Getting ready for O/B Bicarbonate Startup

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This morning:
Water temp: 62
PH = 8.0 (target 7.7, therefore add 51 oz MA)
TA = 275

Interestingly, I had to do the TA 3 times. Even though I was being very careful, I could tell that the drops were coming off the bottle way too fast and small. It may have been because my reagents are getting very low in the bottle, so it was affecting how the drops formed. The first time I got 300. Then 350. I knew those were impossible based on my readings from last night, so I tested again and tried to be very precise. It paid off. It's good to know about the potential for testing error, especially with the TA test.

I'll keep targeting 7.7 and waiting patiently for the TA to come down.
 
JamieP said:
This morning:
Water temp: 62
PH = 8.0 (target 7.7, therefore add 51 oz MA)
TA = 275

Interestingly, I had to do the TA 3 times. Even though I was being very careful, I could tell that the drops were coming off the bottle way too fast and small. It may have been because my reagents are getting very low in the bottle, so it was affecting how the drops formed. The first time I got 300. Then 350. I knew those were impossible based on my readings from last night, so I tested again and tried to be very precise. It paid off. It's good to know about the potential for testing error, especially with the TA test.

I'll keep targeting 7.7 and waiting patiently for the TA to come down.
Click to expand...

Static electricity can affect the R-0009 reagent droplet size. If you take a wet paper towel and wipe the tip before you start the droplets, it will minimize static.
 
Thanks guys. Interestingly, I was wiping the tip of the bottle on a wet dish towel, although it was different from the normal one I use, but it was still giving me trouble. Fortunately, I had already received my new bottle of R-0009 so I gave up on the old bottle with the tiny bit left and used the full bottle. That did the trick. I'll have to see if there is a way to get the last drops of the old into the new bottle so I don't waste them! ;-)
 
I'll play the nerdy chemist here (really not that much of stretch for me) - never mix old and new reagents! Just throw the old stuff away. It's a couple of drops at most and, it's sulfuric acid...you don't want to accidentally splash that around....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006
 

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JoyfulNoise said:
I'll play the nerdy chemist here (really not that much of stretch for me) - never mix old and new reagents! Just throw the old stuff away. It's a couple of drops at most and, it's sulfuric acid...you don't want to accidentally splash that around....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006
Click to expand...

Good point!
 
kimkats said:
Jamie how has the water and plaster looked during all of this time? I am learning this along with you and wanted to know.

Kim
Click to expand...

Hi Kim. I don't have a lot to compare to, but it seems like the water and plaster are doing well. I've seen pictures with tons of plaster dust clouding the water after brushing, but I'm not getting that at all. If anything, we have a little poof of something and then it's gone, although I'm not sure if that is plaster dust or accumulated silt in the pool. We've had some leaves fall in that haven't made it to the skimmer before sinking, and as we brush they are shredding up a bit. I'm still waiting on my vacuum port fitting which will hopefully allow me to use the manual vacuum set up I bought so I can get all of that out.

As for the water color, I'm not sure if it is the final color it will be since I've only been focussing on PH and TA. We have a floater with pucks adding chlorine slowly, but I'm not testing for that per the instructions I've been given. The water seems clear enough, but I can't imagine it is what it will be once everything is in and balanced. I'll just have to wait and see though.

I've been using hairnets for the skimmers and they have been doing their job by catching all the oak tree debris we've been getting. One skimmer catches more than the other, and I'm pleased that it seems live actually figured out the flow of the pool to make the best use of the skimmers. I joke with my husband that when I check and switch out the hair nets I'm changing the pool's "diaper". Haha!

And just for the record, tonight's tests are:
Water temp: 66
PH = 8.0 (target 7.7, therefore add 51 oz MA)
TA = 275
 
bdavis466 said:
You are doing good. You can test the chlorine if you want but you may not see anything at this point. Give it a shot.

How long have the pucks been lasting?
Click to expand...

Sounds good. I'll check the chlorine in the morning just for interest's sake and will let you know.

I'm finding it kind of hard to judge when to replenish the chlorine pucks. I added 3 pucks to the floater last Tuesday, and they seemed to be dissolving pretty slowly, but I added a 4th a couple of days later just to be safe. I also increased the flow rate to match with a 30,000 gallon pool (our pool is 28K) as I had had it on 25K. I checked again now after reading your post and they seem to be doing fine. I don't think I need to add another puck yet, but I'm wondering what the best way to judge is.
 
Test this morning showed:
FC= 0.5
PH = 7.7
TA = 275

Is the low FC level at this point to be expected? Should I add another chlorine puck to the feeder? That would definitely put it more than 3 pucks total even with the dissolving that's taken place. But maybe it's better err on the high side as Brian said? I've got some leaves in the pool (not a ton) that I will hopefully be able to vacuum out today, but I don't know if those matter.
 

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