New Test Results.

[Adritard]

First of all these are my old and first test results back in June:
FC: 0.6 ppm
CC: 0
PH: 7.8
TA: 250
Calcium: 665. (um..?)
CYA: Big fat 0

And as of today:
FC: 5.5
CC: 1.0
PH: 8
TA: 320
CH: 300
CYA: 10

My lovely pool finally held Chlorine!!
I also just added some MA. And I will add some stabilizer later.

I'm also at war with some black algea. :grrrr:

 

[dmanb2b]

From the looks of the water (maybe just looks green in pic ) and your CC reading of greater than 0.5, you likely need to shock.

pool-school/shocking_your_pool

Given you are using pucks (floater in pool) , i'm surprised CYA is only 10ppm.

 

[y_not]

I think it looks rather pretty, looks like Floridian waters or something.
You should leave it.
J/K

Are you certain you did the CYA test correctly? It can be a hard little bugger to get right at first.
Check out this pg. for some great tips, I have linked straight to the CYA test procedures.
extended-test-kit-directions-t25081.html#p206397
This is for the Taylor CYA tube in the TF-100/TF-50 test kits, which isn't the one you have, but the methods and tips provided still apply.
For your kit, see this document for a better understanding and pictures showing the process.
http://www.taylortechnologies.com/Chemi ... ntentID=36

Also, the CYA test starts with the highest number at the bottom and the lowest number at the top. But it doesn't go to 10ppm, it top ends at 30ppm on yours. How did you arrive at 10ppm CYA?
Did you mean 100ppm?
If so, the kit only goes to 100ppm at max concentration, so if you get 100ppm, it could easily be an even higher concentration in "PPM". So you'd have to dilute as instructed with fresh water to be certain. Tap water is fine.

The only other thing that results in very low CYA, if that is correct, with consistent use of pucks, assuming you haven't just drained and refilled the pool. Would be ammonia present in the pool from the algae/bacteria. But seeing as you can keep your FC level at a registerable number, that may not be the case.

Do study how to do the CYA test, read all the notes on the 1st link, even if you think it doesn't apply to your tube type. Then go read the Taylor doc, mostly applying what you read in the 1st link, to your tube using the Taylor instructions. Be sure you do it outdoors, back to the sun, water sample temp at 70deg F minimum.
Feel free to re-test by pouring out the sample and squirting back into the sample tube, so you are certain of the endpoint. The dot has to fully disappear, no trace left. It helps to look away, then back and stare for a few seconds at it so you are sure.

Edit: Corrected the punchline at top.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

How long did it hold chlorine for? What was the expected vs realized result prior to this? Is the picture accurate? The water looks cloudy and green.


- Sent using Tapatalk

 

[y_not]

How long did it hold chlorine for? What was the expected vs realized result prior to this? Is the picture accurate? The water looks cloudy and green.

Now that you mention it, the pool itself does look cloudy. Can't see the bottom or sides really at all.
However the water in the spa looks quite clear, from the picture that is. Not crystal clear lime green, but clearer than the pool. Could it be because there's more sun on that part of the pool, or is it just me? Or is the shallow depth and short width a rather poor indication in this case?

 

[bpricedo]

Well, you've got some work to do but you'll get there. As the others said, first try hard to figure out the correct CYA, the you can shock as long as your CYA isn't too high. Let us know if you confirm the CYA is really 10 or not.

 

[Emilio.Largo]

First of all these are my old and first test results back in June:
FC: 0.6 ppm
CC: 0
PH: 7.8
TA: 250
Calcium: 665. (um..?)
CYA: Big fat 0

And as of today:
FC: 5.5
CC: 1.0
PH: 8
TA: 320
CH: 300
CYA: 10

My lovely pool finally held Chlorine!!
I also just added some MA. And I will add some stabilizer later.

I'm also at war with some black algea. :grrrr:

I'll be honest your pool looks pretty Dang cool..

 

[y_not]

I'll be honest your pool looks pretty **** cool..

Yeah it sure does huh?
But the question is, would "you" swim in it? :rabbit:

 

[Adritard]

Super late response, sorry.

As of today my results are:
FC: 6.0
CC: 0
PH: 8
TA: 300
CH: 290
CYA: 50

I did add Muriatic acid and succesfully lowered my PH to 7.4 but somehow it went back up to 8.
I was using pucks for 2 days but I ended up taking them out and adding stabilizer instead to increase my CYA as I had 0 before. I just noticed I accidentally added a "1" in front of the "0" on the old results. Sorry, about that.
In the picture my pool was green and cloudy but as of today my pool is blue and clear.
This is my current problem...

 

[y_not]

Thanks for posting back.

You need to go through the shocking process as outlined in pool school. See link in my sig, last line "Shock It".
Lower your pH down to 7.0 before shocking, it makes the CL more effective. Normally we say 7.2, but since your TA is so insanely HIGH, it's going to climb quickly.

Stop using the pucks now and switch exclusively to bleach, also outlined in pool school. Never add to skimmer, same with acid or anything else. Always add in front of a return jet. Jet is defined as, where water enters the pool from pump/filter.
You can't use the pucks because they will just keep adding stabilizer. When it gets too high, which you're basically at the top end now, you can't keep up with the CL demand and then you end up with something like what you have now.

EDIT: Just to clarify, your CYA test sample was completely clear before you added stabilizer. Correct?
Also, you mentioned black algae in your 1st post, but I don't see any in the deep end photos you posted.

 

[dmanb2b]

Your PH is rising because your TA is high. Once TA is lowered below 100, you will start to see the rate of PH rise slow dramatically. Acid additions lower both PH and TA. To speed up the process you aerate the water which raises PH and does not effect TA, allowing you to make more frequent acid additions and quickly lowering TA. See the below for full instructions:

pool-school/lowering%20total%20alkalinity

Lowering PH to 7.0 will not make CL noticeably more effective (discussed below), but given your TA level of 300 is sound advice toward lowering your TA level.

is-chlorine-more-effective-with-a-lower-ph-t35467.html

To confirm if you need to shock, you should perform the overnight FC loss test.

pool-school/overnight_fc_test

 

[y_not]

Lowering PH to 7.0 will not make CL noticeably more effective (discussed below), but given your TA level of 300 is sound advice toward lowering your TA level.

is-chlorine-more-effective-with-a-lower-ph-t35467.html

ChemGeek or it could have been the other Richard, has said in threads I have been involved in, that chlorine is more effective when the pH isn't way up there in the 8.x's or high 7s.
I'm sure you'll ask me to reference these, no I don't know where they are off hand. But I can look for them if need be and I probably will anyway. When I get time.

I just have a really, really good memory. It's "near" photographic, hence I get some parts wrong or just don't remember them. Since it's not fully photographic, which to find someone with that is RARE!!! But the parts I get right are more accurate, detailed and are things others forget or swear never happened. Kind of a curse when you're in an argument. HA
Imagine visualizing a room, or a section of a city in your head, so vivid that you could draw or map most of it. Down to the finest details, even months, or years later. It's TRIPPY! But cool.
Anyway, I digress. Where was I? OH, yes...

Also, Jason Lion's post here: turning-your-green-swamp-back-into-a-sparkling-oasis-t4147.html
In paragraph 9, under the heading "Be Prepared" Is quoted as saying also to lower pH to 7.2/7.4. Then a few paragraphs down, he says to lower it to 7.0 before starting if a metal problem is suspected.

Hence the reason that many, many prominent posters and experienced pool owners re-iterate this same information on this board when the shocking process is discussed.

Now, keep in mind I haven't read the thread that you linked to. Which I will when I get time.
But I felt the need to respectfully point out the contradictions and general consensus leading from it and propagated by many.

 

[chem geek]

The post you are referring to is this one where it was further discussed in this thread. Because CYA buffers active chlorine (hypochlorous acid), the issue isn't so much one of less effectiveness as it is one of side effects of high pH. That can cause metal staining if there are metal ions in the water or cloudiness/scaling if the saturation index is already high. For simplicity, this is left out of the Defeating Algae and The Shock Process articles in the Pool School though it is in the Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis article in Further Reading.