First Time Owner - First Test Results

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J

JoshAZ

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Jul 1, 2016
36
Phoenix, AZ
We're moved into our home now. I tested the water using the TF 100 test kit and just followed the included instructions for each test.


Note: I have an intellichlor SWG that is currently reading low salt and cell powered off.

CL: 5 (highest or more?)
BR: 10 (highest or more?)
Ph: 7.8
FC: 3.5
CC: 0 or 0.5 (I couldn't decide if there was color change or just the magnetic stirrer light messing with me)
TC: 3.5 or 4^^
CH: 700
TA: 150
CYA: 100

Leslie's gave me readings last week (and sold me phos free :grrrr:) of:


FAC 10
TAC 10
Salt 2000
CH 700
CYA 90
TA 110
pH 7.8
Copper 0
Iron 0
Phosphates 300

I'm wanting to stay out of the pool store as much as possible. Where do I go from here?
 
Did you get the salt test when you ordered your testing kit? You'll need to get your salt level high enough to activate your SWG. How are you chlorinating now?

Ignore the phosphates. As long as you have enough chlorine in the pool, they won't be a problem.

Your CYA is a bit high, but not fatally so. Your CH is quite high, but manageable. You'll have to keep your PH in line and your TA down eventually. For that, you will need muriatic acid.
 
The CYA test only reads to 100. Try the diluted test, Pool School - Extended Test Kit Directions.

What is your FAS/DPD chlorine test result? It is important to maintain FC above minimum for your CYA at all times, [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]. If FC drops below minimum the pool is unsanitary because the kill rate for bacteria, viruses and pathogens is insufficient to prevent person to person disease transmission. It is not safe to swim when FC is below minimum.
 
Here is a set of links I share with new pool owners. I hope you find them helpful. You might have seen a couple of them already but i do not want to take a chance of missing one.

Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Make sure to ask any and all questions you might have no matter how small! We have all been where you are at one point.


Kim:cat:
 
Schadenfreude said:
Did you get the salt test when you ordered your testing kit? You'll need to get your salt level high enough to activate your SWG. How are you chlorinating now?

Ignore the phosphates. As long as you have enough chlorine in the pool, they won't be a problem.

Your CYA is a bit high, but not fatally so. Your CH is quite high, but manageable. You'll have to keep your PH in line and your TA down eventually. For that, you will need muriatic acid.
Click to expand...

I'm not currently adding anything to the pool. I'm not really sure what to do next that is why I made this post.

For the FAS-DPD test I got FC 3.5 and CC either 0 or 0.5 it was very faint.

From the linked reading this is my proposed action plan:

1. Order a salt test kit/reagent.
2. Purchase ~150 lbs of water softener salt to bring pool to intellichlor requested level of 3400
3. Lower TA?
 
Alright Josh. Well, that high CYA is your demise right now. Makes overall water management very difficult. You know that needs to come down right? Are you prepared to do a drain or a more than one hefty partial drain? No sense wasting chemicals on water you need to remove.
 
Thank you for the response, I will do whatever is necessary to have a trouble free pool.

How much should I drain off at a time?

What causes CYA to increase?

I was planning on doing a drain when the weather cools down so we could have an acid wash and other repairs done.
 
Check Pool Math for your specific amount to remove, but it's not an insignificant amount. I would suggest you do it now, finish the acid wash that you want, and reset with the new, clean water & pool. No sense going through it twice.
 

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With SWG it only needs to drop to 80, so about 20%.

It is important to maintain PH between 7.2 and 7.8 at all times.
It is important to maintain FC at target level for your CYA, [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA], and never it let FC drop below minimum to keep your pool sanitary and safe for swimming.
 
Hello,

I've drained a portion of my pool today and refilled it from the hose. The pool has been cycling all day while filling.

Here are the test results:

cl/br: the water was orange and not close
pH >8.2
FC 13
CC 0
TC 13
CH 625
TA 130
CYA 75
Salt 2600


Side note (not new): When the pool light is on you can see stuff floating in the water. What is this?

Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet
 
It is important to maintain PH between 7.2 and 7.8 at all times.

Is the stuff floating in the pool blue? With a white hat? They're smurfs! :) Got any more info on the floating stuff? Leaves, bugs, logs, etc?

Edit: I noticed a link to an outside site for a pic. Sorry, I can't click that and many others can't or won't either. Please upload pics on TFP or host your photos on Photobucket, copy the IMG code and paste it in your post, that will embed the pic in the thread so we can see them. I don't know if your vcurrent photo host offers that service.
 
QpnPkSag.jpg

This was the linked picture. This forum doesn't accept images from my phone camera.

Thank you for letting me know the importance of the pH levels. According to the pool math I should be adding about 26 ounces of 31.45% muriatic acid. Does this sound correct?

Thank you for the replies.
 
Definitely get that TA and pH down Josh. Your CSI is too high. Use the acid/aeration method as noted on the Pool School - Lower Total Alkalinity page. Bring your TA down to 70 and keep the pH around 7.6 and your CSI will be in the 0.2 zone. Much better than what you have now at just over 0.6 (scale).
 
IC40? If so you make about .9 ozs per hour of chlorine gas. 4+ hrs will raise FC by 2. You want it at what will keep your FC at the level you need for the time your pump runs. Probably during the summer months you might need to max it.
 

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