First Test Pool Opening

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Deuceswild7284

0
Aug 14, 2018
26
Chicago IL
Hi all,

So I am a first time pool owner. Bought a home towards the end of last year and it has a beautiful inground 35k gal pool.
I bought the TF-100 year kit and here are my results. Just looking for some feedback on everyone’s thoughts on the initial results.

FC - .45
CC - 0
pH - 7.5
TA - 160
CH - 250
CYA - 75
 
Numbers aren't too bad at all except the FC is naturally low at the moment. Best to get some chlorine (aka regular bleach) in there ASAP. See the FC/CYA Levels. How does the water look right now? Green, cloudy, anything? Also, please update your signature so we know what type of pool and equipment you have. Welcome! :wave:

PS - Might want to double check the FC reading. That's an odd number to get. Use the 10ml water sample with one heaping scoop of power. Mix & count drops until clear and divide by 2. i.e. 10 drops = FC of 5.
 
Your CYA is 80 if the dot disappears between 80 and 70. We round up. You can’t eyeball values between the lines since the scale is logarithmic, not linear.

Do you have a SWG?

Are you using PoolMath?

Please put details of your pool in your signature.
 
CYA 80 is high. It requires you maintaining a FC of 9-11. See FC/CYA Levels

Problem with that is pH test is unreliable with FC above 10. So you have a problem regularly testing your pH. In addition to the amount of CL required.

You inherited this water. You really need to drain 50% water of the water and get your CYA down around 40.

How are you chlorinating? Liquid chlorine hopefully. Not tabs.
 
It is tabs. I have a Hayward auto chlorinator. The previous owner left me notes of what he did and all so I just have been following that. I’m guessing he never had an issue since it was crystal clear when we got it and when we closed it last year. But I really don’t know. Haha.
 
You need to decide if you want to switch from tabs to TFPC methods. I suggest you read ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and Pool School - Trouble Free Pool

Your tablets add CYA with the chlorine. While the chlorine burns off the CYA accumulates. You are at the edge of where CYA lets chlorine be manageable. One day your pool will get an algae problem due to the FC/CYA inbalance.
 
Deuceswild7284 said:
The previous owner left me notes of what he did and all so I just have been following that. I’m guessing he never had an issue since it was crystal clear when we got it and when we closed it last year.
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Probably just lucky. A combination of cooler weather, shorter swimming season, and perhaps decent water exchange helped keep the CYA from exploding. But it is high for a non-salt pool. A decent water exchange will help. Definitely find a place where you can get pool chlorine/regular bleach at a good price and you won't have that high CYA problem again.
 

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Add your pool information into your Signature so we can provide you some guidance on ways to drain/exchange some of your pool water to fresh to lower your CYA.
 
You can exchange some water to lower the CYA. Simple math, changing 50% should lower your CYA by 50%. You probably want to be around 40-50 in your area. If you can do that first, then it will allow you to maintain a slight lower FC target range as seen on the FC/CYA Levels, and in addition the lower FC will not skew your pH readings. If you elect not to change some water, then of course the FC needs to be higher and kept in that higher range on the FC/CYA Levels. Make sense?
 
In the Chicago area, if you are close to a Menards, that's a great place for liquid chlorine. Their pool shock is 12.5% with no additives at $3.99 a gallon. This time if year, it's often BOGO. That said, with that size pool (same as mine and in the Chicago burbs) an SWG is a game changer. Think about that as an option. It makes everyday maintenance much easier!
 
Thanks everyone. I will def be getting some liquid chlorine and going with everyone’s recommendations. I am in the SW suburbs of Chicago.

I ran another test just to see where things are at now 4 days later with the chlorinator running full blast 8 hours a day. Here are the numbers from a few minutes ago. Again this is before doing anything you all said. We have had quite a bit of rain the past couple of days and calling for more all week.

FC - 9.5
CC - .5
pH - 7.5
TA - 130
CH - 225
CYA - 70
 
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