New pool owner Test results

[CarolineM]

Hi everyone,

Great site, I am learning so much.

FC: 5
CC: 0.09
TC: 5
PH: 8.6
TA: 120
CH: 145
CYA: 30
Temp: 84
Salt: 3200
Borates: 30

Water is crystal clear
pool gets sun from sun up to sun down, no shade at all.
VS Pump runs 24/7
SWG set on 3rd light of 5 lights
I do not use a solar cover right now.
I run my pool vac everyday

Just added 1 QT MA
5 lbs ProTeam Calcium Up

I'm having issues with 2 ducks visiting the pool multiple times a day. They defecate in the pool and on the edge.

My test results are from an independently owned pool store (I know a no-no) Ordering test kit tonight. I'm new to all of this and just found this site. I have read so much in the last few hours my head is about to explode.

Any help with my numbers and suggestions to keep the ducks out are greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello and welcome! Glad to hear you have a test kit on its way. Make sure to add it to your signature. While your CYA is apparently low for a SWG pool, about the only thing I would consider doing based on those store tests (and you already did it) is lower the pH to under 7.8. That's a fairly easy test to perform. Leave everything else alone for now until the test kit arrives. Of course let your SWG do the work for you by making chlorine, and you might get one more pH test to make sure it's under 7.8. Other than that, wait until you can test on your own.

Take a dep breath, relax, and just read our ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and save those Vital Links below in my sig. We'll watch for your numbers.

 

[CarolineM]

Thank you Texas Splash for your quick reply. I just ordered the TF-100 kit. I'll post my numbers once it
arrives.

Is having ducks pooping in my pool daily a problem, other than being nasty? I vac it everyday.

 

[linuxninja00]

Thank you Texas Splash for your quick reply. I just ordered the TF-100 kit. I'll post my numbers once it
arrives.

Is having ducks pooping in my pool daily a problem, other than being nasty? I vac it everyday.

Welcome to TFP!

Annapolis, what a beautiful town. Anyways, I'd think the duck poop is ok as long as your scooping it out and maintaining proper FC levels. We apparently have a large frog that likes to take a nightly swim in my pool. At first I thought I had just dead worms on the bottom of my pool, nope, frog poop . FC levels and water are doing just fine. I'm also cool with him visiting as he's likely taking care of all the wolf spiders I usually have hanging out and breeding in my pool, lol.

 

[CarolineM]

Received my TF-100 with speed stir today and below are my results



FC: 10.5 used Chlorine Drop Test
CC: 0.5
TC: 11
PH: 8.2
TA: 150
CH: 525
CYA: 30
Temp: 76
Salt: 3200
Borates: 30

Water is crystal clear
pool gets sun from sun up to sun down
no cover used right now
SWG lit 3 of 5 lights

with the CH so high, is that a problem for SWG and Fiberglass Pool? Do I need to drain 50% of the water?
i see I need to raise my CYA
Lower my PH with MA
Lower my chlorine by turning down my SWG?

Input would be greatly appreciated

 

[ajw22]

Test your fill water for PH, TA, and CH. No point in draining your pool to lower CH if your fill water is high.

Put your results into PoolMath and see what your CSI is. You want to keep your CSI between 0 and -.6 to prevent scale in your SWG.

You should raise your CYA to 70, lower your PH, and you can crank down your SWG a bit to lower your FC towards 6.

 

[CarolineM]

Thank you for your reply

My CSI is 0.84

My initial fill water was from a truck with city water. I've had to add water due to evaporation a couple of time. That water came from our well which is treated with a water softener, tri-max filter and chemical injection system due to the poor quality of our well water. It has an extremely high iron content and without the water treatment system it comes out of the tap red.

I will test our treated water tomorrow.

 

[Texas Splash]

with the CH so high, is that a problem for SWG and Fiberglass Pool?

Absolutely. You need to lower the pH immediately with muriatic acid. In fact, your TA is a bit elevated as well, and the acid will work on both. Use the PoolMath and enough acid to lower the pH to 7.0-7.2. It will bring the TA down too, but then aerate to raise the pH only. Once the pH hits 7.8, use acid again to lower the pH to 7.0-7.2. Continue this until your TA is down to about 70-80. Once your TA is adjusted, the pH should remain in the mid 7s much easier. Because your CH is already elevated, you must always keep the pH below 7.8. In fact, I would try to keep the pH below 7.6. To fully understand why I'm saying this, you should enter your NOW (current) test results in one column on the PoolMath, then enter my recommended TARGET numbers next to them. Then look near the bottom at the "CSI" row. You want your CSI number to be slightly in the negative to prevent scale both tot eh shell and SWG.

As for the CYA, it should be higher (70) for your SWG. See the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA], Congrats on the test kit!

 

[ajw22]

Your high CH may be a testing error. Make sure you are doing the CH drop test correctly. You must wipe the tip between each drop to eliminate static electricity and get the right drop size. Otherwise you get smaller drops then designed and it takes more of them and your test reads high. This often seems to be a problem in new kits.

You can have the same testing error with your TA test. Redo both wiping the tip between drops.

 

[CarolineM]

Thank you Pat!

Should my first concern be lowering the PH/TA and Chlorine, and once those are lowered raising my CYA?

I will continue to monitor my CSI using pool math.

 

[ajw22]

Thank you Pat!

Should my first concern be lowering the PH/TA and Chlorine, and once those are lowered raising my CYA?

I will continue to monitor my CSI using pool math.

You can do all 3 at the same time. CYA is acid and may help lower your PH a bit. But you will need multiple cycles of MA lowering your PH to lower your TA.

 

[Texas Splash]

The pH is most important now. Even if your CH isn't quite that high, it needs to be in the mid-7s. The chlorine doesn't need to be lowered. In fact, until you get the CYA increased and SWG dialed-in to work the way you want, watch the FC closely to keep it from dropping below 5. In time, as you do that acid/aeration trick above, the TA will lower. I can see how truck water can have a high CH content, but you do have a speedstir so that's good. If you have any questions or doubt about the CH test, just let us know.