Learning about my new to me pool and equipment

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good on you for purchasing the TF-Pro.

Now you MUST learn to do your own testing, posting your results here and getting your water "fixed".

Please start with Pool Care Basics Archives and then post your test resuls here.

I suggest you stay right on this thread so everyone can read your whole story.

There is 100% chance your primary issues are with your water chemistry........fix that first.
 
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duraleigh said:
good on you for purchasing the TF-Pro.

Now you MUST learn to do your own testing, posting your results here and getting your water "fixed".

Please start with Pool Care Basics Archives and then post your test resuls here.

I suggest you stay right on this thread so everyone can read your whole story.

There is 100% chance your primary issues are with your water chemistry........fix that first.
Click to expand...
OK I’m happy to report that the pool is clear this morning!!! I have the filter and sweep running and I can see the drain at the bottom. I just did a chlorine test with my temporary 6-way test kit and it doesn’t turn any color. Apparently there is no chlorine in it. I’m not sure how much to initially add to get a reading?image.jpg
 
midmodonhillwood said:
OK I’m happy to report that the pool is clear this morning!!! I have the filter and sweep running and I can see the drain at the bottom. I just did a chlorine test with my temporary 6-way test kit and it doesn’t turn any color. Apparently there is no chlorine in it. I’m not sure how much to initially add to get a reading?View attachment 541698
Click to expand...
You can safely add 5ppm liquid chlorine per day until the real test kit arrives.
 
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I’m trying to fill in the test results on the app and it wants to know what kind of bleach I’m using but it’s a gallon of chlorinating liquid it says sodium hypochlorite 10% and other ingredients 90%.

I’m not certain which to choose on the pulldown menu?!

Also I just tried to to the hardness test and realized they accidentally packaged 2 Hardness Titrant instead of one Hardness Indicator! 😄

Also, also, I’m embarrassed to say I don’t know how much 5ppm of chlorine is for a 25,000 gallon pool?
 
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That's 10% bleach/chlorine. The other ingredients is water.

The 10% or 12.5% typically won't have the scents / splashess or 'technology' that the household bleaches have that cause foaming.
 
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You are doing a great job! It will take a bit of learning but you are doing all of the right things so far. I have a link for you. I will warn you to NOT have anything in your mouth while you read it LOL:

So you are new to testing

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters…… It’s that time of year again with an influx of newbs either getting a late start or coming to us trying to undo what hasn’t been working. First of all, I’d like to welcome you all. You’re gonna love it here. We will...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

One thing I will point out is about the FC powder test. Once it goes clear call it done. It may go back to pink if you let it sit. That pink does not count.

Kim :kim:
 
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Newdude said:
That's 10% bleach/chlorine. The other ingredients is water.

The 10% or 12.5% typically won't have the scents / splashess or 'technology' that the household bleaches have that cause foaming.
Click to expand...
A quick Google search tells me: "For 5ppm in a 25000 pool add 156 oz of 10% Bleach"

I wonder, the pool is 25,000 gal but there is also an attached spa. IDK how many gallons that is?
 

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kimkats said:
You are doing a great job! It will take a bit of learning but you are doing all of the right things so far. I have a link for you. I will warn you to NOT have anything in your mouth while you read it LOL:

So you are new to testing

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters…… It’s that time of year again with an influx of newbs either getting a late start or coming to us trying to undo what hasn’t been working. First of all, I’d like to welcome you all. You’re gonna love it here. We will...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

One thing I will point out is about the FC powder test. Once it goes clear call it done. It may go back to pink if you let it sit. That pink does not count.

Kim :kim:
Click to expand...
Thank you Kim!

It is exciting to see the transformation already, and it will be rewarding to know that I can take care of the pool myself!

It may sound strange, but coming out early in the morning and skimming the leaves off the top of the pool is sort of a Zen for me!
 
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midmodonhillwood said:
A quick Google search tells me: "For 5ppm in a 25000 pool add 156 oz of 10% Bleach"
Click to expand...
Forget Google, you'll be using poolmath for everything. You need to learn it, and its stupid easy, so get out of your own head, and get to playing with poolmath.

I will also suggest you upgrade to premium for $8 **a year**. Not only can you save your test logs to spot trends, we can see them too. So you get some of the greatest minds in poolcare going over your history anytime you have something chemistry related going on. At least for the first year, its worth every penny, tenfold.
midmodonhillwood said:
I wonder, the pool is 25,000 gal but there is also an attached spa. IDK how many gallons that is?
Click to expand...
Use a general measurement and guess the gallons. For a square its length X width X average depth X 7.481 gallons per cu ft. A circle is 3.14 X radius (half the diameter) X radius (again) X average depth X 7.481 gallons per cu ft.

Even if it's 1000 gallons, 1/25 will barely make a dent in anything, but it's always best to start as close as we can.
midmodonhillwood said:
It may sound strange, but coming out early in the morning and skimming the leaves off the top of the pool is sort of a Zen for me!
Click to expand...
I thoroughly enjoy my pool, and you're amongst your people now. Lol. If it wasn't for the going and getting bleach, I wouldn't mind adding it everyday. It's the going and getting part I can't stand.
 
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Newdude said:
Forget Google, you'll be using poolmath for everything. You need to learn it, and its stupid easy, so get out of your own head, and get to playing with poolmath.

I will also suggest you upgrade to premium for $8 **a year**. Not only can you save your test logs to spot trends, we can see them too. So you get some of the greatest minds in poolcare going over your history anytime you have something chemistry related going on. At least for the first year, its worth every penny, tenfold.

Use a general measurement and guess the gallons. For a square its length X width X average depth X 7.481 gallons per cu ft. A circle is 3.14 X radius (half the diameter) X radius (again) X average depth X 7.481 gallons per cu ft.

Even if it's 1000 gallons, 1/25 will barely make a dent in anything, but it's always best to start as close as we can.

I thoroughly enjoy my pool, and you're amongst your people now. Lol. If it wasn't for the going and getting bleach, I wouldn't mind adding it everyday. It's the going and getting part I can't stand.
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Okay, I found where the Premium is and signed up!

I don't have any test results yet, I did check my PH and surprisingly is measured 7.2 with a total alkalinity of 90. You can see this now!

It wants to know what I will use to raise the pH but I don't have anything. I need to know what to go buy some as it wants me to add 6lbs. 3oz to reach my target.

As far as chemicals here I have some Leslie's Hardness Plus, Alkalinity Up, and one gallon of liquid chlorine. Any recommendations of chemicals/treatments I need to get to have on hand?

Most of all, I woke up to a clear pool which puts a BIG smile on my face!
 
The funniest way to push PH up is to throw the kids in and tell them to splash and cannon ball as much as they can LOL After that it is rolling your return nozzles up so they roll the water good. Now if you have a waterfall or spill over you can run that good and hard to put the PH up.

Here is a link to what we use in our pools. Now don't go buy any of it until you know you need it.
www.troublefreepool.com

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 www.troublefreepool.com
 
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midmodonhillwood said:
Most of all, I woke up to a clear pool which puts a BIG smile on my face!
Click to expand...
When the kit comes, pass an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test and it'll put a big smile on mine. (y)

midmodonhillwood said:
measured 7.2 with a total alkalinity of 90. You can see this now!
Click to expand...
Go into settings in the upper right corner of PM and enable sharing.

midmodonhillwood said:
It wants to know what I will use to raise the pH but I don't have anything
Click to expand...
That's fine. Repeat after me. Any 7 is equally fine.

Ok. Sweet. It's not time to add anything yet.
 
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Hey all! Happy weekend!

I got my TF-Pro test kit in the mail today. I did my first daily Chlorine and pH test just now.

PH is 7.5 and Chlorine is I’d say, 0.5.

I don’t know how to know how much Chlorine to the 25,000 gallon pool with any chlorine reading. I know it’s PPM but I guess I need to know what to fill in the “Target Free Chlorine” field to get an answer?

Also the owners we bought the house from said it is a 25K gallon pool but there’s also an attached SPA. I feel like I need to take this into consideration?IMG_2927.jpegIMG_2926.jpegIMG_2928.jpeg
 
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You need to do the cya test to know what target fc level you need to have.
See —> FC/CYA Levels
Then you can use
PoolMath to calculate how much liquid chlorine you need to achieve your target based on your pool’s volume & your liquid chlorine strength.
You should also use the fas dpd test to measure fc & cc separately
The yellow OTO test only measures Total chlorine which is fc+cc & is more of a “do I have any chlorine or not” kinda test. Not super accurate.
 
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