First test results, a couple questions

[Vital Signs]

Ok my tf100 kit came in and I tried my first series of tests

My water was initially balanced by a pool guy who did some repair work on it (bought the house a month ago) after we filled it. He put in three smaller size containers (looked like 4lb containers) of granular stabilizer, big bag of calcium bicarbonate, half a big bag of calcium chloride and 4 trichlor tabs.

I was just using strips until my test kit came and after a pool party we had last weekend I put a gallon of 6% bleach in. That's the total amount of chemicals that have been used so far.

The first couple test were straightforward and easy

pH in the mid 7 range using the color block thing
FC 3.5
CC 0.5
CH 150

Looks like maybe I need to add baking soda and a gallon of 6% beach?


The TA test I am a little unsure on. Are we supposed to stop adding drops when it initially flashes red. At 9 drops the water would flash red and immediately go back to green. It did this for the next few drops until at 13 drops it stayed red. Which # of drops do I use for a result?

And then the CYA test seemed like a real problem. Is the dot supposed to completely disappear or just look like a whitish dot? I think I got either 20 or maybe 30 as a result....but it still seemed like I could see that cloudy dot even then. I bought the standard solutions and even using the cya one which is supposed to be 50ppm I seemed to get in between 30 and 40 (closer to 40 though) so I must need work on my technique. Is the sliding dot type cylinder worth getting for ease of test results? I know it uses more reagent but if it's easier to use and gives me more reassurance in the results I'd be willing to pay if it's just like another $40 or so a year in test supplies.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Why do you think you need to add baking soda? Please don't until we get a full set of results-
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

When I do my TA test- I add drops until I get a "red", then I add another drop and it turns kinda Barbie hot pink.... I add another drop and suddenly its *BARBIE HOT PINK!*..... I add another drop and it doesn't change any more. I count all the drops until that last one which didn't change it any more.

For the CYA, hold the vial waist high with the sun behind your back. I like to fill the vial to 100 then look away then glance at the vial. Can I see the dot? Or is it a clouded and hardly viewable? I then do the same adding fluid to the 90, then 80, then 70 line, until I can't see that dot with a glance. IF you stare too hard you WILL see it. Relax. You can always pour the fluid back into the mxing bottle and repeat the test.

I hope this is helpful.

Maddie

 

[Vital Signs]

Why do you think you need to add baking soda? Please don't until we get a full set of results-
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

When I do my TA test- I add drops until I get a "red", then I add another drop and it turns kinda Barbie hot pink.... I add another drop and suddenly its *BARBIE HOT PINK!*..... I add another drop and it doesn't change any more. I count all the drops until that last one which didn't change it any more.

For the CYA, hold the vial waist high with the sun behind your back. I like to fill the vial to 100 then look away then glance at the vial. Can I see the dot? Or is it a clouded and hardly viewable? I then do the same adding fluid to the 90, then 80, then 70 line, until I can't see that dot with a glance. IF you stare too hard you WILL see it. Relax. You can always pour the fluid back into the mxing bottle and repeat the test.

I hope this is helpful.

Maddie

Whoops I got mixed up on which chemicals raise which levels...what I meant to say is that since my CH is only 150 I should add calcium chloride.

So on the TA it sounds like it's supposed to stay red (and keep adding drops until it stops getting redder)? If that's the case then it was 13 drops till it stopped changing colors (and it stayed at that color). Yeah it was flashing red when drop 9 hit the water and then a second later going back to green so i was scratching my head on when to stop.


As far as CYA I've been reading a bit more and yeah sounds like I definitely was going about it all wrong ....first off I was inside so it's good to hear that sunlight really helps. I'll do it outside next time. Also I was slowly pouring the solution while the vial was at waist level and staring at it like a hawk while the cylinder was filling. Didn't realize that it doesn't matter if the fluid is between lines you just round to next one. Pouring liquid to one line and then glancing and pouring to next line if you can still see it sounds like it will be a lot easier and take more of the guesswork out of it....I'll try it out with my standard 50ppm solution today and see how it goes. Thanks.