14 days ago just before starting the SLAM it was 7.2. Now 60 gallons of bleach later...
New pool owner and first test results from my test kit
- Thread starter turbowop
- Start date
bleach initially raises ph, but as it is used up, ends up ph neutral.
In my non expert opinion - it's swimming time! No way I'd wait another minute!
In my non expert opinion - it's swimming time! No way I'd wait another minute!
As of this morning FC has finally drifted to below 10. So I ran some tests mostly to get a more accurate PH reading. TA seems very high. Should I wait until PH drifts up higher and then add some MA to bring it down to 7.3 or so?
FC 9.5
CC <.5
TA 180
PH 7.6
CH 250
CYA 80
FC 9.5
CC <.5
TA 180
PH 7.6
CH 250
CYA 80
Your CSI looks good up to at least 90 degrees at 7.8, so that's great!!!
No point to lower PH until it gets to or goes over 7.8. Pour that MA very slowly and follow safety precautions. Some pools really like hanging out in the 7.6 neighborhood for weeks and weeks - so adding acid before it goes up to/over 7.8 just has you wasting a lot of money on acid you don't need to. Sure it drives down TA, but that's not a real need unless your acid additions are annoyingly frequent. There is no NEED for TA to be lower, just for ease of maintenance if it bothers you.
Check CYA the day after each backwash or two to get your new CYA, and adjust target if needed. It will come down over time, but 80 is easily manageable for you.
You're pretty much in cruise control now! Congrats!
Maintain FC 9-11 always (give or take)
PH 7.8+ down to 7.2 as needed
monitor CH/TA/CYA once a month and/or following some backwashes, verify CSI
Brush, vac, skim, monitor psi - and swim!!!
Final thought - is the CH 250 within your heater's preferred range?
No point to lower PH until it gets to or goes over 7.8. Pour that MA very slowly and follow safety precautions. Some pools really like hanging out in the 7.6 neighborhood for weeks and weeks - so adding acid before it goes up to/over 7.8 just has you wasting a lot of money on acid you don't need to. Sure it drives down TA, but that's not a real need unless your acid additions are annoyingly frequent. There is no NEED for TA to be lower, just for ease of maintenance if it bothers you.
Check CYA the day after each backwash or two to get your new CYA, and adjust target if needed. It will come down over time, but 80 is easily manageable for you.
You're pretty much in cruise control now! Congrats!
Maintain FC 9-11 always (give or take)
PH 7.8+ down to 7.2 as needed
monitor CH/TA/CYA once a month and/or following some backwashes, verify CSI
Brush, vac, skim, monitor psi - and swim!!!
Final thought - is the CH 250 within your heater's preferred range?
Regarding the CH I thought I was okay since I have a vinyl pool. Didn't think about the heater. I'll check the paperwork that came with it.
Good to know I don't have to mess with TA or PH for now.
thanks for the help!
Good to know I don't have to mess with TA or PH for now.
thanks for the help!
Two CH issues for vinyl pools:
too much CH can = calcium scaling
If heater, too little for heater = damage / liner staining
You're doing great!
too much CH can = calcium scaling
If heater, too little for heater = damage / liner staining
You're doing great!
Looks like I'm good on CH. The Jandy manual states CH needs to be between 200-400ppm.
I took a water sample into the pool store to get tested for metals. I had them do a full work up to see how they compared. I had just added a gallon of bleach after FC fell to 8.5ppm (a bit overkill), and I had also just tested PH which was still 7.6. FC after that gallon of bleach was 12ppm. They ran the tests and told me my FC was 8.5 and PH was 8.2, lol. My metals stayed the same as weeks ago when they tested it which was 0.4ppm. Probably stayed the same since I haven't been using copper based algaecide since finding this forum. I expected their numbers to be a bit different, but that seems crazy. They were a bit confused about the difference as well. I told them what I had been doing and they said if it worked for me, then that's awesome and to just keep doing it. They didn't even try to sell me any MetalMagic. Anyway, it seems they're still nice even after realizing they won't be able to sell me $100 worth of chemicals a week, so that's good.
Once you know you've lost the customer and it isn't worth it to earn them back, sincerely wish them well and mean it, invite them to call or visit if they ever have any questions you can help with, and let them know you'd love the opportunity to earn their business in the future. If appropriate, ask for leads in a respectful way. Thank them for their business, show them out, smile, their last impression should be that you're a stand up person and a consummate professional. Then, take no more than 5 seconds to be grateful for the account and the people, then put it behind you and move forward, wasting no further time on the past. Yesterday's work is done and can never be amended. You can't do tomorrow's work yet. That leaves you only to do the rest of today's work well, so do it! That's my current rule until it's proven less advantageous than another way of life (in terms of happiness, golden rule, and profit).
Based on your description of the people, I'm guessing (not naming names here) that you didn't go to that place in union gap. Most likely the strip mall on summitview. They were pretty relaxed and really enjoyed telling me about how much they love getting to neutralize MA spills on their carpet with baking soda. Slight chance for the building with warehouse in the numbered streets. They were the only one I could get to before they closed one day when I needed FAS-DPD chems during a SLAM ... great inventory on reagents, but almost every bottle I checked expired within a couple months.... TFTkits guarantees for a year!
I almost bought a K2006 from the union gap place, but it's expiration date was just under a year, whereas the Amazon seller promised me just a couple months shy of 24 months, and carried through on it.
Back then I didn't understand that TFTkits used all Taylor reagents and had amazing customer service and 12 month chem guarantee. As long as TFTkits continues to be owned by the current owners, and continues to buy fresh chems direct from Taylor - I now view the TF-100 as the best deal in test kits hands down, even if you pay for expedited shipping. I love my TF-100 and my K-2006, but there's a clear winner in value and it's the TF-100.
Based on your description of the people, I'm guessing (not naming names here) that you didn't go to that place in union gap. Most likely the strip mall on summitview. They were pretty relaxed and really enjoyed telling me about how much they love getting to neutralize MA spills on their carpet with baking soda. Slight chance for the building with warehouse in the numbered streets. They were the only one I could get to before they closed one day when I needed FAS-DPD chems during a SLAM ... great inventory on reagents, but almost every bottle I checked expired within a couple months.... TFTkits guarantees for a year!
I almost bought a K2006 from the union gap place, but it's expiration date was just under a year, whereas the Amazon seller promised me just a couple months shy of 24 months, and carried through on it.
Back then I didn't understand that TFTkits used all Taylor reagents and had amazing customer service and 12 month chem guarantee. As long as TFTkits continues to be owned by the current owners, and continues to buy fresh chems direct from Taylor - I now view the TF-100 as the best deal in test kits hands down, even if you pay for expedited shipping. I love my TF-100 and my K-2006, but there's a clear winner in value and it's the TF-100.
It was the UnionGap place. I find the experience in that store is very dependent on which employee you work with.
Fair enough. They did get the honor of selling me a boxer vinyl repair kit, some little plastic spreader/locks for the telescoping poles/attachments, and I think a thiosulfate 1oz to try and reduce the FAS-DPD powder I spilled on vinyl flooring (don't do that). Oh and a MA gallon or two. Glad it is there, but man some of those employees/owners challenged my patience before I calmed myself and reminded myself they were doing the best they can.