New to this group and desperately need CYA\Cl help...

[jblizzle]

My 1-2 days comment was just a generality that pools can loose 1-3ppm per day so you have to keep adding so the FC does not get too low. In the cooler weather it may be more days in the summer less. You will eventually learn how often you have to add.

Well, if you have played with the poolcalculator you see at the bottom the CSI. Right now due to your low TA and CH (and sort of pH), your CSI is a bit on the negative side of the recommended range. Now I know this is bad for plaster pools, but for vinyl it may actually be no big deal. CH will tend to rise naturally due to evaporation (a big problem here in AZ). You may find that you pool is happy with a pH a little higher (7.8) keep an eye on it and see what pH is doing, it may not rise much since your TA is low, but if it settled at 7.8, you would be back in the CSI range {again not sure being on the negative side matters for your pool}.

It is pretty easy to play with the different parameters in the calculator and see how the CSI gets affected. What you do NOT want is a large positive number as scaling can then begin.

Regarding the screen around the pool, how much sunlight will it allow through? The sun actually breaks down the CC which is good. Indoor pools generally have to add some equipment to help break it down I believe.

 

[ED-209]

Re: Re: New to this group and desperately need CYA\Cl help..

My 1-2 days comment was just a generality that pools can loose 1-3ppm per day so you have to keep adding so the FC does not get too low. In the cooler weather it may be more days in the summer less. You will eventually learn how often you have to add.

Well, if you have played with the poolcalculator you see at the bottom the CSI. Right now due to your low TA and CH (and sort of pH), your CSI is a bit on the negative side of the recommended range. Now I know this is bad for plaster pools, but for vinyl it may actually be no big deal. CH will tend to rise naturally due to evaporation (a big problem here in AZ). You may find that you pool is happy with a pH a little higher (7.8) keep an eye on it and see what pH is doing, it may not rise much since your TA is low, but if it settled at 7.8, you would be back in the CSI range {again not sure being on the negative side matters for your pool}.

It is pretty easy to play with the different parameters in the calculator and see how the CSI gets affected. What you do NOT want is a large positive number as scaling can then begin.

Regarding the screen around the pool, how much sunlight will it allow through? The sun actually breaks down the CC which is good. Indoor pools generally have to add some equipment to help break it down I believe.

Cool, and thought CSI was that show that comes on TV everyday lil

I gotcha on the adding everyday or other day and will test late in the afternoon.

Now does the FC only decrease during direct sunlight or anytime while the sun is out? I just didn't know if the sunlight has to be on the actual water to be affected or if it's affected until the sunsets.

For the pool cage, it's screened so it lets the sunlight through but it does help in terms of keeping the pool cooler and the only thing that gets in the pool is pollen and dust when it rains so that helps a lot IMO. My pool is perpendicular to the back of my house vs being parallel like most pools are so the sunlight stays on my pool til very late in the day usually an hour or two before sunset vs if it was parallel, adds about an extra 2 hours of direct sunlight.

Thanks again and really appreciate all the help and advice.

Let's see if I can take a quick pic and if it works via Tappatalk:

 

[jblizzle]

Nice. Looking pretty good!!!

 

[ED-209]

Ok, haven't forgotten everyone but wanted to get some results and post and ask my last remaining questions...for now and then finally be able to join the other posts and be able to share the knowledge I have learned from everyone and be able to give back some oh and also update my signature to Trouble Free Since

Friday 4/6 at 6:00p.m., previous CYA was 70..I think see further below test results:

FC: 7.5
TC: 7.5
CC: 0.0
PH: 7.3

Added 24 oz of Borax to raise pH .2 and Added 8 or so oz to raise FC .2 (still learning how to gauge measurements but thinking about buying a plastic 2 quart measuring cup, as I thought I added more initially)

Sat 4/7 6:47 p.m.:

FC: 5.5
TC: 5.5
CC: 0.0
PH: 7.5

Added: 17.6 oz Borax -> + .2 pH 161 oz Bleach -> + 5.5 FC

Sat 4/7 10:00 p.m.:

FC: 10.5
TC: 10.5
CC: 0.0
PH: 7.5 - 7.8 (This test and CYA are giving me the most trouble, the shade of read was close to 7.5 but was close to 7.8, not sure if it's just my eyes but I've never been good at color matching)

Also took this FC reading to run the OCLT just to be sure during my draining, backwashing, re-filling that no algae snuck in....

Sun 4/7 9:00 a.m. (Results of OCLT):

FC: 10.5
TC: 10.5
CC: 0.0
PH: PH: 7.5 - 7.8 (see note above)
CYA: 50 - 60 (I am still trying to get this test down, my wife thinks it was 50 and I think it was around 60 or so, so just took the higher just to be safe with the FC levels.

Sun 4/7 9:15 p.m.:

FC: 7.5
TC: 7.5
CC: 0.0
PH: PH: 7.5 - 7.8 (see note above)

Added: 12 oz Bleach -> +.5 FC (was about what remained in one of my jugs, so figured I would add since my Target Range is 5 to 9.


So that's it, hopefully I think I got it down, now it's just a matter of getting something to be able to more accurately measure the Liquid Chlorine\Bleach I add. I also went by the pool store (don't get worried) to see about how much their Liquid Chlorine is, the strength, etc. They sell 2.5 gallon refills for $4.61 w\tax and the jug cost $6.50 initially. I asked her what % it was, etc. and she said what do you need this for, do you work on pools for a living and I about LOL'd and just said No, I just need to know what I am putting in my pool to get accurate results ha ha, trying to make ya'll proud. I asked her if it was 12% and she said it's 12.5% but closer to 13%, but when I got the jug and looked at the label, it had 10.5%.

Well I really don't have many questions, just my thoughts and observations, so feel free to chime in or let me know if I am waaaay off

I actually got brave enough to get in the pool today, first time in a year and a half (last year just didn't take care of pool like I should have) and also figured I worked this hard, I deserved to enjoy. Temp outside was around 76 degrees and it matched the pool temp..brrrr but I had been working outside so wanted to cool off and boy did I LOL. I got my mask and just had to see if it was as clear as it looked from the outside and honestly this is the first time since we initially installed and filled in 2008 that it was crystal clear from underwater, I was exstatic I then went down to the drain and around the bottom of my pool light and still saw some remains of dead algae, nice and light brown, so scraped it out of the cracks but didn't see any other dead algae and the pool bottom wasn't slick or anything so just hope that little dead algae doesn't cause any issues. I also went for the best test, scraping the inside walls of the skimmer as for the last 2 years I could always rub my finger on the fuzzy stuff just on the inside of the skimmer and see green dust, and although I saw a very very faint glimpse, nothing like before as before it would be a lot, so this made me feel good too as I know that will be gone sooner than later.

For the FC levels, it seems like on a decent sunny cloudless day I lose around 2 to 3 ppm of FC so depending on where I was at the start or the night before, I just need to keep the levels mid-range or higher as it seems higher is better than too low but I need to make sure never to go below the min. With my last reading around 7.5, I figure with the little I added tonight, that I might be at the lowest part tomorrow (5 FC) so would need to bump it back up to 10 that night. With my calculations, that's about 160 oz of 6% bleach every other day, so with the bleach I found so far ($4 for 184 oz), that's roughly $2 a day I will be spending on keeping my Cl levels, $730 a year just in Bleach\Chlorine if I buy the 6%, is that about right? Seems I would be best to use the 10% Liquid Cl but just thinking out loud.

Does anyone recommend or not, getting a large measuring cup\pitcher for 2 quarts for help with accuracy for the Bleach\Chlorine?

Any thought\suggestions for CYA and pH tests? I am always OCD about being accurate and with these tests it seems I have more of a range and just want to make sure that the way I've come up with the above results that I am ok doing that or if I need to be more accurate or change something that I learn what or how to do this.

What is everyone's experience on how long the reagents liquids last? I know it depends on how often but I am assuming the FC, CC and pH are done a minimum daily if not twice a day. I got the XL option but for the amount of the below liquids, but the number of tests I roughly come up with based on drops used per test (1 drop = 20mL) for the below reagents makes me think I need to get a larger size or I am going to have to order a couple of refills per year and just figured everyone more experienced could give me an idea on how long these last you based on how often you have been testing in the last year or last couple of years. For the drops with a range, I just used the highest listed as a guesstimate:

Chlorine FAS-DPD Est. Drops ETA # of Tests
R-0871 60 mL 2 oz 10 to 20 60
R-0003 22 mL .75 oz 5 to 10 44

pH
R-0014 22 mL .75 oz 5 88

ALK
R-0007 30 mL 1 oz 2 300
R-0008 30 mL 1 oz 5 120
R-0009 30 mL 1 oz 10 to 20 30

CH
R-0010 15 mL .5 oz 20 15
R-0011L 15 mL .5 oz 5 60
R-0012 30 mL 1 oz 10 to 20 30

CYA
R-0013 240 mL 8 oz 420 11.42857143

Thanks again as always for the help and feel this thread is about to be near it's end but hopefully it will help any others that were in similar situations as me. I'll chime in on any and all threads that I can as well as constantly be a lurker to continue to feed my obsession...eh I mean knowledge

 

[linen]

Your pool and numbers are looking great

Well I really don't have many questions, just my thoughts and observations, so feel free to chime in or let me know if I am waaaay off

You lied you always have questions, but they are good ones

For the FC levels, it seems like on a decent sunny cloudless day I lose around 2 to 3 ppm of FC so depending on where I was at the start or the night before, I just need to keep the levels mid-range or higher as it seems higher is better than too low but I need to make sure never to go below the min. With my last reading around 7.5, I figure with the little I added tonight, that I might be at the lowest part tomorrow (5 FC) so would need to bump it back up to 10 that night. With my calculations, that's about 160 oz of 6% bleach every other day, so with the bleach I found so far ($4 for 184 oz), that's roughly $2 a day I will be spending on keeping my Cl levels, $730 a year just in Bleach\Chlorine if I buy the 6%, is that about right? Seems I would be best to use the 10% Liquid Cl but just thinking out loud.

Assuming 3 ppm/day for your 15500 gallon pool I get that the 10.5% from the pool store would cost ~$0.84/day which seems like a much better deal?

Does anyone recommend or not, getting a large measuring cup\pitcher for 2 quarts for help with accuracy for the Bleach\Chlorine?

Not a bad idea, you may find though, if you use the 184 ozers (though not you best choice per above calculation), then it is pretty easy to judge "half a bottle".

Any thought\suggestions for CYA and pH tests? I am always OCD about being accurate and with these tests it seems I have more of a range and just want to make sure that the way I've come up with the above results that I am ok doing that or if I need to be more accurate or change something that I learn what or how to do this.

For CYA, if you are concerned, get the reference solution from tftestkits to test your technique. For ph, you could look into the lamotte colorq and just use it for ph.