Leslie's analysis...should i trust? Need immediate help please!

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S

sunsoul

0
Mar 30, 2017
58
Frisco
Hi all,

Our PB did the pool school on Friday so, the pool pump etc. has been running since friday. Took water to Leslie today:

PH 7.8
TA 50 ppm

Based on this, they recommended to add 9 lbs of 13 oz of alkalinity up product (basically basic soda). The guy said we don't need any chlorine for up to 2 months. Only Ph and TA are important to watch in first 2 months. IS this true? Won't algae starts growing , if we don't add chlorine in a chlorine pool with FC zero for 2 months? Our PB has not been good about any recommendations and just said to get the analysis done from Leslie and buy recommended chemicals from Leslie. Please help!!
 
Trust your common sense. Clear blue water is not a natural state for a water pond in your backyard, you need to sanitize the water to keep the micro-organisms under control.

Testing is critical for success and if you want a job done right..........get a good test kit and learn how to use it properly.
 
Not true, and exactly why we frown on pool store testing and advice. Not to mention selling you products you don't need. Here's the most important things
- Your pool warranty. Your builder "normally" has some specific guidance for you to follow at start-up. If the warranty and/or builder support is not an issue, keep the following in mind:
- You need accurate test results; test your own water with a TF-100 - link below (or suitable sub Taylor K-2006C). That HAS to be a priority.
- Free Chlorine ... YES. Absolutely. If none has been added, get a 1/2 gallon of regular bleach in there ASAP.
- Conditioner/Stabilizer for CYA .. has ANY been added yet at start-up? CYA is needed to protect the FC from the sun and protect swimmers and pool surfaces from chlorine.
- PH will want to rise often with new plaster. You'll want to have some muriatic acid on-hand at all times to keep the pH from exceeding 7.8. When you let it get over 7.8, it increase the chances of developing scale. Muriatic acid is one of the few things I would recommend getting at the pool store if you want to.
- Leave the TA alone for now until you get your own proper test kit.

So for now, order a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C. I love my TF-100 with magnetic speedstir. Get some bleach in the water and keep the FC at about 2-3 ppm if there is no stabilizer (CYA) in the water yet. Once stabilizer is in, increase FC to about 5 ppm. You can get stabilizer from the pool section at Wal-Mart or local big box hardware store. Use the sock-soaking method to let the granules dissolve.

I'm throwing a lot of info at you at once, but start with some bleach and the test kit. Reply back as much as needed to ask questions. Make sure to read/bookmark the vital links below in my signature for assistance. Congrats on the new pool!
 
Ok.. I've read. I'm shocked, but that's often the case when folks go to Leslie's.

Yes, you DO need chlorine in there. What were your plans for sanitation in your pool? We normally suggest either a Salt Water Chlorine Generator or the use of "Liquid Chlorine" (aka "bleach"). Bleach is the exact same thing as the "liquid chlorine" that pool stores sell. Some times its called liquid "shock" but same chemical, just a bit stronger.

You should also have your own test kit cause you could take 3 water samples from the same pool to 3 different pool stores and get 3 different recommendations and results. Which one should you believe??? No one cares for your pool and water as much as you... so YOU do the tests with a *reliable* kit that is accurate. We only recommend two on the market- the TF-100 or the K-2006C. The TF-100 was designed for TFP'ers in mind as it holds the most reagents for the tests you do most often. They both use Taylor testing reagents. You can find either at tftestkits.net or PoolSupplyWorld.com (I suggest the TF-100)

Until your test kit gets there add about 1/2 gallon of liquid bleach (plain, unscented, no thickeners etc) daily and you need to be brushing that pool daily. You need to also get a gallon or two of 31% Muriatic Acid as you'll be using that to lower your pH often. New pools use a lot of this. And grab one 7# bag of Arm and Hammer baking soda in case you need it. Just one. Did your PB add stabilizer in your water?? You'll need some of that too... Cyanuric Acid "CYA" stablizer. All can be found at Walmart or Lowes. Only buy fresh bleach from stores that store it inside, and check the date code for fresh stock.

Please read this --> Pool School - Start-up New Plaster

Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

After your test kit arrives tell us:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA

Looking forward to helping you enjoy your new pool. Would love to see a pic too?

Maddie :flower:
 
Cannot thank enough everyone for your quick responses!!! Still need to wrap my head around all this. Btw i did order a TF-100 kit from this site and tested in the morning for PH and FC. So, i'll go and test other things and post my readings. Also, when i asked why no chlorine for 2 months in the pool then, leslie guy said it will harm your plaster, give it some time to cure....is that true?
 
Also, when i asked why no chlorine for 2 months in the pool then, leslie guy said it will harm your plaster, give it some time to cure....is that true?
Click to expand...
No. You always need some chlorine. In fact, if you did as they suggested with no chlorine, you would get algae and need twice as much chlorine to kill the algae (perform a SLAM). That we try to avoid, but having a normal amount of chlorine is fine. When you get time, please add the TF-100 to your signature details so everyone doesn't ask you each time you post. ha. When in doubt, refer to those references we've all provided. Ask ANY question you need.
 
sunsoul said:
Also, when i asked why no chlorine for 2 months in the pool then, leslie guy said it will harm your plaster, give it some time to cure....is that true?
Click to expand...
Wow, just wow. I wonder how your brand new plaster would look after 2 months of unrestricted algae growth. Probably wonderful patterns of green staining all over. Standard advice is to avoid pool stores as possible, but when you need to go in to that store do everything you can to avoid that person in particular!
 

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I've got a saltwater pool and a whole lineup of chemicals in the shed. I took a photo of them, a water sample, and went to our local Leslies to have it tested and show them what I already had on hand. As usual, different people there than last year. One tested my water and told me something, can't even remember what it was now, but I said I really doubted that. The other person came over, tested it, completely contradicted #1's conclusions and told me what I needed to add. When I showed him the photo of things (additives) that I already had he told me that I'd never need any of those for my pool. When I advised him that they had all come from that store at the direction of whoever was working there at the time he just shook his head and said he didn't know why. Before I return to Leslie's again I'll go to a local grocery store and ask a stock clerk what to do; at least then I won't assume they know anything about it.
 
I couldn't find liquid chlorine yesterday in walmart and other stores had closed so, got this below and set to automatically dispense from the chlorinator. I know that this tablet will add CYA too but we also thought that, since we won't be adding liquid chlorine eventually so, its better to get correct setting via the in-line chlorinator. Do folks recommend to use liquid chlorine and CYA separately for some reason? Please let me know.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PZZFFO...t=&hvlocphy=9026848&hvtargid=pla-320650228996


Here are my test results this morning:

FC 1.5
CC 0
PH 8.2
TA 50ppm
CH 175 ppm
CYA not tested

Just read this post and i guess, one option would be to not use in-line chlorinator at all and just manually dispense liquid chlorine in the pool. is this correct?

Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool
 
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Was Walmart also out of plain unscented bleach?

Those tablets have copper in them, not something you want to introduce to your water especially with brand new plaster. If the copper concentration gets high enough it will stain.
 
We add them separately so it is easy to calculate on how much you have in the water so you don't overshoot and need to drain some water to correct the CYA.

With new water you can use the tabs to slowly raise the FC and CYA but you need to know how much you are adding so you don't overshoot the CYA. I believe for every 10ppm of FC you add with tabs it will add 6ppm of CYA. Make sure the tabs don't have copper in them.

I would bump up the TA and lower the pH right away. Aim for the pH to be 7.5 and the TA 90 to 110 if you are planning on using tabs for now.
 
As I wrote in post #6 "liquid chlorine (aka bleach)" are the same thing!! Bleach....you know, that stuff you use for laundry is the SAME thing as liquid chlorine, but perhaps slightly weaker.

Go buy some jugs of bleach, hon. You DO NOT want to be putting copper containing pucks in your pool!!

Maddie :flower:
 
Hopefully you didn't open that tablet container yet and you can take them back and get a refund. Those particular ones have much more than just CYA and Chlorine, copper has been mentioned but I'm quite certain they also contain pH buffer which is why they call it a 6-in-1 formula. I can't steer you away from using those strongly enough.
 
The Walmart on Preston just south of Main has Pool Essentials Liquid Chlorine in stock (according to the store search tool online) on aisle H30 for $3.64/gal. Plain, unscented, splashless bleach works too.
 
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