Greetings - I'm new to this group. We have lived in our home for 5 years now - there was already a pool here - and we continue to use the same person to maintain it on a weekly basis. Last year he suggested that it might be a good idea to consider draining it this past spring, but California is in such an awful drought that it didn't seem prudent. I decided to take a water sample to the local pool store, which after reading several posts here, was maybe not the best idea. Anyway, here are our results, accurate or not:
FAC: 5
CH: 700
CYA: 200
TA: 200
pH: 7.8
TDS: 5000
First, it sounds like we need to order our own test kit to have better results. In the meantime, I don't even know if the pool is safe for my kids to use. I imagine that some of these numbers are correctable with the proper chemicals, but are there others that definitely point to us needing to drain, or at least partially drain? The pool LOOKS good - very clear and clean - but I don't know if that really means anything.
I don't even know the exact size of the pool. How can I find out? It's pretty average size, but I know that specifics are important for accurate help. I'm ready to take matters more into my own hands, and am frustrated with feeling so ignorant about the pool and its safety.
Thanks for any thoughts about how to proceed, and whether to continue using until we have more information.
FAC: 5
CH: 700
CYA: 200
TA: 200
pH: 7.8
TDS: 5000
First, it sounds like we need to order our own test kit to have better results. In the meantime, I don't even know if the pool is safe for my kids to use. I imagine that some of these numbers are correctable with the proper chemicals, but are there others that definitely point to us needing to drain, or at least partially drain? The pool LOOKS good - very clear and clean - but I don't know if that really means anything.
I don't even know the exact size of the pool. How can I find out? It's pretty average size, but I know that specifics are important for accurate help. I'm ready to take matters more into my own hands, and am frustrated with feeling so ignorant about the pool and its safety.
Thanks for any thoughts about how to proceed, and whether to continue using until we have more information.