Just moved, have pool, need HELP!

[glitter_girl]

Thanks Issac and frustratedpoolmom!

Issac - I think we are going to just work with a CYA level of 70 (but we promise NO adding pucks). After moving expenses and other things that need to be done around the house, we don't have extra funds to be able to put in almost 8000 gallons more of water, especially after just filling it 1/4+ when we opened. But THANK YOU for all of your help thus far. As long as we don't add any pucks we should continue to keep our CYA level at 70 or perhaps it will go down as we use the pool and vacuum and stuff?

Frustrated -
My FC is at 30, I did the multiplication of .5
So that means my TC is 31

Do you think, with the looming weather this weekend and the amount of FC we will need any jugs dumped in this weekend? I can test tomorrow. And we'll be home Monday night to do anything if needed. What are your thoughts?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Honestly I think you'll be ok. Test in the morning and let me know

If your pump has been working fine, I'd just cover it with the solar and leave it...You'll be good.

Look, even if you come back and find a problem, we know how to help you fix it... right?

Last year we were away for 9 days campin up North and I shocked and covered and left the pump running and came back to a FC of 6.

Now granted I wasn't fresh from clearing the pool of greenies...

Test before bed, test again in the morning. If you have a drop of more than 1ppm, you should call a jug dumper for while you are gone, one that has a handy dandy TF100 test kit in hand, LOL

 

[glitter_girl]

Honestly I think you'll be ok. Test in the morning and let me know

If your pump has been working fine, I'd just cover it with the solar and leave it...You'll be good.

Look, even if you come back and find a problem, we know how to help you fix it... right?

Last year we were away for 9 days campin up North and I shocked and covered and left the pump running and came back to a FC of 6.

Now granted I wasn't fresh from clearing the pool of greenies...

Test before bed, test again in the morning. If you have a drop of more than 1ppm, you should call a jug dumper for while you are gone, one that has a handy dandy TF100 test kit in hand, LOL

Ok sounds good!

Now just to be clear...when we get home, we should be able to swim in our pool, just as long as our FC is at what level? 5ppm?

 

[Isaac-1]

Personally if rain is expected and near certain, I would lower the water level just a little (2 or 3 inches )and let the rain fill it back up, every bit will help with lowering the CYA at 70 you are on the edge of unmanageable. I would also go ahead and dump another gallon in before you leave, you are just above shock value now. Anything under shock value is "safe" if not ideal to swim in even working with a safety margin calling for a CYA level of 60 any FC below about 23 should be ok to swim in, ideal with CYA of 70 is FC of 8. This safe means safe chlorine level, not safe because you have killed everything

Ike

 

[poolgirl22]

Thanks Issac and frustratedpoolmom!


Frustrated -
My FC is at 30, I did the multiplication of .5
So that means my TC is 31

Just to be sure cuz I messed this up at first....to get your FC number it took you 60 drops for the pink to go away, yes? Then x .5 to get 30.

And, likewise, after you added the five drops of the yellow capped reagent, it turned pink and it took you 2 drops to go back to clear x.5 = 1.

 

[glitter_girl]

Poolgirl22 -
Yes, it took 60 drops and then it took 2 drops after the reagent to turn clear.

Issac - thanks for that info. To better understand you, are you saying that if my CYA level continues to be 70 that I will have to maintain an FC level of 8 or above to be "safe" to swim? And I guess I should say I need an FC level of 8 to 20 to be ideal to swim?

Edited: To correct who I was addressing. I thought I was responding to frustratedpoolmom when I was actually responding to poolgirl22

 

[poolgirl22]

frustrated -
Yes, it took 60 drops and then it took 2 drops after the reagent to turn clear.

Issac - thanks for that info. To better understand you, are you saying that if my CYA level continues to be 70 that I will have to maintain an FC level of 8 or above to be "safe" to swim? And I guess I should say I need an FC level of 8 to 20 to be ideal to swim?

Good. I had to myself on the head a few days after I got my kit....

When you get home test your water. You may not be done shocking completely. However, it could be ok to swim...let me explain. If I'm in error anywhere PLEASE correct me, me, me...whatever. :-D

The definition of shocking complete is

1. CC is 0.5 or lower; (right now you are at 1.0, but understanding the situation of you leaving, it doesn't seem like we're too concerned about that right now. It could change the longer your shock level holds)
2. An overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less; (this is something you'll be doing tonight according to what I think I read from FPM, and have to do the night you get back. See pool-school/overnight_fc_test
3. The water is clear.

Now, with regard to maintenance levels/safe in terms of chlorine levels rather than organic contamination.
For a CYA 70 your maintenance FC range is 5-8. You never want to go below 5 and you want to shoot for 8 each evening when you add.
Your shock level for CYA 70 is 28. You can swim at levels of 28 and below.

If when you get home you still have more than .5 CCs or an overnight FC loss of more than 1ppm, then you will need to keep the shock process going until the criteria are met. So long as the water is clear I'd swim. I don't know about the 1.0CCs level...I've not had it that high...anyone else comment? We swam last weekend while I was shocking. I was failing the overnight loss, but I had <.5 CCs the whole time. Oh, and the water was clear.

 

[glitter_girl]

frustrated -
Yes, it took 60 drops and then it took 2 drops after the reagent to turn clear.

Issac - thanks for that info. To better understand you, are you saying that if my CYA level continues to be 70 that I will have to maintain an FC level of 8 or above to be "safe" to swim? And I guess I should say I need an FC level of 8 to 20 to be ideal to swim?

Good. I had to myself on the head a few days after I got my kit....

When you get home test your water. You may not be done shocking completely. However, it could be ok to swim...let me explain. If I'm in error anywhere PLEASE correct me, me, me...whatever. :-D

The definition of shocking complete is

1. CC is 0.5 or lower; (right now you are at 1.0, but understanding the situation of you leaving, it doesn't seem like we're too concerned about that right now. It could change the longer your shock level holds)
2. An overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less; (this is something you'll be doing tonight according to what I think I read from FPM, and have to do the night you get back. See pool-school/overnight_fc_test
3. The water is clear.

Now, with regard to maintenance levels/safe in terms of chlorine levels rather than organic contamination.
For a CYA 70 your maintenance FC range is 5-8. You never want to go below 5 and you want to shoot for 8 each evening when you add.
Your shock level for CYA 70 is 28. You can swim at levels of 28 and below.

If when you get home you still have more than .5 CCs or an overnight FC loss of more than 1ppm, then you will need to keep the shock process going until the criteria are met. So long as the water is clear I'd swim. I don't know about the 1.0CCs level...I've not had it that high...anyone else comment? We swam last weekend while I was shocking. I was failing the overnight loss, but I had <.5 CCs the whole time. Oh, and the water was clear.

Ok that all makes sense PG22.

I will test again tonight when the sun goes down and then first thing in the morning. We will see where I am at.

I'd actually like to ask a question about the CCs. So when I was testing for the FCs, you know you turn the water pink and keep adding drops until it turns clear. I did that. (and I actually performed this test twice because I thought I did something wrong). So...anyway...it was pink, I added drops until it turned clear. I noticed that after it turns clear if it sits for a bit, it turns pink. This happened while I was reading thru for the next step of dropping that other stuff in to see if it turned pink again to test for the CCs.

So anyway, the 2nd time I did this test, the water was pink, I tested for FCs and immediately once the water was clear I did the drops for CCs. Now after I moved on to another entire different test, while that water was sitting there in the little test bottle, it started to turn a light pink.

Is that normal?

If so, I think that my CCs are actually at 0 or .5 then.

 

[poolgirl22]

so yeah, it's about 73 degrees...it WOULD be a good wake up though! LOL!

We S. Indiana girls get in when it's 73...and don't even scream. Show me what you're made of!

 

[glitter_girl]

so yeah, it's about 73 degrees...it WOULD be a good wake up though! LOL!

We S. Indiana girls get in when it's 73...and don't even scream. Show me what you're made of!

Well it if were a bit hotter and it wasn't late in the afternoon, I could honestly tell you that I would be in that water! I am not a water wimp!!! It was just a little to chilly and the sun was going down, so I figured I'd opt out at this time.

 

[poolgirl22]

Ok that all makes sense PG22.

I will test again tonight when the sun goes down and then first thing in the morning. We will see where I am at.

I'd actually like to ask a question about the CCs. So when I was testing for the FCs, you know you turn the water pink and keep adding drops until it turns clear. I did that. (and I actually performed this test twice because I thought I did something wrong). So...anyway...it was pink, I added drops until it turned clear. I noticed that after it turns clear if it sits for a bit, it turns pink. This happened while I was reading thru for the next step of dropping that other stuff in to see if it turned pink again to test for the CCs.

So anyway, the 2nd time I did this test, the water was pink, I tested for FCs and immediately once the water was clear I did the drops for CCs. Now after I moved on to another entire different test, while that water was sitting there in the little test bottle, it started to turn a light pink.

Is that normal?

If so, I think that my CCs are actually at 0 or .5 then.

After you add the first drops and the solution turns clear, wait about 30 seconds. If it turns pink, add another drop and add it to the FC drop total. Basically it should stay clear for about 30 seconds. Wait 30 seconds again, then add the next drops with the yellow cap, see the color change if any, then add your drops to clear the pink and count and x.5....

As it sits after the test is complete it will turn pink likely. That is normal.

Don't waste reagents doing it again now. Wait until your last FC test tonight and give it 30 seconds to finish, then test for the CCs.

 

[svenpup]

so yeah, it's about 73 degrees...it WOULD be a good wake up though! LOL!

We S. Indiana girls get in when it's 73...and don't even scream. Show me what you're made of!

Yea...I told my girlfriend I was going to go in when it hit 70, but I couldn't wait and went in when it was 68 (I may have screamed a little). Now that it's in the mid 70's I go in all the time and float in my lounge with a beer. I imagine when it gets over 80 I won't ever leave. My friends with pools here think I am crazy. In my younger days I did an ice dive, where you cut a hole in a frozen lake and go scuba diving. My plan was to do this 3 times so I could get my Ice Speciality Certification...let me tell you once was enough.

 

[poolgirl22]

so yeah, it's about 73 degrees...it WOULD be a good wake up though! LOL!

We S. Indiana girls get in when it's 73...and don't even scream. Show me what you're made of!

Yea...I told my girlfriend I was going to go in when it hit 70, but I couldn't wait and went in when it was 68 (I may have screamed a little). Now that it's in the mid 70's I go in all the time and float in my lounge with a beer. I imagine when it gets over 80 I won't ever leave. My friends with pools here think I am crazy. In my younger days I did an ice dive, where you cut a hole in a frozen lake and go scuba diving. My plan was to do this 3 times so I could get my Ice Speciality Certification...let me tell you once was enough.

I was in at 63 this year. I patched a hole a couple years ago at 52....
But there's no way in He!! my hubs gets in that water before 82.

 

[glitter_girl]

I was in at 63 this year. I patched a hole a couple years ago at 52....
But there's no way in He!! my hubs gets in that water before 82.

Your hubs sounds a lot like mine! (my brother was the same way). Me? I didn't care, I'd just jump right in. Of course, every now and again I need to psych myself up for it, but once I am in...the water is fine! Add a nice, cold beer or a margarita (or any alcoholic beverage) and that will help me deal with any cool pool temp./

Svenpup...your friends are just crazy for not joining you in the water!

 

[glitter_girl]

Test Results for tonight:

FC - 34 (for those keeping track, it didn't go up (unless that is possible without adding anymore) but I did this test 2x's this afternoon, and the first time I was afraid it wasn't 100% true, since I put too much of that powder in. So I kind of took the "average" of my two scores. The one was 29 and the other was 31. So I went with 30. My husband just did this test.

CC's - 0 I did what Poolgirl22 said to do, and waited and all that stuff. It stayed clear after dropping 5 drops of reagent in.


Will test first thing in the morning.

 

[poolgirl22]

Test Results for tonight:

FC - 34 (for those keeping track, it didn't go up (unless that is possible without adding anymore) but I did this test 2x's this afternoon, and the first time I was afraid it wasn't 100% true, since I put too much of that powder in. So I kind of took the "average" of my two scores. The one was 29 and the other was 31. So I went with 30. My husband just did this test.

CC's - 0 I did what Poolgirl22 said to do, and waited and all that stuff. It stayed clear after dropping 5 drops of reagent in.


Will test first thing in the morning.

It says 'heaping scoop'. I try to get it roughly the same amount each time. You'll get better at it as time goes on. Word on the forum is that it shouldn't matter, but I'm pretty OCD (as if you didn't know that already!) so consistency is key.

Doesn't that 0 CCs just make you feel GOOD!!!????

Test in the am before the sun is up. I tested at 6am the other day. It was twilight in EDT zone. Tonight I watched the sun set when I did my routine 930 pm check.

You've done great you guys!!!

 

[glitter_girl]

We tested this morning...however, our backyard literally gets the sunrise, so the sun has been on it for probably about 2 hours, maybe a little less.

So here are the numbers:

FC - 29.5
CC - 0

If we go by my numbers yesterday it didn't drop, if we go by what Rich tested last night it did by 4ppms.

What are all of your thoughts? Should we put another jug in, slap the solar cover on it and test when we get home?

Should I test again in a little bit and see where we are from there?

Should I throw some more in and have someone come by to test/dump on Saturday?

 

[poolgirl22]

We tested this morning...however, our backyard literally gets the sunrise, so the sun has been on it for probably about 2 hours, maybe a little less.

So here are the numbers:

FC - 29.5
CC - 0

If we go by my numbers yesterday it didn't drop, if we go by what Rich tested last night it did by 4ppms.

What are all of your thoughts? Should we put another jug in, slap the solar cover on it and test when we get home?

Should I test again in a little bit and see where we are from there?

Should I throw some more in and have someone come by to test/dump on Saturday?

If the sun was on the pool at all it can skew the overnight test.
I'd just put the cover on and not worry about it.
As for a jug dumper...I can't answer that one.
Good job though!

 

[IMXTREEM2]

Here's the view this morning from our bedroom!

 

[heatmisr]

Looks great! I think you will be fine. Just cover it and leave the pump running on low.