First Test Kit Results

[kenyanelson]

Hello. I just got my test kit and completed. Not sure how accurate the numbers are given my pool is green again. My pool builder also took a sample today and they are going to send me the results. Need to know what chemicals I should purchase. Pool tech is expected to come out today. I have them for 2 more weeks then canceling and taking over. I was going to test again later today after the pool has been treated. Right now I have no chlorine. Would love your thoughts and advice. Do I just follow the SLAM Process? I also want to do Borax since I heard that helps with algae. It turns green every time we have a heavy rain. For the stirrer in the test kit. I can't tell that it's actually doing anything. I also updated everything in the PoolMath app and it can be pulled from there as well.

 

[Bperry]

Hello. I just got my test kit and completed. Not sure how accurate the numbers are given my pool is green again. My pool builder also took a sample today and they are going to send me the results. Need to know what chemicals I should purchase. Pool tech is expected to come out today. I have them for 2 more weeks then canceling and taking over. I was going to test again later today after the pool has been treated. Right now I have no chlorine. Would love your thoughts and advice. Do I just follow the SLAM Process? I also want to do Borax since I heard that helps with algae. It turns green every time we have a heavy rain. For the stirrer in the test kit. I can't tell that it's actually doing anything. I also updated everything in the PoolMath app and it can be pulled from there as well.

You need to follow the SLAM process. You don’t need borates or anything like that. It’s green because there’s not enough chlorine in the water. If your pool tech did that, you might consider firing them today. We can help with the SLAM.

 

[Newdude]

Fill the vial as directed and then drop the bar into the water before adding drops. It's magnetic and needs the water to stir.

Any chlorine you add will be wiped quickly by the algae.

Hold off on borates, they aren't the cure all they're sold to be at the pool store.

Rerun the tests with the bar spinning away and let us know what you come up with.

 

[ajw22]

You need liquid chlorine and the SLAM Process.

Liquid Chlorine - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Do NOT let your pool guy add anything else to the pool.

Thank him for his help and lock the gate on him NOW, not in 2 weeks.

 

[Divin Dave]

"For the stirrer in the test kit. I can't tell that it's actually doing anything"

Put water in your test tube and the put the little metal pill in it. Turn on the stirrer, the little metal pill should spin round and round, mixing the reagents with the water.

For what it's worth to ya, I bought a stirrer a few years ago and there was something wrong with it, it never worked... so I know for a fact it is possible for a brand new one to be faulty right outta the box.

If yours is indeed bad, get in touch with TFTestkits about it. I'm sure they'll make it right.

 

[Newdude]

so I know for a fact it is possible for a brand new one to be faulty right outta the box.

I know for a fact that it's also possible to be an idiot.

I was too impatient to test the water when the kit came so I dropped the pill in the empty vial on my workbench in the garage. (The house was too far away from the mailbox and it was exciting stuff). Nothing happened so before I knew it I had it apart checking the circuitry trying to fix it. Finally frustrated I went and got a pool sample and BOOM. It made total sense.

If that's the case Kenya, I blazed that trail for ya.

 

[kenyanelson]

Thank You! I just fired the pool tech company. Will need to update or remove my credit card for automatic payment just in case. I will rerun the tests using the bar since I didn't use it the first time. Will review the SLAM Process again and pick up chemicals based on feedback here.

 

[Divin Dave]

I know for a fact that it's also possible to be an idiot.

I been there and done that too. I'm pretty confident I'll do it again before the day is over!

 

[kenyanelson]

OK. Here's the updated test that have been properly stirred. I still don't have any chlorine.

 

[ajw22]

Liquid chlorine is your first, second, and third priority.

Lower your pH to 7.2-7.4 before beginning the SLAM Process.

Everything else looks fine and should be left alone.

 

[Divin Dave]

Thank You! I just fired the pool tech company. Will need to update or remove my credit card for automatic payment just in case. I will rerun the tests using the bar since I didn't use it the first time. Will review the SLAM Process again and pick up chemicals based on feedback here.

You need plenty of liquid chlorine and maybe CYA and maybe some muriatic acid.
Thats really all you need to worry about for the SLAM. Nothing else matters for now.
Measure your CYA, Recommended to be 30-40 for the SLAM, but if it's a little higher or lower then just work with what you got.

Adjust your pH to 7.2 - 7.5

Add enough chlorine for your FC level to be 40% of whatever your CYA is.
CYA FC
20 10
30 12
40 16
50 20
60 24
70 28

 

[Newdude]

Lower the PH to 7.2 with muriatic acid per pool math's suggestion. Ace Hardware is the best by me with full strength 31% for $9.99.

The green / eco / low fume stuff (half strength 14%) is fine at HD/Lowes but you need twice as much.

Recheck the PH after mixing for 20 mins and any low 7 is close enough

Then it's SLAM on. You want to M(aintain) the FC at 40% of your CYA which is 16FC. The pool will blow though it at first and need new doses every 2 to 3 hours. We all have a life in the way, so do the best you can. For example, if away at work all day, test/dose before, after, and as many times as you can until bed. (No more than every 2 hours). You'll see the losses decrease as it progresses. Usually 2 to 3 hours on thr first day turns to 4 to 8 on day 2 and day 3 is 12+ hours. The testing will guide the need for frequency. If you miss some doses, it's OK, it just takes a bit longer.

You can also dose early to buy yourself the next 3 hours away in the evenings/afternoon. Hit it early then go to kids soccer / dance / grocery shopping / whatevs and hit it again when you return.

Brush and vac at least once a day.

Clean the filter at 25% psi increase over clean.

Overnight Chlorine Loss Test when the water is crystal clear and there are no more algae poofs on the floor or in any crevices.

Ask away at any step. We got you and you GOT this.

 

[kenyanelson]

Thanks everyone. Little overwhelmed yesterday as I wasnt really ready to take on this task. I understand the how to use my test kit properly. I haven't started any of the process yet. Going this morning to get chemicals. Spent some time reviewing the answers here and checking articles again. I don't quite understand the math for PPM calculations or how much I need and how much to buy. I don't see in the pool math app how to calculate either.

Should I brush and vacuum first before I start this process? Also I have a spa do I test that separately? Any other tips are greatly appreciated. After that I'll start with testing again then lowering the pH with Muriatic acid and then start the SLAM process.

 

[Divin Dave]

I don't quite understand the math for PPM calculations or how much I need and how much to buy. I don't see in the pool math app how to calculate either.

Should I brush and vacuum first before I start this process? Also I have a spa do I test that separately? Any other tips are greatly appreciated. After that I'll start with testing again then lowering the pH with Muriatic acid and then start the SLAM process.

I don't use the app on the phone, so I cant help you with how that one works. I use the original Pool Math. Here is a link.

PoolMath

Discover the calculator behind the perfect pool, PoolMath. Dealing with pools has allowed TFP to become the original authors of the best calculator on the net.

www.troublefreepool.com

1. At the top, enter your pool size (gallons).
2. then in the NOW column, enter your current test results.
3. In the TARGET column, enter what level you want it to be,
4. then click the CALCULATE button at the top and it tells you much of each chemical you need to add in order to reach your target
I pasted an example below.

Further down towards the bottom of the app, is a pool size calculator.
And also a "Effects of Adding" which can be useful for various reasons

As for brushing and vacuuming.
Add your Chlorine first. After you've added the chlorine, go ahead and brush the walls and as much of the bottom that you can.

I would not worry about vacuuming until you start to see a lot of dead algae on the bottom.
When the algae has been killed, it turns brown and looks like dirt on the bottom of the pool.

Keep your pump running 100% of the time until the SLAM is complete. If your filter pressure rises to 20 above your "Clean Filter" pressure, then you'll probably need to clean it.

If by chance you have a Multi port Valve on your filter, you can set that to "Recirculate" to start the slam, and especially if you have a DE Filter. Setting the valve to recirculate and help you keep filter cleaning to a minimum. Once your water starts to turn opaque, or slightly blue again, then go ahead and vacuum and then set your multi port valve back to "Filter".
Brush the walls and bottom at least once a day, every day, until your water is crystal clear an the slam is complete.

 

[kenyanelson]

I don't use the app on the phone, so I cant help you with how that one works. I use the original Pool Math.

PoolMath

Discover the calculator behind the perfect pool, PoolMath. Dealing with pools has allowed TFP to become the original authors of the best calculator on the net.

www.troublefreepool.com

1. At the top, enter your pool size (gallons).
2. then in the NOW column, enter your current test results.
3. In the TARGET column, enter what level you want it to be,
4. then click the CALCULATE button at the top and it tells you much of each chemical you need to add in order to reach your target

Further down towards the bottom of the app, is a pool size calculator.
And also a "Effects of Adding" which can be useful for various reasons

Thank you! This helped a lot

 

[JJ_Tex]

Walmart and Pinch a Penny are usually the best places around here to buy liquid chlorine. If you do not have any Muriatic Acid, you will need some of that as well for the initial pH lowering. You can get that at Pinch a Penny, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

Try to stay out of the pool store. Their stuff is usually overpriced and they see $ signs when someone mentions green pool or hints that they do not know what they are doing.

 

[Bperry]

Thank you! This helped a lot

On the phone app, log your test results in the app by clicking the big + button and then click “log test results”, then enter all the results.

If you want to adjust any of the levels, just click the little card showing the current result and a window pops up where you can enter the target and it’ll show you how much to add.

 

[kenyanelson]

OK. I picked up Muriatic Acid 31.45% from Ace Hardware for $9.99 then went to Walmart and bought 4 gallons of liquid bleach for $5.97 each. Came home and did the recommended dosage of Muriatic Acid then brushed the pool and tested and the range was 7.2 from 7.8 yesterday. I then put the recommended SLAM amount of liquid chlorine. I will brush again and test chlorine in 3 hours.

 

[Bperry]

OK. I picked up Muriatic Acid 31.45% from Ace Hardware for $9.99 then went to Walmart and bought 4 gallons of liquid bleach for $5.97 each. Came home and did the recommended dosage of Muriatic Acid then brushed the pool and tested and the range was 7.2 from 7.8 yesterday. I then put the recommended SLAM amount of liquid chlorine. I will brush again and test chlorine in 3 hours.

Just be careful what kind of bleach you use. Make sure it’s plain, or use their “chlorinating liquid” which just means plain bleach.

 

[Newdude]

Kenya, for someone who didn't get it, you SURE sound like someone who gets it.

We're here if you need.