New pool owner trying to understand test strip reading
- Thread starter Pas_pool
- Start date
ugh yes. I didn’t get home until about 5 and saw it over the skimmer again. Will be out there tomorrow wasting some more good water. I hope this isn’t every year like this!
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,549
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Well last year the April showers showed up in July IIRC. No two years are the same but a wet spring is moderately common then the summer is drier. Unless its not.
How long after CYA is squeezed out of the sock and fully dissolved can you test to get accurate results?
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,549
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
24-48 hours. I used to wait 48 hours because I was surprised (low) once at 24 hours.
Now I don't test after adding for a couple weeks. If it's in there it's in there.
Granted, I use the same brand, and my pool volume is accurate.
Now I don't test after adding for a couple weeks. If it's in there it's in there.
Granted, I use the same brand, and my pool volume is accurate.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,736
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I am going off of what I have been told on here and on the pool math app to have it in the 60-90 range
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,736
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
There seems to be no reason in your pool to force down your TA.
Keep your pH in the high 7s and your TA will come down naturally as you adjust your pH.
Pool chemistry is not simply about matching numbers. It helps to understand why you need certain levels and when it does not matter for your pools health.
If you do not have a “why” then don’t do unnecessary work.
TA - Further Reading
www.troublefreepool.com
110 is way close enough IMO but we are split as to which would bother us more. If you leave it be........
The good : TA will continue to fall on its own as you maintain PH in the 7s.
The not perfect : it will pull the Ph up and you'll need to dose muriatic acid a little more often (but not tons).
The Even Steven : slightly increased MA doses will lower the TA for you.
If you go out of your way to get the TA down.......
The good : Ph rise will slow sooner.
The bad : More work now and then you still have to maintain the Ph between now and however long it would have taken to do it the slow way.
The Even Steven : One less thing to think about.
The good : TA will continue to fall on its own as you maintain PH in the 7s.
The not perfect : it will pull the Ph up and you'll need to dose muriatic acid a little more often (but not tons).
The Even Steven : slightly increased MA doses will lower the TA for you.
If you go out of your way to get the TA down.......
The good : Ph rise will slow sooner.
The bad : More work now and then you still have to maintain the Ph between now and however long it would have taken to do it the slow way.
The Even Steven : One less thing to think about.
So it sounds like it’s either do the work now and have a little less later or continuous work throughout the season. I would prefer to do a little bit more work now, but I’m not using the pool and get it good then just maintain.
- May 3, 2007
- 18,097
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
One other factor to consider is that if you have high TA/PH fill water and rely on that fill water fairly often, there will be a tendency for the pool water PH & TA to rise anyway. This is why I don't bother with manual dosing anymore and went with an automatic acid dosing system.
There is no wrong way to skin this cat. For some with crazy high TA (like 200+) they need to force it or it will take all season if even then. Or for those with high TA fill water and lots of evaporation, they'll want to get ahead of it. But vinyl in the northeast is pretty much hands off for most of us so you dont have the pressing concerns to lower the TA. Walk or run to the finish line, its up to you.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,549
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
PAS. You got it. and @ajw22 is right. I went through the same thing. I had to have my TA down, so I built an aeration rig, that now sits dormant as I've learned.
Create another pool in pool math called Fill Water. Test the pH, TA, CH of your fill water and save it as a record in Fill Water.
Post those results here (we can only see your default pool)
I will do that when I get a moment after work one of these days coming up. Haven’t had to use my well water for fill yet. I’ve only been doing the opposite with all this rain
