New to TFP but not new to pools - numbers are off

[PoolStored]

So, we are at FC 14 now so probablty just a few more days til we hit that 10 mark. At that point, should I ONLY be testing the pH or should I re-test EVERYTHING at that point to see where we're at with all chems?

Here is a great guide to establish a pool care schedule...

Basic Pool Care Schedule

This basic pool care schedule can guide you in creating your own pool care routine. Regular pool maintenance will keep your water sparkling!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[CopperGirl]

Here is a great guide to establish a pool care schedule...

Basic Pool Care Schedule

This basic pool care schedule can guide you in creating your own pool care routine. Regular pool maintenance will keep your water sparkling!

www.troublefreepool.com

OK great...thank you. So after the FC drops below 10, the only thing that should be off is my CYA (until I figure out what to do with replacing water)? Will the fact that my CYA is off, throw off any other results i.e. TA, CH? Obviously we use liquid chlorine (should we be using chlorine tabs in a floater in addition to the regular liquid chlorine addition)? We never have used a floater. Also, can you recommend what type of Calcium Chloride to get? I got one but now I'm rethinking it. The one I got is

Snow Joe Melt 50, which upon further inspection appears to be 75% salt and 25% calcium chloride. This won't work, right?

Is there a page on the website that will tell me what to use to raise/lower each chemical? Thanks. I've been using pool store products all these years but would like to transition away from those if possible. Thanks again PoolStored and everyone else for all of your help.

 

[mknauss]

Is there a page on the website that will tell me what to use to raise/lower each chemical? Thanks. I've been using pool store products all these years but would like to transition away from those if possible.

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[CopperGirl]

Having the pool refilled today using 5 filters from well water ($200 - a cost I was willing to spend). Might need help balancing later. Also, I don't believe anyone answered my question about the Calcium Chloride/de-icer I purchased. After purchasing, I noticed it's 75% SODIUM chloride and 25% calcium chloride. Can this be used for CH or does the calcium chloride % need to be higher? Thanks.

 

[Newdude]

After purchasing, I noticed it's 75% SODIUM chloride and 25% calcium chloride

OK first off, GREAT job. Always check the bag, even if you bought that kind last time. Manufacturers change things all the time and we are the last to know. Best to know *before* you dump *anything* in.

Secondly, the salt won't harm you unless you're adding a bunch. But you'll be increasing your salt at a 3 to 1 ratio over the calcium increase. It won't be efficient and you'll lose whatever you saved by using de-icer. You also may raise your salt too high (if enough is needed).

I buy puritech Calcium Chloride from Amazon. It's a few bucks more but the savings isn't worth the possible headaches IMO going with the others.

 

[Mdragger88]

In florida you may be a little hard pressed to find an adequate deicer product so sticking with pool calcium chloride may be the best way to go - still always read the packaging though. You’ll be ok for a few days until the correct thing can be aquired so no worries
Are you doing a full drain & refill or a no drain water exchange? There are risks to fully draining a plaster pool depending upon the water table.
This may have already been posted but here it is again

Draining - Further Reading

www.google.com

 

[Mdragger88]

Also, after your exchange/refill go ahead & dose with liquid chlorine asap (at least 5ppm) to prevent nasties then let the water circulate at least overnight/ for a day then test everything & add what’s needed. For cya (if needed) & ch You want to err on the side of caution & creep up on the target because too much can only be remedied by exchanging more water
So add 75% of what poolmath calls for then let that circulate for a day, retest & add the remainder based on your results.
Cya (if needed) is added via the sock method.
Around a 75% water exchange should put your cya into the 30-40ppm range which would be ideal, even just getting below 60 would make things much more manageable & hopefully get the bulk of any metals gone as well to prevent future staining. Good luck keep us updated

 

[CopperGirl]

OK first off, GREAT job. Always check the bag, even if you bought that kind last time. Manufacturers change things all the time and we are the last to know. Best to know *before* you dump *anything* in.

Secondly, the salt won't harm you unless you're adding a bunch. But you'll be increasing your salt at a 3 to 1 ratio over the calcium increase. It won't be efficient and you'll lose whatever you saved by using de-icer. You also may raise your salt too high (if enough is needed).

I buy puritech Calcium Chloride from Amazon. It's a few bucks more but the savings isn't worth the possible headaches IMO going with the others.

Thanks...we use liquid chlorine (not salt) so I'm assuming that I'll be making a return trip to HD to return what they shipped me as it has too much sodium chloride. For now I will stick to pool store Calcium until I can get the correct de-icer. I will look into the one you mentioned. Thanks.

 

[CopperGirl]

In florida you may be a little hard pressed to find an adequate deicer product so sticking with pool calcium chloride may be the best way to go - still always read the packaging though. You’ll be ok for a few days until the correct thing can be aquired so no worries
Are you doing a full drain & refill or a no drain water exchange? There are risks to fully draining a plaster pool depending upon the water table.
This may have already been posted but here it is again

Draining - Further Reading

www.google.com

Drained about half and refilling via filtered well water. See a bit of yellow algae so added about an eighth of a jug of pool store chlorine - that's what we had (10.5%) and as the pool is still filling (about a foot to go) I will go replenish my chlorine and put some more in a bit later after testing the water. Will also test the CYA before going to the pool store and pick up stabilizer if needed.

 

[proavia]

Looking at your most recent PoolMath logs, something isn't right?

Are those readings from one of the recommended Test Kits Compared or from the pool store?
Which exact test kit are you using? Add it to your signature.

 

[CopperGirl]

Also, after your exchange/refill go ahead & dose with liquid chlorine asap (at least 5ppm) to prevent nasties then let the water circulate at least overnight/ for a day then test everything & add what’s needed. For cya (if needed) & ch You want to err on the side of caution & creep up on the target because too much can only be remedied by exchanging more water
So add 75% of what poolmath calls for then let that circulate for a day, retest & add the remainder based on your results.
Cya (if needed) is added via the sock method.
Around a 75% water exchange should put your cya into the 30-40ppm range which would be ideal, even just getting below 60 would make things much more manageable & hopefully get the bulk of any metals gone as well to prevent future staining. Good luck keep us updated

OK so after draining 1/2 and refilling these are my readings. Thoughts?? I used the distilled water method for testing pH since my FC was over 10. I also used the diluted and doubled test for CYA.

EDIT: Doing the CYA test the normal way, I get 48.

 

[Mdragger88]

OKView attachment 474673 so after draining 1/2 and refilling these are my readings. Thoughts?? I used the distilled water method for testing pH since my FC was over 10. I also used the diluted and doubled test for CYA.

EDIT: Doing the CYA test the normal way, I get 48.

For the cya test you can’t extrapolate between the lines- if it’s between two lines you round up to the next line. If the dot disappears Between 40 & 50 it counts as 50.
No need to do the diluted cya test anymore unless cya is above 90 ppm as all diluted tests introduce some inaccuracies.

Let fc fall to 10ppm or a little below & test ph normally then adjust it to 7.2 & begin the
SLAM Process since you mentioned seeing visible algae.

 

[CopperGirl]

For the cya test you can’t extrapolate between the lines- if it’s between two lines you round up to the next line. If the dot disappears Between 40 & 50 it counts as 50.
No need to do the diluted cya test anymore unless cya is above 90 ppm as all diluted tests introduce some inaccuracies.

Let fc fall to 10ppm or a little below & test ph normally then adjust it to 7.2 & begin the
SLAM Process since you mentioned seeing visible algae.

Yes, I don't see any algae today. Not even sure it was algae...we're full into pollen season here in SoFL so I have a feeling that's what I was seeing. So my CYA is 50 then. Thanks...will wait for FC to drop below 10 and then do normal pH test.

 

[Mdragger88]

Yes, I don't see any algae today. Not even sure it was algae...we're full into pollen season here in SoFL so I have a feeling that's what I was seeing. So my CYA is 50 then. Thanks...will wait for FC to drop below 10 and then do normal pH test.

That may be the case - especially if pollen is on everything.
If you’re on the fence about it & want to be sure you should do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

 

[CopperGirl]

So I think I'm in a good space right now. Here are today's numbers. I do have a question about what my "working" FC level should be going forward considering my location and current weather patterns. I know that 3ppm max is where you like to keep it but I feel like because of weather conditions/sun intensity, my "normal" should be a bit higher than that?? Also, when doing the TA test, I'm a "little" confused about color change and when to stop the test. When the test turns from green to pink and stays pink, is that the point to base the results on? Or, once it turns pink, do you keep adding drops until the color no longer has a change (or gets darker pink)? What I've been doing is once it turns pink and stays, that's what I'm basing my TA level on. Thanks for all your help. I DID add 2 cups MA today to try to bring TA down a bit.

 

[mknauss]

I know that 3ppm max

Follow FC/CYA Levels

When the test turns from green to pink and stays pink, is that the point to base the results on?

Total Alkalinity

A drop-based test used to measure the alkalinity in water. Alkalinity helps serve as a … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Newdude]

I know that 3ppm max is where you like to keep it but I feel like because of weather conditions/sun intensity, my "normal" should be a bit higher than that??

Max is SLAM. 40% of your CYA. 24 FC @ 60 CYA.

What I've been doing is once it turns pink and stays, that's what I'm basing my TA level on.

If I have any question, I go one more drop until no further change, then I don't count the last drop. Either way, being off by 10 won't matter. We know it's 200 not 60, or vice versa.

 

[CopperGirl]

Max is SLAM. 40% of your CYA. 24 FC @ 60 CYA.


If I have any question, I go one more drop until no further change, then I don't count the last drop. Either way, being off by 10 won't matter. We know it's 200 not 60, or vice versa.

I'm sorry but I don't know what you're referring to with those numbers. I will, however, check out the fc/cya chart. Thanks.

 

[CopperGirl]

Follow FC/CYA Levels

Total Alkalinity

A drop-based test used to measure the alkalinity in water. Alkalinity helps serve as a … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

That article still does not answer my question.

1. "Continue adding drops as long as the color continues changing. The final drop, that does not change the color any further, does not count."

So so if it turns light pink on the 20th drop and then on the 21st drop it changes to a little darker pink, and on the 22nd drop it changes to an even darker pink and on the 23rd drop it remains that even darker pink, is the 22nd drop the one I take or the 20th when it initially turned pink?

 

[mknauss]

So so if it turns light pink on the 20th drop and then on the 21st drop it changes to a little darker pink, and on the 22nd drop it changes to an even darker pink and on the 23rd drop it remains that even darker pink, is the 22nd drop the one I take or the 20th when it initially turned pink?

You just answered your own question. When the color stops changing. So your TA would be 22 drops, or 220 ppm.