Help - I'm confused!

[Clkelsay]

The first two years we had our pool, everything was perfect. Last year I had to SLAM it, then all was well for the rest of the summer. Here we are again & I just feel lost. I just don't really understand what my levels SHOULD be (our pool was completed in the middle of what was a REALLY cold winter in NC & the guys that came out to "review" everything with me, wouldn't come inside. We stood outside, in the rain & sleet, & they gave me the quickest run down ever... I was shivering & honestly probably not paying a whole lot of attention... needless to say, now I'm lost). We've had temps that have ranged from highs in the 50s to highs in the 80s in a weeks time. We just had three straight days of cold rain, now it's mid-60s, looking to be low 80s in about 2 days... I'm getting some algae, I can see it... I've backwashed & vacuumed. Tested levels today & this is what I have:

pH: 7.6
TA: 40 (I know this need to come up, but to what?)
Calcium Hardness: 60
CYA: didn't even register, so less than 30 (YIKES)
Salt: 3600 (which seems insane since we've put zero salt in since last year, pre-summer)

I don't know where to start, what levels I'm shooting for, and what items to add/in what order.

Please help! I've started a "pool notebook" & am trying to document things so that I can finally figure this out & not be so confused/irritated/aggravated/embarrassed!

Thanks for any help you can offer!

 

[dfwnoob]

Don't feel bad about missing the builder's "pool school", nothing they told you would matter anyway Getting up to speed on your pool is simple, and we can guide you along.

How are you chlorinating today? You mentioned salt, but I don't see a SWCG listed in your signature, and I don't see a FC test result.

I would read through our pool school to better understand exactly what you're testing for, and what your levels should be.

 

[Newdude]

CYA: didn't even register, so less than 30

Add 15 ppm of granuals in a sock per
PoolMath, carrot on a stick like, in front of a return. Come back some time later and squish it out. See if it reagesters after a day of mixing. Repeat if necessary.

TA: 40 (I know this need to come up, but to what?)

60 or 70 per poolmath.

Salt: 3600 (which seems insane since we've put zero salt in since last year, pre-summer)

All pools are salt pools eventually. Kinda ruins the 'salt will ruin your patio' myth, huh ? But don't worry. The ocean is 35 *thousand* to your 36 *hundred* 10% is no biggie.

****as soon as the CYA is hanging, count it as being in the water and target a 4-6 FC. With low CYA the FC may burn off quickly, a couple of times a day. Keep a close eye on it and adjust ad necessary to ensure you don't get to minimum (2 FC).

 

[Clkelsay]

Don't feel bad about missing the builder's "pool school", nothing they told you would matter anyway Getting up to speed on your pool is simple, and we can guide you along.

How are you chlorinating today? You mentioned salt, but I don't see a SWCG listed in your signature, and I don't see a FC test result.

I would read through our pool school to better understand exactly what you're testing for, and what your levels should be.

We have a SWCG (oops, didn't list in signature - only got that set up last year & wasn't 100% sure what info to include). I have it set to be on 100% of the time (b/c that's how the pool guys set it). I tried to do the FAS-DPD test, but no matter how much of the powder I put in, my liquid never turned pink (only milky white), so I gave up & assumed that meant none

I'll head over to the pool school!

 

[Newdude]

tried to do the FAS-DPD test, but no matter how much of the powder I put in, my liquid never turned pink (only milky white), so I gave up & assumed that meant none

OK. Do as instructed above and then we will likely need to have a side quest. (SLAM Process).

With no CYA the FC is burning off as quickly as the SWG can make it. Get the CYA to 30 and raise the TA.

Then Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to see if you need to SLAM.

Report back, or come ask if you have any questions about what you're doing or why.

 

[Clkelsay]

So, retested today, here's my results:
pH 7.6
TA 60 (yay! got this up)
Calcium Hardness 60
CYA 70 (yay! this is up too!)
Salt 3600
FAS-DPD still not registering... I put in the 2 scoops of R-0870 & it just turns a cloudy white & it looks like it's not all breaking up no matter how much I "swirl" it. I've put in more scoops, as the directions say, but at a certain point I just feel like I'm wasting product!

Do I just need to go ahead & start pouring in straight chlorine?

 

[Newdude]

I've put in more scoops, as the directions say, but at a certain point I just feel like I'm wasting product!

You are wasting it. One snowball like 'heaping scoop' or two level scoops. If it doesn't turn pink, the FC is 0.

The FC will likely hold better with the CYA up. Add FC to target range. Test 15 mins later to verify it worked.

 

[Clkelsay]

Yep! That worked!!