Fairly new pool owner.....Need advice.

[JesseWV]

Readings as of 8pm:

TH 200
FC 3-6
PH 7.5
TA 180
CYA 0

I pulled both filters and washed them out. The first one was pretty green. I guess the pool was already developing algae since filling it Sunday night? I also added the 2nd treatment of Dichlor (8oz) The water has a teal look to it right now.

If you have algae you should shock the pool. I'm unsure of the proper shock level if your CYA is still 0. I don't think it can be really 0 though if you've put 16oz of dichlor in.

It's also possible your CYA test is bad. Try putting a 1/4 teaspoon of dichlor into 2 cups water, let it dissolve and measure with your strip. Something should show up on the CYA pad.

 

[krashhole]

I will try that test tomorrow. I know I need to get away from the test strips, but it's all I have right now to test TH,TA, and CYA. I'm also going to take a sample of water to Leslie's tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[krashhole]

8am readings and still showing 0 CYA on the strips....
TH 200
FC 5-10
PH 7.5
TA 180
CYA 0

 

[Bama Rambler]

As mentioned before, don't rely on those test strips. Post back what Leslies test show. It may not be accurate but hopefully it's better than the strips you have.

You really need a good test kit.

 

[krashhole]

Thanks Bama Rambler. I know I need a good kit, just cant afford to get one right now. I know Leslie's has a kit for about $30, but I dont think it tests for CYA. Wal-mart has a HTH 6 way kit for $20, but I dont know if it tests for CYA.

I also want to note that on the HTH website, they have a water testing section and according to my test results, it says I need:
pH Minus
Recomended because your Alkalinity level is Hi.
Dosage: 7 lb, 14 oz.

Does this sound right?

 

[Bama Rambler]

Check out that Walmart kit. If it's the kit I think it is you can use it. It's not as good as the TF test kits but it'll get you by till you can get a better one.

Don't add anything but chlorine until you get some good test numbers. Since the strips are so suspect you don't want to adjust anything using the numbers you get from them.

 

[krashhole]

OK, Leslie's test results:
FC 3
CH 320
CYA 25!
TA 110
PH 7.5

I'm glad to see the CYA @25 as well as the TA being 110 instead of 180. I had a feeling the strips were off and therefore I wont be using them again.

 

[JesseWV]

OK, Leslie's test results:
FC 3
CH 320
CYA 25!
TA 110
PH 7.5

I'm glad to see the CYA @25 as well as the TA being 110 instead of 180. I had a feeling the strips were off and therefore I wont be using them again.

Brush around your skimmer, your ladder, and any other nooks and crannies algae might hide. Then add 10oz of dichlor which will bring your FC up above 12 (shock level) to take care of your algae. This will also bring your CYA up to around 34. Maintain the 12ppm FC level using liquid bleach until you pass the overnight FC loss test.

Again, anyone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[krashhole]

According to Leslie's, he said more than likely it's just tree pollen settling in the bottom of the pool. I suspect thats possible because my pool stays uncovered 95% of the time. I have one more night to do the Dichlor thing. Should I do the overnight FC loss test the following night?

 

[Bama Rambler]

I would recommend doing the OCLT the following night, if for no other reason than peace of mind.

 

[krashhole]

Thanks again for all the help guys. I will have to work on getting a FAS-DPD test kit.

 

[krashhole]

Pool is looking better. FC was 5 this morning and it's 3 right now. PH is still holding at 7.5

 

[krashhole]

FC is still showing 3. I'm assuming it's because there wasn't any sun out yesterday and it's been cloudy all morning.

 

[krashhole]

So I brought my FC from 3 to 5 yesterday. Me, my wife, and our 19month old son got in the pool about 4pm. I didnt get to check the pool last night so I checked it this morning. My FC was 0. Using the calculator, I used enough bleach to bring my FC up to 4. My question is, did it drop like that because we were in the pool? Or could I have algae trying to bloom? In either case, should I shock the pool tonight using bleach or just keep an eye on it?

 

[krashhole]

Can someone tell me what would keep my water from clearing up? The water has a blue look to it, but you cant see the bottom clearly. I have been checking the water every evening and then again in the morning. Last night my FC was 5 after adding the bleach. This morning it was around 4 and tonight it was back down to 0. I added the proper amount of bleach again to raise my FC level to 5 and I will check it again in the morning.

I know the sun is going to eat up the chlorine during the day, but to be down to 0 the last 2 nights? The pool sits in full sunlight all day without a cover and no trees around it. I'm stumped on this one.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Did you get that Walmart HTH test kit? If so post the numbers from it.

Are you doing a proper OCLT.
Add chlorine, wait an hour after addition and after the sun has gone down, test again and record FC & CC.
Get up and test before the sun comes up and record FC & CC.
You should lose 1ppm FC or less and have .5 ppm CC or less.

Are you running the pump continously? and are you adding chlorine every day?

 

[krashhole]

Thanks for the reply Bama Rambler.

I didnt get that kit because I was holding out to get the single CYA test kit here on the site. After adding the bleach last night, I tested again about 2 hours later and the FC was showing 5 maybe 6. The HTH kit I have only goes to 5. This morning it was still showing 5. I have 2 pumps running inline on this pool and they run 356 days a year. Every night I add the proper amount of bleach to bring my FC where it needs to be. I know I need a good test kit I just can't afford it right now being unemployed. I just want to try and keep the water right so my kids can enjoy the pool.

 

[krashhole]

I tested my FC again at 3pm and it was down to .5 I went ahead and placed a 3" tablet in the skimmer basket. It says on the package 1 tablet treats 10,000 gallons and will bring the FC between 1-4?? I know my pool only holds 4400 gallons, but at the rate the chlorine is being used up, I'm hoping maybe it will balance out. I will check the FC tonight and see where the tablet has it.

 

[krashhole]

The 3" chlorine tablet managed to keep the FC around 3 today and is now back up to 5 maybe a little higher. Problem I am having is the water has that greenish look to it again. I have been taking both filters out every other day and washing them. I spoke with a guy at Leslie's earlier and he said the pumps used with these pools dont have enough HP to keep the water filtered correctly. I told him I was running 2 pumps and the filbur filters they recommended last year. I dont know what else to do right now. The way my pool looks right now is exactly how it looked when I drained it nearly 2 weeks ago. I have made sure my PH is staying in range as well as the FC.

Help me out guys, I'm really at a loss.....

 

[JasonLion]

Do you have a recent set of test results?