Above Ground Pool Opening Issue

[kevinsloan]

Hey all,

I've read the ABC's and had a buddy who is a member here, and introduced me to TFP, come over to help me out yesterday.
I have a Summer Waves 14' x 42" (3,300 gallons) above ground pool.
My buddy showed me and my wife how to test our water with his TF-100 test kit as well as how to use the PoolMath app, which I downloaded and subscribed to.
We have a water softener and the initial water test results came back as:
FC: 0.0
pH: 7.2
TA: 260
CH: 50

Added 34oz of liquid chlorine. Waited an hour or two.
Then added 185oz of muriatic acid, waited over an hour or two, then did a water test with the results:
FC: 3.0
pH: 6.0*
TA: 70

*We assumed 6.0 or so because the color was lighter than the 6.8 color chart on the pH test.

We added a 4lbs box of Borax, waited an hour, and did a pH test again. About the same.
Added another 4lbs box of Borax, waited an hour, and did a pH test again. A bit better but still lighter than 6.8.
Added yet another 4lbs box of Borax, and went to bed.
This morning I tested the pH and it was Dang close to 6.8.
I ran out for a bit and we got about half an inch of rain added in the pool while I was gone.
I came back from running around, the rain had stopped, with two more boxes of Borax, and added one 4lbs box of Borax to the pool.
Waited over an hour and tested the water and got these results:
FC: 0.5
pH: 7.2
TA: 260

So basically I'm right back where I started.
Why did my TA go back to 260?
Did the rain do this?
What am I missing or doing wrong?
Do I really need to add more muriatic acid and star this whole thing over again?

My water test goal is:
FC: 2.0
pH: 7.6
TA: 70

Thank you for your support.
Hoping we can start swimming tomorrow, Saturday.

Kevin "Please and Thank You" Sloan

 

[kevinsloan]

Update:
We turned/pointed the water pump/filter outlet up to create more of a surface disturbance to help aerate the water and bring the TA down.
Will check TA levels in about an hour or two and see where it is.
Kev

 

[Richard320]

Stop stop stop stop

Do not worry about the TA level. It is what it is and maybe it's not even that. What you need to watch is the pH. TA is the very last thing you need to mess with. Chasing a number just leads to a lot of effort and wasted chemicals. There is a known issue with static electricity on the tip of the R-009 that makes drops smaller so readings are artificially high. I suspect that is what happened to you, so you overdosed the acid and crashed the pH. Nobody is impressed with test results. They're impressed with crystal clear water that they can swim in. And with the pH down at 6, nobody can swim in it.

Clean the tip of the R-009 bottle with a damp paper towel before every drop for the next three TA tests. But don't bother testing TA until the pH rises too high and needs adjusting. You need to get some CYA in that water and keep pH in range -- not ideal, just in range -- and the FC correct for your CYA. FC/CYA Levels

Then as things stabilize and people use the pool, you can start fine tuning things.

 

[kevinsloan]

Stop stop stop stop

Do not worry about the TA level. It is what it is and maybe it's not even that. What you need to watch is the pH. TA is the very last thing you need to mess with. Chasing a number just leads to a lot of effort and wasted chemicals. There is a known issue with static electricity on the tip of the R-009 that makes drops smaller so readings are artificially high. I suspect that is what happened to you, so you overdosed the acid and crashed the pH. Nobody is impressed with test results. They're impressed with crystal clear water that they can swim in. And with the pH down at 6, nobody can swim in it.

Clean the tip of the R-009 bottle with a damp paper towel before every drop for the next three TA tests. But don't bother testing TA until the pH rises too high and needs adjusting. You need to get some CYA in that water and keep pH in range -- not ideal, just in range -- and the FC correct for your CYA. FC/CYA Levels

Then as things stabilize and people use the pool, you can start fine tuning things.

Thank you!!!

Kev

 

[Sotex]

Stop stop stop stop

Do not worry about the TA level. It is what it is and maybe it's not even that. What you need to watch is the pH. TA is the very last thing you need to mess with. Chasing a number just leads to a lot of effort and wasted chemicals. There is a known issue with static electricity on the tip of the R-009 that makes drops smaller so readings are artificially high. I suspect that is what happened to you, so you overdosed the acid and crashed the pH. Nobody is impressed with test results. They're impressed with crystal clear water that they can swim in. And with the pH down at 6, nobody can swim in it.

Clean the tip of the R-009 bottle with a damp paper towel before every drop for the next three TA tests. But don't bother testing TA until the pH rises too high and needs adjusting. You need to get some CYA in that water and keep pH in range -- not ideal, just in range -- and the FC correct for your CYA. FC/CYA Levels

Then as things stabilize and people use the pool, you can start fine tuning things.

I steered him wrong! As you stated, we should have disregarded the TA for now and added stabilizer while getting chlorine and pH to goal. Correct?

 

[Richard320]

I steered him wrong! As you stated, we should have disregarded the TA for now and added stabilizer while getting chlorine and pH to goal. Correct?

Yep. The goal is to have the pool swimmable, not to have the most ideal test results.

There's really only three hard and fast rukes
1) pH in range
2) Adequate FC for your CYA
3) Able to see the bottom of the pool

If you have those three, you can swim. Test results are just the means to the end.