Need Advice Before I Muck Things UP

[anonymouscuban]

Hello everyone.

I fired my pool guy right before winter. Long story. So I've had the job ever since. After some epic battles with algae and chemistry completely out of whack, the Pool looks better than it has in several years. Lot of credit goes to the FAQs and reading posts on this forum. That said, I need some advice. I am getting conflicting information from the kids over at Leslie Pool. I test my water at home but have them test when I buy acid.

Here the details for my pool:

Pool

• 20,000 gallons
• Pebble tec
• SGW

Water Chem

• FC 7.0
• CC 8.0
• pH 7.9 - ran out of acid, added some today after the test to get back to 7.4-7.6 which I've been maintaining pretty well.
• TA 54 - was really high but I've got it down using the aeration method over the last few weeks.
• CH 216
• CYA 45
• Salt 3276

Here are my questions...

1. Was told that the difference between my FC and CC is too high and they recommended "Fresh n Clear" to lower CAC.
   1. Is this recommended?
2. I had a real bad scale problem which has almost completely gone away over the past couple of months since I've been maintaining the pH at recommended levels. According to the Pool Math app, I need to raise my CH a bit. The kids said I shouldn't because it will cause scale.
   1. Should I raise it and to what level?
3. Even with my TA lower, it seems like my pH wants to creep up to 8 pretty quickly. I'm adding about a pint of acid every couple of days to maintain it at 7.4-7.6. I read that borate may help with drift.
   1. Is a pint every couple of days normal?
   2. Will adding borate help?
4. I know I need to raise my CYA.
   1. Should I take care of this other stuff first or does it matter?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Alex

 

[Wobblerlorri]

First of all, you have to decide which tests you're going to trust: yours or the pool store's. TFP is based on pool owner testing, because you have a vested interest in your pool being right. The pool store has a vested interest in selling you product, not to mention they're usually poorly trained and generally run the test incorrectly.

We distrust pool store testing so much we rarely even look at the results. We for sure don't offer advice based on pool store results!

Test your pool yourself and post the results. Then we can help you with any issues.

 

[splashpad]

I fired my pool guy right before winter. Long story. So I've had the job ever since. After some epic battles with algae and chemistry completely out of whack, the Pool looks better than it has in several years. Lot of credit goes to the FAQs and reading posts on this forum. That said, I need some advice. I am getting conflicting information from the kids over at Leslie Pool. I test my water at home but have them test when I buy acid.

Hi!
So sorry & prob good riddance, ...Great! ....huh?

Are the test results posted from your testing or pool store? If yours (good job), what is your test kit?

Please add your pool, equipment and test kit info to your signature, Thanks!

 

[Richard320]

Water Chem

• FC 7.0
• CC 8.0
• pH 7.9 - ran out of acid, added some today after the test to get back to 7.4-7.6 which I've been maintaining pretty well.
• TA 54 - was really high but I've got it down using the aeration method over the last few weeks.
• CH 216
• CYA 45
• Salt 3276

• Here's my question: are you confusing FC, CC, and TC? Free Chlorine is good. Combined Chlorine is bad, and TC is the sum of both, which also happend to be what the color-matching testers read. 8 CC is horrible. 8 TC and 7 FC would put CC at 1, which is far from ideal, but no catastrophe. So review that, or better yet, tell us your test results.

  [*]
  
  Here are my questions...

1. Was told that the difference between my FC and CC is too high and they recommended "Fresh n Clear" to lower CAC.
   1. Is this recommended?

1. 1. No. Non-chlorine shock like that misreads as CC and clouds the issues.

   [*]I had a real bad scale problem which has almost completely gone away over the past couple of months since I've been maintaining the pH at recommended levels. According to the Pool Math app, I need to raise my CH a bit. The kids said I shouldn't because it will cause scale.
   

   1. Should I raise it and to what level?

   1. No. CH will climb with evaporation and refills. And the only way to nget rid of it is by draining water, which will also drain salt.

   [*]Even with my TA lower, it seems like my pH wants to creep up to 8 pretty quickly. I'm adding about a pint of acid every couple of days to maintain it at 7.4-7.6. I read that borate may help with drift.
   

   1. Is a pint every couple of days normal?
   2. Will adding borate help?

   1. Yes, pretty normal. Hold off on borates until you have mastered the chemistry without it.

   [*]I know I need to raise my CYA.
   

   1. Should I take care of this other stuff first or does it matter?
      Thanks in advance for the help.

Alex

Let's get things straightened out and be sure of what that CC reading is and get rid of it before raising CYA. Because high CYA is like high CH --- you have to drain to be rid of it.

Run your own tests like this

tfpmccoy.jpg

• Richard320
• Jun 10, 2020

 

[anonymouscuban]

First, thank you for jumping on this so soon and setting me straight out the gate.

The test results I've posted is from the pool store. I will retest with mine and repost those results. But that may be my first order of operation... get a new test kit. Not sure if what I have is a good one. I'm using a kit from Pool Master. It has the 5 vials of solutions which allow me to test FC and what they refer to as Chlorine Residual, pH, Acid Demand and Total Alkalinity. I rely on my controller for the salt level. I used to have a CYA tester but can't find it. It's the one you drop the gauge in and then visualize the reading on the gauge.

Is this good for testing or do you recommend something better?

By the way, will add equipment and other detail to my sig as suggested when I'm on my desktop.

 

[splashpad]

Those will be a basic start, but I'd suggest to definitely upgrade to the TF-100! It will be complete and easy to use!

 

[anonymouscuban]

Thanks. Of course I added this reply before doing the leg work myself and searching the forum. I found the comparison of the different test kits. Definitely looks like I need a more complete test kit. Will order a TF-100 tonight.

 

[anonymouscuban]

I received my new test kit yesterday. I got the Taylor k-2006c. The Service Complete version.

Read the little manual last night and just tested my water. Got different results than the pool store.

11.2 TC
0.4 CC
7.4 pH
60 TA
330 CH
60 CYA
3240 Salt

Looks like I need to crank down my salt cell a bit. Do you guys agree? Anything else I need to take care of?

Water is crystal clear. No algae at all. Nothing else that stands out.

 

[splashpad]

I received my new test kit yesterday. I got the Taylor k-2006c. The Service Complete version.

Read the little manual last night and just tested my water. Got different results than the pool store.

11.2 TC
0.4 CC
7.4 pH
60 TA
330 CH
60 CYA
3240 Salt

Looks like I need to crank down my salt cell a bit. Do you guys agree? Anything else I need to take care of?

Water is crystal clear. No algae at all. Nothing else that stands out.

Good job

Can you add your pool, equipment and test kit details to your signature please? Thanks!

I would say that you can start reducing the output, if that FC is w/o added liquid chlorine!

 

[anonymouscuban]

Good job

Can you add your pool, equipment and test kit details to your signature please? Thanks!

I would say that you can start reducing the output, if that FC is w/o added liquid chlorine!

Yeah. No added Chlorine. Should I try to maintain FC towards the higher end of the range or right in the middle?

Is there a template or some guide for adding the stuff to my sig? Like for abbreviations and stuff.

 

[splashpad]

Here is an article for specifically that info: Water Balance for SWGs - Trouble Free Pool

Yes actually Read This BEFORE You Post - Trouble Free Pool

 

[anonymouscuban]

Here is an article for specifically that info: Water Balance for SWGs - Trouble Free Pool

Yes actually Read This BEFORE You Post - Trouble Free Pool

Thank you. I read through the Article you shared. Looks like I'm on the right track. I adjusted down the output of the SWG. I will test again in a couple of days and fine tune it till I'm in the range of 4-6 FC.

Also updated my sig as directed in the link you shared.