Am I doing it wrong?

[Barracudamuscle]

Good afternoon,

So I’ve been using the TFP test kit for about 6 months and utilizing the app. A couple weeks ago I happened to take my water with me just to see what it read. I was surprised to hear the alkalinity read low, when I was showing it at 100.

Today, after cleaning my filters/salt cell and letting the pool run a bit, I took a water bottle sample and did a test with my TFP set and took the remainder to Leslie’s for comparison. It is way off! Chlorine I showed as 7.5 (turning off cell), Leslie’s showed 4.63.

Alkalinity, I tested as 100, they showed 48. I’ve attached the latest test results and a video of me testing alkalinity to see if you see me doing it wrong. Alkalinity Testing

PH I’ve been using a Apera AI311 PH60 showing 8.38, they showed 7.5.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[reggiehammond]

With all due respect, the store testing is not trustworthy and you only serve to confuse yourself by using it.
Store testing is not apples to apples to drop-based testing, they use an adjusted TA method that's unsuitable for TFP methods.

Trust your tests. Drop based testing is the gold-standard because it's as simple as counting. You do need to better control your TA via pH adjustments to protect your SWCG from scaling. CSI should be 0 to -.6

 

[Newdude]

+1. When they use adjusted TA, it's low. Then they can sell you baking soda at $28 a lb. That'll be $224 please. Come back next week for your 'free test'.

 

[Griswald]

You should have added another drop to see if there was no more change in color, but your test looks correct.

 

[Barracudamuscle]

You should have added another drop to see if there was no more change in color, but your test looks correct.

Not pictured but I did add another drop and no change. Interesting, I didn’t know they used adjusted TA, big pool sure is a scam!

So now to try and get my TA down. I’ve been struggling with it for awhile, I even ran my pool in “hot tub mode” by drawing from the pool, returning through the hot tub jets to try and aerate it for a week.

Any tips for reducing TA? I’ve followed the guidance of dropping PH to 7.2, aerate and repeat to get TA down but can’t seem to get below 100.

 

[Mdragger88]

If you have higher ta fill water it will be an uphill battle. But don’t worry, just keep managing ph.
Love the username btw!
Mopar or no car

 

[HermanTX]

Any tips for reducing TA? I’ve followed the guidance of dropping PH to 7.2, aerate and repeat to get TA down but can’t seem to get below 100.

It is not an overnight process to lower TA. It may take weeks of doing your cycle. Also, every pool is a little different. Yours may settle out at 80 and be fine, others may be lower. Don't be overly concerned, just continue to do it.

For your pH probe - ensure you calibrate it every 3-6 months - depending on use. You can search the forum for Apera pH probe and find some good guidance.

 

[proavia]

Don't waste your time having water tested at Leslies or any other pool store.
You have one of the best test kits out there.
If you feel you need to get more comfortable with using the test kit, have a read thru the extended test kit directions.

Extended Test Kit Directions Archives

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Bperry]

Good afternoon,

So I’ve been using the TFP test kit for about 6 months and utilizing the app. A couple weeks ago I happened to take my water with me just to see what it read. I was surprised to hear the alkalinity read low, when I was showing it at 100.

Today, after cleaning my filters/salt cell and letting the pool run a bit, I took a water bottle sample and did a test with my TFP set and took the remainder to Leslie’s for comparison. It is way off! Chlorine I showed as 7.5 (turning off cell), Leslie’s showed 4.63.

Alkalinity, I tested as 100, they showed 48. I’ve attached the latest test results and a video of me testing alkalinity to see if you see me doing it wrong. Alkalinity Testing

PH I’ve been using a Apera AI311 PH60 showing 8.38, they showed 7.5.

Any help is appreciated!

And if you took the same water sample to another pool store (even another Leslie’s) you get a third set of different results.

 

[Barracudamuscle]

Big thank you to everyone for your time and response. It’s been about 3 months since I calibrated the PH gauge so I’ll do that again today and retest.

I totally spaced TA on the fill water, I’ll test that and get a grasp over what that baseline is. Awhile back I ran it for 2 weeks on the hot tub aerator and never saw a drop. I’ll just keep chipping away at it.

I’ll also never test again with Leslie’s. I’ve been on the TFP band wagon for awhile, and honestly just wondered how my visual CYA test would compare since that test is a little tricky, and in this case it was 79 vs my eyeballed 80 so I’m doing that part right.

I’ll drop the PH, turn off my SWCG a bit, and aerate like crazy trying to get my TA down.

 

[Mdragger88]

Big thank you to everyone for your time and response. It’s been about 3 months since I calibrated the PH gauge so I’ll do that again today and retest.

I totally spaced TA on the fill water, I’ll test that and get a grasp over what that baseline is. Awhile back I ran it for 2 weeks on the hot tub aerator and never saw a drop. I’ll just keep chipping away at it.

I’ll also never test again with Leslie’s. I’ve been on the TFP band wagon for awhile, and honestly just wondered how my visual CYA test would compare since that test is a little tricky, and in this case it was 79 vs my eyeballed 80 so I’m doing that part right.

I’ll drop the PH, turn off my SWCG a bit, and aerate like crazy trying to get my TA down.

You can always order the cya standard solution to be sure you’re interpreting the test results correctly

R-7065 CYA Standard 50ppm (2oz)

tftestkits.net

The aeration doesn’t lower your ta - it simply increases ph without increasing ta allowing you to then lower ph (& subsequently ta ) with acid sooner.

 

[Barracudamuscle]

You can always order the cya standard solution to be sure you’re interpreting the test results correctly

R-7065 CYA Standard 50ppm (2oz)

tftestkits.net

The aeration doesn’t lower your ta - it simply increases ph without increasing ta allowing you to then lower ph (& subsequently ta ) with acid sooner.

Thanks for the tip on the CYA solution, I’ll add that to my next order.

Also never thought through exactly the chemistry of lowering TA by aerating but thanks for adding that information to bring it all together.

 

[proavia]

Aerating doesn't lower TA.
Adding muriatic acid will lower pH and TA. Aerating will raise the pH, thereby allowing you to add acid again to lower the pH and the TA.

Have a read thru this blog article

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Mdragger88]

Thanks for the tip on the CYA solution, I’ll add that to my next order.

Also never thought through exactly the chemistry of lowering TA by aerating but thanks for adding that information to bring it all together.

Yup - ph & ta are kinda married… what happens to one affects the other in almost every scenario except aeration.
It’s the only time ph gets to do it’s own thing on the side without effecting ta. Once I realized how their “relationship” worked the cause & effect of what I was doing/adding & what was happening made a whole lot more sense!

 

[reggiehammond]

I have high TA fill water, so I battle all summer. I dose from 8.0 down to 7.0, then wait a few days, and can dose again. I don't worry about aerating as the pH will rise from the high TA balance fairly quickly.

 

[Barracudamuscle]

Alright,

Good news is I’ve got my Alkalinity finally down! I used my Harbor Frieght sump pump with my filter flosser (random thought) to aerate the water. I also made 2 aerators from another poster.

I’m sitting at 70 TA now. Only issue is my CSI rating is now -.62 but hopefully PH will naturally rise to 7.7 so I can get below -.3 CSI.

I thought about keeping my aerators going, but between my SWCG and going out of town for a week I think it’ll work itself out in a week or so.