First pool test - results don’t make sense

[xdriv3]

Hey all,

I just received the K-1004 kit by Taylor from a friend. I know this isn’t one of the recommended kit, but I plan on getting the recommended one shortly. Here are the readings I got -

FC - 0
pH - <6.8
TA - •Don’t know how to interpret — water turned red after adding R-0008. Didn’t even need R-0009 as the kit suggested.

This pool is filled with fresh water (it was recently drained for repair). I added 1/2 lb of shock a couple of days ago. There was also a puck (trichlor) in the skimmer at the time.

I’ve read pool school and will do so again..but I do have a few questions==

-Do I really have no FC in my pool? Or is the pH throwing the results off?
-How do I extrapolate my TA results based on the above?
-Is there any other components of a test kit that I can add to the K-1004 without having to buy an entire new kit?

Thanks!

 

[Donldson]

You multiply the drops of 0009 by 10 to get a result. 10x0= your answer.

Your pH and TA have bottomed out. Not quite sure how, your fill water TA must have been extremely low. This is a pretty important thing to correct quickly. You will want to increase your TA ASAP with baking soda. You can use the PoolMath link at the top, put in your testing numbers and pool capacity and it can tell you how much to add. The best way to correct this is to add enough baking soda to bring your TA up over 50, then remeasure and adjust your pH. Once you get things in to more measurable ranges you can fine-tune.

Your chlorine test is not being affect by the acidic water. Unless you have added CYA to your pool then your level will be virtually zero so the sun will break down chlorine very quickly. As for the test kit, the k-1004 is so inadequate that you would spend more buying the individual tests than just getting a TF-100 or K-2006c.

 

[xdriv3]

You multiply the drops of 0009 by 10 to get a result. 10x0= your answer.

Your pH and TA have bottomed out. Not quite sure how, your fill water TA must have been extremely low. This is a pretty important thing to correct quickly. You will want to increase your TA ASAP with baking soda. You can use the PoolMath link at the top, put in your testing numbers and pool capacity and it can tell you how much to add. The best way to correct this is to add enough baking soda to bring your TA up over 50, then remeasure and adjust your pH. Once you get things in to more measurable ranges you can fine-tune.

Your chlorine test is not being affect by the acidic water. Unless you have added CYA to your pool then your level will be virtually zero so the sun will break down chlorine very quickly. As for the test kit, the k-1004 is so inadequate that you would spend more buying the individual tests than just getting a TF-100 or K-2006c.

Thanks for the feedback. Looking into the kit now..

I have not added CYA to the pool directly. I emptied out my 5k gallon pool and then pretty much kept the half dissolved 3" puck (w/ trichlor) that was already in there. With that said, maybe there's very little CYA that is actually in there...

Should I just add a puck into the water as I wait for the kit?

 

[pooldv]

It is fine to use the trichlor to add chlorine and CYA for now. During swim season it generally adds both too slowly to be effective at first and it is better to add CYA and bleach to give an immediate boost.