Interesting Observation with Taylor Test Kit

[mmcwhorter]

Recently, I closed our pool and left the Spa open.
I removed my SWG and replaced it with a thru pipe.
I decided to put a floater with two 3 inch CL tabs in the spa, about 4-5 days ago. (I do NOT use these regularly)
I measured CL and PH a few minutes ago using the Taylor kit that comes with the TFT-100...and when the reagents went in, WOW....
BOTH looked like Apple Juice or light coffee, which I have never seen that color.
Wow.

After shaking, the PH measured below 6.8 and the CL stayed looking like apple juice.

So, I assume those two-inch tabs really worked...CL super super high....more than I would have liked...yes?
Does this make sense....super high CL makes the OTO turn like brown apple juice?
I also noticed the smell of CL in the air, lightly.

Since I SLAM before close, I know the algae is 0. Pool water super clear.

If this is the case....I may need to drain and replace some water as we plan to use the spa tonight....I'd rather not immerse ourselves in super high CL...

 

[mknauss]

Worse is the very low pH. It can harm your heater. Do not circulate that water through your equipment. Raise the pH now with washing soda as your TA has collapsed also.

Trichlor is VERY acidic.

 

[mmcwhorter]

Yes, I was concerned. You say Washing Soda, Not sure what that is.
But I assume you maybe meant Baking Soda to get the TA up?

 

[mknauss]

Washing soda is Soda Ash. You can use Baking Soda to raise TA and that should eventually move your pH. Or just drain the thing now.

 

[mmcwhorter]

I added a bit of baking soda to get the TA up, as I have that on hand. Headed out to the Wal-Mart soon for pH up. Honestly, I NEVER have a problem with High PH. My pool is the PH bouncing king of all time. I tried adjusting PH and TA to get the right combo....Then the season ended. I think muy final observations were TA around 60 and PH around 7.4-7.6 and it's a little more stable. But, I'm a high user of acid because it just always seems to creepy up no matter what I try.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

If you’re chlorine is very high it can affect your testing. I would not add anything to your pool until you do a full set of chemical tests. You may have just scooped up some highly chlorinated water off the surface. Try circulating for 30mins and brush. Then carefully retest everything.

 

[JamesW]

For a spa, I would drain and refill.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Oh. A spa. Thought it was the pool. Yeah, just drain it and refill. <1000 gallons so really not a big deal.

 

[mmcwhorter]

UPDATE: So, all is well. I drained the Spa down to about 70% water gone via Waste, and refilled it with hose water and the CL was still at 25 using the TFT-100 CL drop test.... Holy cow...I swear, I put a floater in the spa last week with 3 tabs for about a 5-day duration and that was the result. Live and learn....Anyway, I exchanged a little pool water with the spa...and it's down to a tolerable 12. pH good at 7.5. , TA a little low (40) but all is well. I'll add a few ounces of Baking Soda per pool math to get it to 60. I calculated my spa was 1000 gallons. Thanks all. By the way, my local Wal-Mart has removed all the pool stuff, and there are about 7 aisles of Christmas stuff in its place, Oct 9. A little early, I'd say. I went there to buy some pH Plus.

 

[mknauss]

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com

You can use normal household products instead of overpriced pool products.

 

[mmcwhorter]

Copy that....I used aeration...let the spa run overnight after we used it. pH came up to a good level (7.5) as of this morning. It could be that the high CL in the 40-50 ppm range skewed my pH readings, which yesterday were "off-scale low". Once we get any threat of freezing temps, we'll be closing the spa as it is connected to the pool pump/filter/heater. In the meantime...I'll add 5-6 oz. of Baking Soda to get the TA up to the 60-70 range (per pool math, 1000 gallons). Thanks

 

[mknauss]

FC above 10 ppm skews pH readings to the high side. That is why originally I wanted you to focus on the pH as if it is indicating very low pH with very high FC, that is not good. Your heater can get damaged very quickly with a very low pH.

 

[mmcwhorter]

Yesterday...I went looking for a small vial of Cl neutralizer I used to have to better read the pH...I could not find it. By the way, I love my 2-year-old heater. Certainly want to keep it running well. I assume the damage with low pH is in dissolving the copper lines in the heat exchanger, would that cause leaks? Would it add copper in the water thus the potential for producing black stains on the pool bottom? Been there, done that in FL...What is the resultant damage of low pH in heaters? After years of using three different Teledyne Laars in FL, which were unreliable and didn't last long....I'm very happy with my "new" Raypack. The "father-son" pool company gentleman who installed it for me recommended it highly, and he was right.

 

[mknauss]

The low pH dissolves the copper heat exchanger. Very short term exposure should not destroy it, but can lessen its life cycle. The copper will be put in to the water. My first post was to not circulate the water in the spa through the equipment. How long did you do that?

 

[mmcwhorter]

I failed to mention I added 8 oz of Baking Soda to raise the TA ...and I found some Borax laying around in a deck box. I put 12 oz it in the spa, based upon Pool Math (to raise from 6.8-7.4)...stirred it with my pool skimmer...I waited 15 min or so...ran the pump on Recirculate for an hour, bypassing the filter but not the heater...noted the pH had come up a lot, TA was 60. So, I'm assuming I'm good. I am also assuming the Dang 3 inch tabs took the pH down.....as I don't recall adding any 31.25% MA to the spa AFTER I closed it off from the pool skimmers and returns. But who knows, maybe I'm having a senior moment too.

 

[mknauss]

Trichlor is very acidic. Use Effects of Adding Chemicals in Poolmath with your spa volume and see what effect one puck would have on that volume. The pH effects are not perfect but relative, as shown by Poolmath.