CH sky high...

[Sunnydaze]

I'll order a speedstir and some more r-0012 from amazon, I'll get the r-0012 C size

I'll retest when I get the speedstir and be sure to let the drops form.

Thanks again everyone!!!

The speed stir makes testing 1000000000% easier and more consistent. That estimation is mine and not substantiated by any scientific studies nor is it peer reviewed. But it's true

 

[ajw22]

It seems that TFT has some faulty bottle tips being sent out. We figured it out on this thread and the OP had an old bottle tip that worked fine.

@Quinten contact TFT and have them send you some replacement bottles.

New TFT reagents, getting much different results

Just received a refill set of reagents from TFTestkits. My calcium test results are coming in much hotter then my previous reagents. My old reagents are Taylor-branded bottles, and they are still in date and stored indoors. Pool was filled fresh on Jan 11 (after a plaster repolish). On Jan 12...

www.troublefreepool.com

@OTPirate

 

[Newdude]

I'll retest when I get the speedstir and be sure to let the drops form

You prompted me to search for CH videos last night and one had a high CH doing it by hand. I thought I was watching a documentary on the stone ages as he dropped and paused to swirl, 50 (?) times. Plus the original 20 drops and ooooops, it kinda stopped swirling a little again. Lemme swirl this some more before continuing. And OMG it was painful to watch.

One use and you will sleep with the speed stir under your pillow. Only the tooth fairy will be able to try and take it from you, and it won't end well for her. You will feel terrible for your kids, but explain to them that she got what she deserved.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

Keep your hands off of the speed stir!

--Jeff

 

[Cena_sea]

I had issues with test sometimes turning light blue, but sometimes staying purple (iron in water specs). One time I kept adding a ton of drops and it seemed to stay purple and then just went clear.

I read on here someone mentioned adding 1-2 extra blue drops and since doing that the color turns to a much more apparent blue. I found it helpful.

I’ve only added extra blue for pool water. For fill test (done twice more recently) I kept the test as written. It turned kinda purplish blue after one drop but a super blue after 2 drops both times I’ve tested tap. But it was that super blue fill result that prompted me to search here because the pool water test never reached that color. But the extra blue drops now in pool do make it easier for me to distinguish blue.

 

[Quinten]

It did appear that the drop size on the r-0012 was perhaps smaller? Especially compared to the r-0011 drop size. I have a new bottle of r-0012 (c size) coming and I'll see if I get different readings.

I do get a darker blue when testing the house soft water, I'll experiment a little adding an extra drop of the r-0011 just to see but I'm not sure if that would be an accurate result. I'll see if I can get tap water readings in line with others who state it should be in the 250 range, then see what I get for the pool.

 

[ManiacalMama]

That is a problem since the autofill line is under the pool deck and run from the hose bib, I guess I could turn that off and go to a manual fill with the soft water, but that would be a pain.

Been in this house for 22 years, had the pool renovated about 6 years ago, There is a little bit of a water line on the tile, but I clean that off each year, there really aren't any issues that are apparent with the pool but getting ready to switch to a SWG and want to try and get the water balanced first. I just saw a post about someone getting calcium flakes a day after using their SWG... would that be lowering CH

Yeah...that was me.
Turns out my CH level of 675 was wrong. It's about 550-575. Right around where I thought it should be.
Use an extra drop of the 0011L...that reagent is super thick so the drops come out small. I had to make myself slow down with 0012. I also gave the tip a wipe with a piece of damp paper towel to eliminate static.
And you NEED a speed stir. I have no idea how anyone would get accurate results on that test with even semi high CH.
I am in the middle of a water exchange as we speak. It's gonna take forrrrrevvvvver.

 

[Quinten]

I'll retest later today, just got a speedstir.

I do believe some of my testing issues may be with the r-0012 drop size. The r-0011 drops seem well formed, I may try running a needle through the r-0012 tip to see if that helps getting a reading on the tap water near what it is reported to be for this area. I think that will tell me if my testing is accurate as right now I'm getting double what the tap water readings for this area are.

I'm also considering getting a small softener for the auto fill line, it would be pretty easy to plump in and not too terribly expensive. It would be too much trouble to try and connect the auto fill to the house soft water.

Only issue would be trying to determine the water use and the regen cycles which will vary quite a bit from spring through fall. Perhaps I can find a small meter to put on the line to determine usage and when to regen..

 

[Flying Tivo]

I may try running a needle through the r-0012 tip to see if that helps getting a reading on the tap water near what it is reported to be for this area

Lets see what the higher minds have to say but i dont think its a good idea.

 

[Quinten]

Retested with the speedstir, was able to get a CH of 300 on the tap water and 1000 on the pool water. I never do get a blue color like when I test the soft water, more or a purple then clear. If I go by when it changes to purple I am a little lower on CH (maybe a drop or two). So best I can tell, will need to drain and refill with soft water about 50 to 60% of pool, then I should be around 450-500 CH.

 

[mknauss]

Have you done the test method I posted in #14? That typically helps see the transition easier.

 

[Quinten]

I will do that procedure (adding 10 drops of r-0012 first) the next test. Someone else had mentioned adding a drop or two more of the r-0011 to aid in seeing the transition, but I'm not sure that would be accurate.

At any rate, I'm going to drain and refill with soft water about 60% of the pool which should get me at the correct CH, not sure if I will get soft water on the fill line right away, but I will keep an eye on the CH and see how quickly it rises during the summer.

 

[mknauss]

Someone else had mentioned adding a drop or two more of the r-0011 to aid in seeing the transition, but I'm not sure that would be accurate.

You can add another drop or two of indicator.

 

[proavia]

The water softener only produces 'x' number of gallons between regeneration cycles - in the 1000 to 3000 gallon range based on the size/grain count of the softener and how it is programmed.
And regeneration can take an hour or two to complete - during which time you will probably be getting non-softened water from any normal soft water pipe.

 

[Quinten]

The water softener only produces 'x' number of gallons between regeneration cycles - in the 1000 to 3000 gallon range based on the size/grain count of the softener and how it is programmed.
And regeneration can take an hour or two to complete - during which time you will probably be getting non-softened water from any normal soft water pipe.

I have a kinetico twin tank softener so there is soft water during regeneration which takes about 45 minutes. In this area the k60 uses a #2 disc which will regenerate at ~ 600 gallons so if I'm using less than 600 gallons every 45 minutes I'll have continuous soft water.

 

[proavia]

Great - with the Kinetico twin tank system you always have soft water (unless you deplete the second tank before the first one finishes regen).

I am still wondering why your tap water is testing at CH 300. That seems about 50ppm high for Colorado River water.
When was the last time the pool was fully drained? With a tap CH of 300 and a pool CH of 1000, I would guess about two to two and a half years ago.

 

[Quinten]

Yes the pool was remodeled 6 years ago, then did about a 50% water drain and refill with hose water 3 years ago and just did a 50% drain and refill this week with hose water. I'll update my testing to the recommendations of adding ~ 10 drops of the r-0012 first then adding that to the final result. I'll also use an additional drop or two of the r-0011 the help is seeing the color change. I do get a light purple color which may actually be the blue I'm looking for. Adding more r-0012 tends to turn the solution clear rather than blue.

If I assume (I know wrong to assume) that the desired color result is once the solution turns purple, that would put me closer to the 250 CH on the tap and ~ 800 in the pool.

 

[proavia]

Add an extra drop of indicator to the tap water test and maybe two drops extra to the pool water test.
The end of the test is supposed to be when the color turns to blue, not purple.
Putting in 5-10 drops of R-0012 up front should also help.

 

[proavia]

Reagent bottle perfectly vertical.
Let each drop fully form on the tip - don't force the drop off by squeezing the bottle too hard.
About 1 second between each drop dispensed.

 

[Quinten]

Reagent bottle perfectly vertical.
Let each drop fully form on the tip - don't force the drop off by squeezing the bottle too hard.
About 1 second between each drop dispensed.

That was the method I was using... Getting a new bottle of r-0012 (C size) delivered Wednesday that I will use to compare results with the bottle included in the test kit. Hopefully I'll get closer to the 250 CH readings that are reported to be in the tap water in this area.

Would anyone know what type of CH variances they may be in a regional municipal water supply?