First time testing water using TFP kit - help

[imrodee]

I found myself going to the pool to collect water for whatever test I was doing at the moment - 3/4 tests meant 3-4 trips to the pool and sticking my arm down 18”

do you all use a different collection container and just grab enough water and bring back to the table and just squirt out what you need for each test - 1 trip to the pool to collect ? or is that not recommended?

also wonder wonder in the winter how you collect the water if it is really cold

sure there are some insider tips

that’s enough Q for today - until next time

You know the plastic yellow & red picnic squirters for mustard & ketchup? I use those bottles.

You’re doing a great job! You have awesome experts here to walk you through the processes. Good luck!

 

[Newdude]

2 questions:
Should I add anything to increase the CH as it is on the low point of minimum

You can if you are pacing back and forth bored for a bit. Just remember to give yourself 15 minutes between different adds if you are doing several adjustments.

How high should I let the PH rise with aeration before adding acid to then lower TA ?

7.8-8. Whichever is convenient to your schedule.

 

[Riddler0520]

You can if you are pacing back and forth bored for a bit. Just remember to give yourself 15 minutes between different adds if you are doing several adjustments.

7.8-8. Whichever is convenient to your schedule.

Thanks - you mind confirming how I took the CYA reading above to make sure technique is right

appreciate your help @Newdude and others

 

[Newdude]

Thanks - you mind confirming how I took the CYA reading above to make sure technique is right

Sure thing

The reading was at line 40, which I believe means a 50 CYA right

If the dot disappears, that is your measurement. Some people read as they fill and get a 47.... or a 53. *those* get rounded up to the next 10. If you are only filling to the 10s, your 10 is the one. It should rise as the recent addition mixes, but GREAT job for now !!

 

[Newdude]

#2. Saw more questions. (Sorry I missed them)

TA will drop each time - think I’m trying to get it below 90 correct.

80 or 90 is a great starting spot. It might even find its own happy place if you start at 100 and just leave it be. But we are teaching you right now so get the 2 more cycles in to really be comfortable with the process.

how important is it to clean out the cylinders between testing ?

Moderate. I dump mine and rinse them a few dunks with pool water.

 

[Riddler0520]

#2. Saw more questions. (Sorry I missed them)

80 or 90 is a great starting spot. It might even find its own happy place if you start at 100 and just leave it be. But we are teaching you right now so get the 2 more cycles in to really be comfortable with the process.

Moderate. I dump mine and rinse them a few dunks with pool water.

Continued to test only PH and FC daily
FC hovering between 7.5-8

PH now has increased to what I would call 8.0-8.2, light purple

so it was 7.2 Sat (light orange) and now fast forward 4 days has raised to 8’ish range

would you expect this to rise so quickly with
- newly plastered pool
- AK of 110 which I know makes PH fluctuate more rapidly
- lots of aeration occurring as we have a very large spa spill over, sheer decent and 2 bubblers - all running 12 hr days

Will test CYA tomorrow and determine how much more I need to bring it to desired level

thanks all

 

[Newdude]

would you expect this to rise so quickly with
- newly plastered pool

Yes.

- AK of 110 which I know makes PH fluctuate more rapidly

Also yes. 100+ will do that. 110 might squeak in as stable for some, but if they notice it, it doesn’t.

- lots of aeration occurring as we have a very large spa spill over, sheer decent and 2 bubblers - all running 12 hr days

Strike 3. Also yes. But also yes that your education has made you 3 for 3 understanding why !!!! Way to go !!!

Will test CYA tomorrow and determine how much more I need to bring it to desired level

thanks all

We are always here to ask. If it’s 3AM our beloved Aussie friends might be taking over, but they got you too !!

 

[Newdude]

Also Riddler..... no 2 pools will respond the same. Not even as neighbors. Yours gets some shade/wind/bathers differently even if the pools themselves are identical. devised some solid base ideas for how yours will respond, But the variables are too many to pin down exactly.

It helps cement the all important Rule #1. Test and go from there. If we know where you are, then we know how to get where you want to be. Soon enough you won’t even need us and will cast those training wheels with the weekly garbage.

Hang out anyway at that point. We enjoy having you.

 

[Bperry]

Ok
I put 4 lbs of the dry CYA in a skimmer sock (all of it fit in it) and put it in the skimmer dangling so not to block the flow/suction
Hours later.... I can’t tell if any actually dissolved - at this rate it will take forever

I think the skimmer sock for CYA in this case is supposed to go in front of a return, not in the skimmer? Generally a bad idea to put anything in the skimmer.

 

[mknauss]

I think the skimmer sock for CYA in this case is supposed to go in front of a return, not in the skimmer? Generally a bad idea to put anything in the skimmer.

It is OK to add the CYA in the sock in this manner. I do it this way. You should have the pump on the entire time the CYA is dissolving.

 

[Bperry]

It is OK to add the CYA in the sock in this manner. I do it this way. You should have the pump on the entire time the CYA is dissolving.

ok. My first pool guy did that also but told me never to do it. Ha. I suppose CYA doesn’t react violently with anything else or doesn’t have a strong pH component that can damage equipment? I just re-read my CYA bottle and it does say to put it in the skimmer. Interesting.

 

[mknauss]

I just re-read my CYA bottle and it does say to put it in the skimmer.

Still use the sock method. Do not dump the CYA into the skimmer raw. It can plug the line and will sit in a filter for a very long time before dissolving.
It is acidic so you should leave the pump running when the sock is in the skimmer.

 

[Lilypad]

Another option for adding MA, once you get a feel for how much you're needing, is to
lower the bottle into the pool in front of a return until it floats then tip it to dispense.
I don't like handling this type of chemical more than once. The water floats the bottle
taking the weight and makes it simple to pour without splashing. Add the cap while it’s
still floating and dunk for a quick rinse before storing. Easy peasy! BTW you are doing a
fantastic job! Welcome!

 

[Riddler0520]

Yes.


Also yes. 100+ will do that. 110 might squeak in as stable for some, but if they notice it, it doesn’t.

Strike 3. Also yes. But also yes that your education has made you 3 for 3 understanding why !!!! Way to go !!!



We are always here to ask. If it’s 3AM our beloved Aussie friends might be taking over, but they got you too !!

Love you guys and this forum - you have made this journey so much easier so long as I am putting in the effort to learn.

 

[Riddler0520]

Another option for adding MA, once you get a feel for how much you're needing, is to
lower the bottle into the pool in front of a return until it floats then tip it to dispense.
I don't like handling this type of chemical more than once. The water floats the bottle
taking the weight and makes it simple to pour without splashing. Add the cap while it’s
still floating and dunk for a quick rinse before storing. Easy peasy! BTW you are doing a
fantastic job! Welcome!

Great tip - I’ll have to try that technique the next time, which will be in 3-4 days

 

[Riddler0520]

All the Chems can spare a few ounces one way or the other with 23k gallons. MA has extra risks associated with it pouring it to measure and then pouring it a second time. But gold star awarded to those that see it down to the ounce. We do preach precision here.

new round of testing today

FC seems high at 10
Right now my SW chlorinater is set to 45% and the pump is running 12 hrs a day
How do I know how to dial in the SWC to produce the desired FC

CYA is at 40 - trying to raise it to about 70 which requires a FC of about 5’ish
Math say to add about 1 gallon 3 quarts of stabilizer to raise from 40 to 70

ALK has dropped nicely to the 80 range, need to add some acid to drop PH (again)
Says until turns red, but it is really a pink hue

CH has raised slight but at 275

Thoughts ?

*** also, not sure if this matters to the tests. but added 3” of water last night (that took 7 hrs). I had to let water level drop these past few weeks so they could add some mortar around the inside of the skimmer box near tile - had a small leak that they temp fixed with epoxy but I want a perm fix ***

 

[Riddler0520]

new round of testing today

FC seems high at 10
Right now my SW chlorinater is set to 45% and the pump is running 12 hrs a day
How do I know how to dial in the SWC to produce the desired FC

CYA is at 40 - trying to raise it to about 70 which requires a FC of about 5’ish
Math say to add about 1 gallon 3 quarts of stabilizer to raise from 40 to 70

ALK has dropped nicely to the 80 range, need to add some acid to drop PH (again)
Says until turns red, but it is really a pink hue

CH has raised slight but at 275

Thoughts ?

Diff question
How do I get rid of this large air bubble in the motor basket lid
Not sure if you can see it clearly with this shot ??

 

[mknauss]

How do I know how to dial in the SWC to produce the desired FC

If you can add what SWCG you have to your signature, we can help.
You want the SWCG to create the amount of FC your pool uses each day. Right now your pool is probably using 2 ppm FC per day or a little less. So the SWCG needs to be set to create 2 ppm FC to start and then test your FC each day to see if the FC amount goes up or down. You then narrow down to what setting works for you. Poolmath helps you with this by using Effects Of Adding Chemicals.

 

[mguzzy]

new round of testing today

FC seems high at 10
Right now my SW chlorinater is set to 45% and the pump is running 12 hrs a day
How do I know how to dial in the SWC to produce the desired FC

CYA is at 40 - trying to raise it to about 70 which requires a FC of about 5’ish
Math say to add about 1 gallon 3 quarts of stabilizer to raise from 40 to 70

ALK has dropped nicely to the 80 range, need to add some acid to drop PH (again)
Says until turns red, but it is really a pink hue

CH has raised slight but at 275

Thoughts ?

*** also, not sure if this matters to the tests. but added 3” of water last night (that took 7 hrs). I had to let water level drop these past few weeks so they could add some mortar around the inside of the skimmer box near tile - had a small leak that they temp fixed with epoxy but I want a perm fix ***

Howdy Riddler.. I've been watching from afar, 'Dude and the others have been guiding you welll.. It fun to watch a new owner get the hang of things!

You can start turning your SWG knob down a bit.. When mine gets to 10-ish I drop the output in 10% increments.. let it settle and see where it tests out. You will find the FC demand will increase over the summer due to the sun and bathers and then drop off in the fall. It is never static, but it is a gentle curve. It really took two seasons for me to get the feel of it so be patient.

Yup a CYA of 70 is perfect for a SWG pool.. you will see your FC retention start to go up as you approach the golden value...and you will have to tweak the % output knob to compensate.

I love doing the Alk test.. its just so fun..

Yes water additions will throw off your chem levels.. I did not see where any one suggested you run a panel of tests on the water you put into the pool. You should do that so you know how much is being added by your water additions. For example if you have really hard water, your CH will be constantly rising...

BTW a previous post you asked about taking multiple trips to the pool to get 18" deep samples... who said pool ownership wasn't going to be a workout! I use these..

water blaster squirter.jpg

• mguzzy
• Apr 17, 2021

We get them from the Dollar store and are multi-purpose devices. Then I blast/fill a little 16 oz squirt bottle that is big enough to do all the tests. Don't forget to rinse!

 

[mknauss]

How do I get rid of this large air bubble in the motor basket lid

Is the air bubble staying the same or getting bigger? Does it go away when you raise the rpm of your pump? Are there bubbles coming out of your returns (not tied to the SWCG operation).