Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

mknauss said:
Backwashing is not a good way to drain water. One, you will lose suction once you go below your suction point in your pool.

Best with an above ground pool is to use a siphon. Put a hose in the pool. Dunk the open end into the pool and put your hand over it. Remove it quickly and lower it to the ground. The water will come running out on its own. The other way is to purchase a small sub pump from Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Walmart, etc.

Does your house have a sewer cleanout you can get to? That is the best place to put the water.
Click to expand...

My boyfriend might have a sub pump, not sure will have to ask him.....if not, it's not something we can afford to buy right now.......and as for a sewer cleanout we can get to......no, not that we can get to......there is one down by the road but it's about 100 feet from the pool......how much do you think would need to be taken out to make a difference?
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

mknauss said:
If you are doing all the tests, start by mixing your pool water/R0013 for the CYA test. Then let it sit while you do the other tests.
Follow that with the FC test immediately followed by the CC, if necessary.

Then I do the pH test, Total Alkalinity, Calcium Hardness in that order.

Then you go outside to do the CYA test.

You do not need to do all those tests daily or even weekly.

See Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule
Click to expand...

I just seen in this earlier message that you said you go outside and do the CYA test.......I was outside but was on our front porch....wonder if that could make a difference in the results?
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Tamitha, I am a newbie too, but...use Pool Math to calculate how much to drop and replace. I too had a very high cya of 100+, so high I had to guesstimate what it was. Pool math said to exchange 30% when I plugged in a cya of 100. After refilling, I still had a cya of 90, so I dropped another 10% and it is now down to 70. Key learning, drop some extra out to be sure it is low enough, easier to take up than exchange water again.

I would do as they said, go outside to do the test. FYI, you can dump the test vial back into the mixing bottle and redo the test. I have been doing that to see how close I read each time. If nothing else, do it 4 or 5 times and take an average.

Good Luck! :)
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

TamithaSue50 said:
and as for a sewer cleanout we can get to......no, not that we can get to......there is one down by the road but it's about 100 feet from the pool......how much do you think would need to be taken out to make a difference?
Click to expand...

Most homes have a what is called a sewer clean out. It is along the side of the home or out front. It is a place a snake can be run to clear your line that connects to the main sewer line. It is not a manhole cover down the street. It is a 4" cap.
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Please finish the CYA test when there is lots of sunlight at your back. This is important to how you proceed.

If your CYA level is 90 or higher, repeat the test adjusting the procedure as follows:

  • Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water.
  • Continue filling the mixing bottle to the upper mark with tap water.
  • Shake briefly to mix.
  • Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle, so it is again filled to the lower mark.
  • Continue the test normally from step 2, but multiply the final result by two.
Click to expand...

from: https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/220-CYA
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

BattleOfYakima said:
Please finish the CYA test when there is lots of sunlight at your back. This is important to how you proceed.



from: https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/220-CYA
Click to expand...

Yeah I was gonna try to do the CYA test again today but it wasn't very sunny out and it's supposed to rain tomorrow so hopefully I can try to do it again Wednesday or Thursday. And if I'm reading what you posted right you're saying to fill the little white bottle to the lower mark with pool water then use tap water and not the stuff in the test kit to fill it to the upper level right??
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Very close - halfway to the lower line with pool and other half way to the lower line with tap water. Then from lower to top line with R-0013.

In other words, half the pool water you did before, replacing what is missing with tap water.

Am I making sense?

- - - Updated - - -

Also, you can mix this bottle up ahead of time, and bring the test tube and bottle to work and just go outside on a break or lunch.

The mixed CYA solution, as long as you don't leave it outside/sun is valid to test for at least a couple days. (all other tests must be performed right after getting the sample, but CYA is different)
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

BattleOfYakima said:
Very close - halfway to the lower line with pool and other half way to the lower line with tap water. Then from lower to top line with R-0013.

In other words, half the pool water you did before, replacing what is missing with tap water.

Am I making sense?

- - - Updated - - -

Also, you can mix this bottle up ahead of time, and bring the test tube and bottle to work and just go outside on a break or lunch.

The mixed CYA solution, as long as you don't leave it outside/sun is valid to test for at least a couple days. (all other tests must be performed right after getting the sample, but CYA is different)
Click to expand...

Yeah you made sense and heck wish I would have known that yesterday I could have took it to work with me today. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain all day and night lol But Thursday through Sunday looks good so hopefully I can retest it one of those days. Hopefully Thursday after work lol
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Water is clear because I haven't done anything with it. I can see the bottom but there is some leaves and etc on the bottom and if I would start cleaning it I'm sure it would get cloudy again.

Now as for the CYA test. It's not really sunny out right now but is still daylight pm thought I'd try to do it again. When I did it came back probably between 90 and 100..Then I did what you suggested about half way to 7 with pool water, rest of the way to 7 with tap water and then used the R-0013 to fill it up to the 14 mark (that's right, right?) and when I did the test with that solution I could see the dot with it filled to the 40 mark so big difference. Which do I believe?
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Dilute CYA test.

If your CYA level is 90 or higher, repeat the test adjusting the procedure as follows:

Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water.
Continue filling the mixing bottle to the upper mark with tap water.
Shake briefly to mix.
Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle, so it is again filled to the lower mark.
Continue the test normally from step 2, but multiply the final result by two.
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

mknauss said:
Dilute CYA test.

If your CYA level is 90 or higher, repeat the test adjusting the procedure as follows:

Fill the mixing bottle to the lower mark with pool water.
Continue filling the mixing bottle to the upper mark with tap water.
Shake briefly to mix.
Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle, so it is again filled to the lower mark.
Continue the test normally from step 2, but multiply the final result by two.
Click to expand...

Well I thought it was alot better than before reading at 75 until I reread what you wrote and you're saying to multiple that by 2?? That would make it 150. However if I take the results from doing it the way the last person said....

Fill it half way to 7 with pool water, rest of the way to 7 with tap water and then used the R-0013 to fill it up to the 14 mark...

and multiply that by 2 it would give me about 65 or so. So is it really 150 or what?? This is sooooo confusing.
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Read the instructions. What you are doing is diluting the pool water by 1/2 with tap water. The most accurate way to do it is what I showed above. And yes, you then multiply by 2. So if you got 60 or so when you did the dilute test, your CYA is 120 or so.
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

mknauss said:
Read the instructions. What you are doing is diluting the pool water by 1/2 with tap water. The most accurate way to do it is what I showed above. And yes, you then multiply by 2. So if you got 60 or so when you did the dilute test, your CYA is 120 or so.
Click to expand...

I did read your instructions and what I was saying was when I did it the way you said I got 75 so multiplying that by 2 would mean it's 150.

When I did it the way the person before you suggested (similar to your suggestion but not exactly) I got like 30 pm multiplying that by 2 would be 60. That's why I said it was so confusing because you both suggested a similar way of diluting it but the results were way different.

But now going by the way you suggested means I'm at 150 so that means I'm gonna have to drain some of the water and replace it with new water right?
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Yes. With your size pool probably down to 1' left in the pool and then refill.
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Okay that's gonna be a job and a half. Probably have to try to buy a sub pump or something like that.

Thanks

- - - Updated - - -

One more quick question...it wasn't sunny out but it was still daylight that wouldn't affect the reading any, would it?
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

mknauss said:
It could. Follow the directions -- Pool School - CYA
Click to expand...

I have read them and was gonna wait til tomorrow night when the rain is finally supposed to stop and it's supposed to be really nice out. I just did it tonight because it was still daylight and it wasn't raining because the one and only test I've been able to take was on Sunday and since then I've been anxiously waiting for the rain to stop so I could take it again. Might have been a mistake huh? Guess I'll try it again tomorrow and then go from there. Hopefully it's not as bad lol
 
Re: Just got test kit...feeling overwhelmed

Quick question.....this morning I had some time before I had to go to work so I decided to do all the tests again (mostly for practice (seeing that this is only the second time I've used my new test kit) but also to see if there was any change). Below is the test results I got on Sunday.....

FC 2.8
CC .8
PH 7.8 (I think lol)
TA 240 (I think...It didn't turn to pink it turned clear)
CH 180
CYA 100 (maybe more...black dot disappeared pretty quickly)

And here are the test results I got this moring....

FC 2.4
CC .6
PH 7.8 (or might be 8.0 - there's not much color difference between the two so not 100% sure)
TA 300
CH 280 (question on that below)
CYA (diluted test) - 130 (just a practice one because it was still kinda cloudy....going to do it again when I get home because it's supposed to be 85 and sunny)

My biggest question here is with the CH test (which I noticed the first time but didn't ask about it) was that when I was doing that test I noticed the water went from red to purple at about 15 drops and I wondered if I should stop there but didn't since it wasn't blue so I kept going and it finally turned blue at 28 drops so is it normal for it to go from red to purple and then to blue and if so should I go by the drops it takes to get to purple or keep going and go by the drops it takes to get to blue?

Thanks :)
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply