Few questions about testing

[petrocomical]

Hi there folks, I have a few questions wanted to see how i'm looking. My IG liner pool has been up and running since mid September. I thought my dinky lil test kit would do the trick along with some strips... first mistake. So hating online shopping as I do I ran to leslies and asked for the recommended fas-dpd kit they sell. Well I wound up with the one below it that don't have the powder. The clerk didn't know the difference nor did I.
this one http://www.lesliespool.com/Home/Pool-Ch ... 81330.html

So can I buy just the powder and i'm good or would I be missing something?

Also I kind of dove into this...literally and would like to see what yall think of my water spec's.

My pool is about 30k kidney shaped IG liner pool, running a Pentair 60 sand filter running a Hayward 1hp superpump, my cleaner is a kreepy crawly inherited with the house.
3 returns and now a dedicated pressure side line with a Hayward booster pump. No pressure cleaner as of yet though.

FC is 3
CC is 0 ( I think )
TA is 100
PH is 7.4
CH is around 140
CYA is 40
per my testing

Leslies' came up with
FC 3
CC 3
TA 110
PH 7.5
CH 120
CYA 40
Phosphates 500 and tried to sell me some phosfree...

My water is clear, pool is clean this is my first season so i'm not closing it at all. Only problem I had I worked a lot of OT for a bit and let it go for 4 days just adding my normal 32oz of liquid chlorine per day. I use a 10% liquid chlorine from the big blue box store for less than 4 bucks a bottle. During that time I was using strips only for testing and my ph went up to 8 and FC down to 1 and had a light brown looking algae on the bottom that was only noticeable when you brush the floor. I threw in some polyquat 50% enough to treat 20k gallons and brought my FC up to 4 and held it there for 2 days and back to sparkling she went. My pool has been open since mid September little bather load and stays very clean as far as debris, except for the suicide earth worms

When I run the FC test then the CC part I see no change in the color if FC is at 3 the CC part says 3 so i'm at 0 CC right ???
Water doesn't smell like chlorine. Leslies says i'm up to 3 FC and 3 CC so from what I've read here its time for my first slam no???
Which brings me back to my first question I need the powder part of the test right? :grrrr:

Thanks in advance I think I would have a coy pond by now or be bankrupt if I would not have found this site and listened only to the "pro's" at the pool store.
and i'm not just ragging leslies they are very nice but man I love the look on their faces when you give em that sample and they say everything is in range sir

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, petrocomical

Well I wound up with the one below it that don't have the powder. The clerk didn't know the difference nor did I.

Happens all the time, especially when people ask at Leslies. The kit with the fas-dpd test is rarely available locally.

Here is the fas-dpd chlorine test: http://tftestkits.net/FAS-DPD-Chlorine-CC-s-test-p47.html

Pentair 60 sand filter

Just be aware, your filter is way undersized for your pool. Your current one is 2.3 sq. ft. and we would recommend a minimum of 5.6 sq.ft. sand filter for you large pool. What this means to you is potentially having to backwash much more often. Generally, it can be lived with but I sure wish you would have found us before you bought.

First I would ignore Leslies testing, it will only confuse you and often pool store (especial chains) testing is very inconsistent.

When I run the FC test then the CC part I see no change in the color if FC is at 3 the CC part says 3 so i'm at 0 CC right ???

Your are correct. The second part of the dpd chlorine test (the one you have) measures Total Chlorine (TC). FC-TC=CC or put another way Total Chlorine (TC) = Free Chlorine (FC) - Combined Chlorine (CC)

Water doesn't smell like chlorine. Leslies says i'm up to 3 FC and 3 CC so from what I've read here its time for my first slam no???

Ignore Leslies, as you noted above, you do not have CC. No CC and water crystal clear suggests you have no reason to SLAM.

 

[petrocomical]

Thank you for your response, so can I get the powder part of the kit and not have to replace the whole kit?

As far as the sand filter I've backwashed once since I've had the pool and by the pressure reading didn't need to but I did anyway just to see how dirty the filter was. The builder didn't put new sand in it and the pool had been green for at least 4 years. He said I didn't need new sand just chlorine ran through it and a backwash in a few weeks he estimated the pool at 30k. Is backwashing once every 45-60 days often? I have a dedicated backwash line that is plumbed into the sewer so its no hassle at all. I have the older Triton like this but with the top mount valve. http://www.poolsupplyunlimited.com/best ... 7AodcgYAtQ

 

[linen]

Thank you for your response, so can I get the powder part of the kit and not have to replace the whole kit?

Yes the Leslies kit you have (re-badged Taylor K-2005) is only missing the fas-dpd test.

Is backwashing once every 45-60 days often?

No, that is good. We recommend you backwash whenever the filter pressure goes up 25% from the "clean filter pressure". Do you know your clean filter pressure?

 

[duraleigh]

so can I get the powder part of the kit

That's a bit vague so let's clarify. You need to get a seperate FAS/DPD test to change your kit from the K-2005 to the K-2006

It will consist of R-0870 powder, R-0871 liquid, R-0003, a graduated cylinder, and a small scoop to use in the powder.

You cannot order the powder only......that's not the complete test.