 and .5


About 5 hours later at 1:30 I'm at

Fc- 14

Cc- .5

I'm going to bump it up to 16 again right now before I leave for work. I will also have the wife put a Lil chlorine in at dark and then I'll check things when I get home at 4 am. I took pictures so hopefully that will give me some reference. I have to make some headway, the wife is a big fan of the blondes at the pool store so I have to show her I know what I'm doing the next few days. I appreciate all the help. This is a very active forum with a ton of knowledge to gain.
 
kimkats said:
The pic of the steps will SHOW the progress better than anything. It will show the color change and how clear it is getting.

Kim
Click to expand...

I hope I can get to a clean blue pool. My brother has had a pool for 17 years. He opens the pool with a few bags of shock, some clarifier, and then only does a few pucks the rest of the year. He says he as not done a water test in 15 years and his pool is always amazing. He had city water so I'm sure that helps. It works for him and he just laughs at the stories he hears of others problems. I feel I'm going to be one of them stories so hopefully I'll learn a bit and have a nice pool that I can control.
 
I call your brother's technique "pucks and prayer." I really hope that you are underestimating the number of pucks he uses; if he doesn't keep some FC in there all the time then there is bound to be some nasty bacteria growing. People like to compare it to a pond, but a pond is an active ecosystem. A non-sanitized pool is stagnant water, considerably different.

I have to warn you, when you get used to a TFPC pool you start to become a bit of a snob when it comes to pools. You notice the smell of other pools and see that their "clear pools" just don't have the same shimmer.

Just wondering, that particular shade of green is setting off an alarm in my mind, have you used algaecide in your pool recently? Specifically one containing copper or any other copper containing product?
 
Wife put metal out in it at half full and almost full. After fill it has just been cloudy with the very slightest hint of green, I actually thought it was the reflection of the trees. Someone posted that something is probably brewing. We got swamped with rain Saturday Sunday and Monday and I come home Monday night and it's what it is. Since being full I have only added cya and chlorine.

Now that I think of it, my pH was over 8 and I did not get the 7.5 reading until I had bumped my chlorine over 10 I think. Now I'm thinking I may still have high ph during my slam
 
Making some progress.

I brought it to 16 before work and the wife added 17 oz at dark and then I tested when I got home @3am.

Wednesday 3am

Fc- 16

Cc- .5

Tc- 16.5

Ta- 120

Cya- 20


Wednesday 10am

Fc- 14

Cc- .5

Tc- 14.5

Cya- 20


Seems I never got to 30 on cya when I added through the sock plus I have drained some water with all the rain. Should I add some to get me to 30-40 or just continue with SLAM?
 

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