I went back to Lesile's today...

[IronMike]

Hi All,

I went back to Lesile's today and wanted to buy their 31% muriatic acid. I also asked them to do a water test for me hoping I can compare their results with my own test using my Taylor kits after replacing 75% of pool water with tap water about 2 weeks ago.

Lesile's result (Their ideal range):
FC: 2.44 (1-4ppm)
TC: 2.54 (within 0.2 of FC)
pH: 7.6 (7.2-7.8)
TA: 100 (80-120)
CH: 135 (200-400) ** outside ideal range
CYA: 56 (30-100)
Iron: 0 (0-0.2)
Copper: 0 (0-0.2)
Phosphates 214 ppb (0-100) ** outside ideal range
TDS 1000 (0-2500)

My own result today:
FC: 6.5
pH: 7.8
TA: 125
CH: 400
CYA: 60

1. Not sure why there is a huge difference between our FC and CH results. I have been monitoring my FC (6.5) based on my CYA (60ppm), and my ideal FC is between 7-9ppm range but Lesile's FC is 2.44. Their suggestion to raise my CH is to use Lesile's Hardness Plus. Do you think it's necessary (my CH result is 400 which is already on the higher end)?

2. My Taylor K-2006C test kits doesn't include Phosphates test, and my Leslie's result is 214ppb. Since I actually have more than one bottle of Leslie's Perfect Weekly left from last year, they suggested that I use Perfect Weekly (2 caps per week) to lower Phosphates. I also don't want to waste the Perfect Weekly I have if it doesn't raise my CYA and affect my other parameters. Is there a reason why I should use Perfect Weekly at this point until I used it all?

3. I went to Leslie's mainly for the Muriatic Acid because I have been using it quite a bit trying to lowering my pH to 7.6. Does Muriatic Acid lose it effectiveness over time because I got the Acid from last year. I don't see any expiration date (or Julian date) on the box. Even though I have been adding 24 fl oz for 3-4 times over the last two weeks, my pH remains between 7.8-8 range. There wasn't much rain the last two weeks, and I just added tap water a couple times due to evaporation. Any reason why I can't lower my pH by adding Muriatic Acid? (My pool size is 16000 gals.)

4. My TA (125ppm) is still a little high, but is it something I should worry about at this point? Anything else I should keep an eye on based on Leslie's and my results?

5. I went to Leslie's near their closing time, and the manager wasn't pleased that I was still asking for a water test. Instead of doing the chemical test, he took only a small water sample of my pool water and inserted the water into a small "disk". Then, he put the disk into a other device which connected to the laptop thru USB. After a couple minutes, he was able to print my results with all the parameters. Any idea what kind of device that is and is it a more accurate test compared to Taylor's test kit or is it just mainly for the time saving?

Thanks in advance!

Mike

 

[mknauss]

I personally do not even look at pool store tests that are posted in a thread.

Your test data looks great. Enjoy the pool.

 

[wireform]

Forget the pool store stuff. Your test is what you go by. Enjoy what you have there and I see nothing wrong. The only test you didn't list is the CC but it's most likely good too.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Their suggestion to raise my CH is to use Lesile's Hardness Plus.

they suggested that I use Perfect Weekly (2 caps per week) to lower Phosphates

This kinda says it all, doesn't it? That's a hundred bucks out of your pocket so you can spend another hundred on scale remover due to high CH. They got me for about $300 of the perfect weekly magic potion (at $50 per/bottle)...same two-cap-rap. You've got one of the best test kits on the market...trust it.

 

[LFrankow]

The next time you go to Leslie's, bring some tap water and see what they say, lol
You have the 2006c, test your fill water, it will tell you how much ph, TA and CH you add replacing evaporation loss.
3. Once you get some good MA and are able to manipulate your ph, move to 4
4. TA read up in pool school on how to lower this number, pretty easy to do and a lower TA does help reduce upwards PH drift.

 

[mguzzy]

Oh Mike..
Let's assume that Leslie's does the test correctly.. and some do... but every Leslie's I have ever been to rinses their tests cells with the last customers sample... not deionized water, not distilled water, not tap water. So from the get go your sample is contaminated by the residual chem of the last guy. Would you wash your dishes with the last thing you ate? I think not.

 

[Casey]

Oh Mike..
Let's assume that Leslie's does the test correctly.. and some do... but every Leslie's I have ever been to rinses their tests cells with the last customers sample... not deionized water, not distilled water, not tap water. So from the get go your sample is contaminated by the residual chem of the last guy. Would you wash your dishes with the last thing you ate? I think not.

Or better yet... would you wash your dishes in your neighbor's dirty dish water?!