New Here - need advice to get rid of pool service!

[ralphsyv]

You are right. TC does not mean anything. FC and CC is what is used.

In the future use a 10 ml water sample. Each drop to clear is 0.5 ppm FC.

I think I basically have the math right. A bigger sample should theoretically be more accurate, but I believe you are saying 10 ml is a good enough sample size?

These would be the same:
(25ml) -> 20 drops x 0.2 = 4
(10ml) -> 8 drops x 0.5 = 4

I'm going to test ph and cya next.

 

[markayash]

I use the 10ml because it's easier for my non-math brain Every 2 drops is 1
Plus you don't use all your supplies up

 

[ralphsyv]

Thanks for the help, everyone. Here's my first complete test:
FC = 2
CC = 0.5
Ph = 8
TA = 100
CH = 270
CYA = 30

Ph looks too high to me, the same it's been the last few weeks when I tested with the Poolmaster kit.

CYA is kind of hard to get exact since 30 is the top line on my kit. The pool company said it was 25 so I think they're probably using an electronic test to analyze it.

 

[mknauss]

You can use some acid to lower the pH to 7.6.
You need chlorine. Follow the FC/CYA Levels

 

[markayash]

Can you find liquid chlorine? Since you have a little green get your FC up

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

I let my SWCG go for about two weeks as the days shortened up and I ended up at 26.5 FC.. so I don't run out of R-871 until next spring (when I'll buy the whole refill kit) I've been testing 5 mL samples-- 1 drop= 1 FC... it works fine. I can even sort of distinguish 0.5 based on it getting clearer but not clear. That test is good stuff.

But it's amazing how I went from losing 5.5 FC a day in August to about 1.7 now.. so even a SWCG isn't maintenance nor adjustment free. I am embarrassed but it's been 10 days and I am going to run back on the unit tomorrow. I reset the timers today but I am still at 9.5 FC.

The standard test for TFP for FC is 10 mL and 0.5 FC per drop. Any more than that, and it's more precision than you need and you'll use up the R-871 really fast. And it appears to be pricey so don't waste it. I think next season I'm going to test every other time with 5 mL samples....

Good luck with the Algae. Scrub and SLAM for a bit....

 

[ralphsyv]

@mknauss and @markayash - The pool service would be completely ****** if I added anything right now. I'm just testing to monitor what they are doing so far.

It's actually not green any more. I think the green was from the silver they added. I'm not sure on that because green would mean copper, not silver. Anyway, the green dissapeared the next day.

Yes, the 10ml test should be fine for me and not waste so much R-871.

 

[ralphsyv]

They're going to add 3 pounds cyanuric acid tomorrow - will that lower Ph?

 

[mknauss]

They're going to add 3 pounds cyanuric acid tomorrow - will that lower Ph?

Very slightly.

 

[ajw22]

They're going to add 3 pounds cyanuric acid tomorrow - will that lower Ph?

48 oz of stabilizer in your 20,000 gallon pool will raise CYA by 18 and lower pH by 0.33

 

[ralphsyv]

48 oz of stabilizer in your 20,000 gallon pool will raise CYA by 18 and lower pH by 0.33

Got it. So that would bring pH down to around 7.8? Im looking back at the records and it looks like they've been adding muriatic acid to try to keep pH around 7.6. It's always looked higher than that to me.

 

[ralphsyv]

I'm starting to suspect this might not be black algae. Mostly they look like black circles the size of cheerios. They are hard as heck and usually can't be brushed off. If they do brush off there's a gray stain left behind. I think it might be some calcium deposits?

 

[ralphsyv]

How big of a deal is it if someone dumps the test chemicals back in the pool? The instructions for Taylor test kit say don't do that. That's what the pool guy has been doing.

 

[mknauss]

How big of a deal is it if someone dumps the test chemicals back in the pool? The instructions for Taylor test kit say don't do that. That's what the pool guy has been doing.

Once or twice, no big deal. Every week, not good. They need to stop doing that.

Read about Calcium nodules - Calcium Nodules in pools

 

[ralphsyv]

Once or twice, no big deal. Every week, not good. They need to stop doing that.

Read about Calcium nodules - Calcium Nodules in pools

Weird... Have you seen anything like that where they look like cheerios? It's hard to get a good photo. Just a small black ring with a hole in the center. It's only in an area at the bottom of the pool that had low circulation.

 

[mknauss]

Not that I recall. If you can get one off, drop some acid on it. See what happens.

 

[markayash]

How big of a deal is it if someone dumps the test chemicals back in the pool? The instructions for Taylor test kit say don't do that. That's what the pool guy has been doing.

I didn’t know that, I will stop doing it

 

[ralphsyv]

I didn’t know that, I will stop doing it

When I test, I'm diluting it and washing it all down the laundry sink.

 

[ralphsyv]

Not that I recall. If you can get one off, drop some acid on it. See what happens.

It's not something you can scratch off with a fingernail. They're hard as f.

 

[ralphsyv]

48 oz of stabilizer in your 20,000 gallon pool will raise CYA by 18 and lower pH by 0.33

So they never added cyanuric acid and that's ok...