New to testing and conflicting results issue

[OWSwimmer]

Hello, I’m starting to learn how to monitor and treat my 1 year old pool and could use some help transitioning from the pool maintenance company. I’m not letting them go until I feel comfortable understanding and doing the testing myself.

I could use some help since I’m finding wildly different testing results from my maintenance company, Leslie’s and my own TF-Pro Salt test kit.

I’m pretty comfortable testing for pH, Chlorine, TA and CH but I’m a little apprehensive with the CYA test since it’s so subjective. I got 50-60 CYA.

I’ll post pics of same sample results from my testing and Leslie’s. My maintenance company doesn’t provide results but claims all is well.

It’s cold here, my salt generator isn’t running and I haven’t tested the salt level but it’s been around 2250.

So what do I have here and what should I be doing?

Thanks.

 

[OWSwimmer]

Looks like I attached the same Pool Math pic twice. Sorry.

 

[Texas Splash]

I could use some help since I’m finding wildly different testing results from my maintenance company, Leslie’s and my own TF-Pro Salt test kit.

That is very common ad those other agencies never take into account many of the variables we at TFP do. They are also using some antiquated recommended levels which can be confusing. Best to not refer to their numbers or levels as that will only confuse you.

Trust your TF-Pro test kit. It's one of the best on the market.

Your FC is a bit high, but other than that I wouldn't change anything right now. How is your water? No algae (green or cloudiness)? How old is the plaster?

 

[Texas Splash]

Looks like you haven't added salt yet for your IC20, so your plaster must still be under 30 days old right?

 

[Texas Splash]

If you have tablets in that feeder, I would remove them now. Your CYA is high enough for now and the acidic tabs are pulling your TA a but low. Just use liquid chlorine until you start the SWG. Let the pH creep up to about 7.7-7.8. If the TA falls any lower than 50, add a little baking soda is all. Just about 10-20 ppm worth is all.

 

[Texas Splash]

Once you get past your 30 day mark, test the CH again. If it's still around 250, I would add another 50-100 ppm worth of calcium. If you have hard local water, only 50 ppm since new water top-offs will only add more CH.

 

[Texas Splash]

And don't worry about the elevated FC level. Unless you are doing a SLAM to remove algae, the FC will fall on its own as long as there are no tabs in the feeder.

 

[OWSwimmer]

That is very common ad those other agencies never take into account many of the variables we at TFP do. They are also using some antiquated recommended levels which can be confusing. Best to not refer to their numbers or levels as that will only confuse you.

Trust your TF-Pro test kit. It's one of the best on the market.

Your FC is a bit high, but other than that I wouldn't change anything right now. How is your water? No algae (green or cloudiness)? How old is the plaster?

Plaster is about 6 months old and water looks great.

 

[OWSwimmer]

Looks like you haven't added salt yet for your IC20, so your plaster must still be under 30 days old right?

maintenance company has been adding salt and we’ve run the salt generator all summer until temperature shut it down.

 

[OWSwimmer]

If you have tablets in that feeder, I would remove them now. Your CYA is high enough for now and the acidic tabs are pulling your TA a but low. Just use liquid chlorine until you start the SWG. Let the pH creep up to about 7.7-7.8. If the TA falls any lower than 50, add a little baking soda is all. Just about 10-20 ppm worth is all.

No tablets ever in the feeder. Maintenance company has been using pressure tank with chlorine liquid/gas.

 

[Texas Splash]

maintenance company has been adding salt and we’ve run the salt generator all summer until temperature shut it down.

That makes sense. Your test log showed no salt so I assumed it was new. Next chance you test the water, you might want to test the salt as it can influence the Poolmath overall results. Good to hear the water is clear. Chilly water works in our favor this time of year.

 

[Texas Splash]

No tablets ever in the feeder. Maintenance company has been using pressure tank with chlorine liquid/gas.

Perfect! At least we know there is no chance of the CYA climbing unless you add stabilizer.

 

[OWSwimmer]

Once you get past your 30 day mark, test the CH again. If it's still around 250, I would add another 50-100 ppm worth of calcium. If you have hard local water, only 50 ppm since new water top-offs will only add more CH.

Thanks. We’re way past 30 days.

 

[OWSwimmer]

That makes sense. Your test log showed no salt so I assumed it was new. Next chance you test the water, you might want to test the salt as it can influence the Poolmath overall results. Good to hear the water is clear. Chilly water works in our favor this time of year.

Thanks. I’ve been testing the salt routinely but didn’t get to it for this thread.

 

[Texas Splash]

With your updates, it really sound like you are in very good shape. The chlorine can be turned down (or off) for a while to allow the FC to fall down below 10. FYI - whenever the FC is over 10, it skews the pH testing.

 

[Texas Splash]

To summarize everything above:
1 - Turn off chlorine injection and allow FC to fall to 10 or below which will also permit accurate pH testing.
2 - No muriatic acid for a few days. Allow pH to rise to about 7.7-7.8
3 - Monitor TA and don't let it fall any lower. If it does, add about 10-20 ppm of baking soda.
4 - Don't let the CH fall any lower. Consider adding 50-100 ppm worth of calcium.

That should do it.

 

[Methuselah]

Looks like the advice you got was spot on!

I'll just add, you can "referee" the CYA reading by buying a standard solution to practice with.

Best advice I've seen here concerning CYA is consistency. Try to do testing the same way with the same lighting conditions. And, also watch for proper behavior, i.e. how much fc drops with sunlight being consistent with expectations.

 

[MITBeta]

Where did all the copper in the pool come from?

 

[duraleigh]

Where Where did all the copper in the pool come from?

MITbeta, What does that mean? Is there a copper test in this thread?

OWswimmer, did you have a reason for FC=24 or did it just happen inadvertently?

 

[mgtfp]

No tablets ever in the feeder. Maintenance company has been using pressure tank with chlorine liquid/gas.

Are they adding liquid chlorine to the pool or injecting chlorine gas?

(Edit: I should clarify that with "liquid chlorine" I am not referring to liquified chlorine gas under pressure in the chemical sense, but to chlorinating liquid aka sodium hypochlorite or bleach in the pool maintenance sense.)

Liquid chlorine is pH and TA neutral (over the complete chlorination cycle).

But dissolution of chlorine gas in water is an acidic process. In terms of pH/TA, a gas chlorinated pool has to be treated similar to a tabs chlorinated pool, it'll need baking soda to compensate the TA decrease.