New to this - work in progress - test results - current status and next steps?

[ccfc1986]

Hey Guys,
I am pretty new around here. I have come to found this place a wealth of knowledge so far! I hope one day I will be able to contribute myself to help others!

Let's start off with - this is my first ever pool. Recently purchased my new home with an 18' above ground vinyl pool. After taking the cover off, vacuuming, and putting the pieces together for the pump, filter, and heater i took some water samples to the local store to see where to start....

I got another test done today at my local pool store. I have had very high copper levels since the beginning (3 weeks or so). And over the last week I added metal free to the pool, and will be washing / cleaning the filter next Tuesday (will be one week since).

Could you guys take a look at the pool store numbers and let me know your thoughts?

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Date	pH	Alkalinity	Total Chlorine	Free Chlorine	Calcium	Copper	Iron	Phosphates	Cyanuric Acid	Instore Test
05/21/2021	7.5	134.0	2.13	1.92	47	0.6	0.1	2	65.0

I have added Dry Acid and Hardness powder tonight based upon their recommendations. However, I have a feeling you guys might be able to provide additional insights. I have about another 6lbs of the Dry Acid and another 12lbs of the hardness to add. Is this normal to add this amount to the pool? Based on the instructions for levels for both - and the instructions on the back of the containers, it does seem to make sense.

When i was leaving the store - the clerk said 'oh you may want to add some chlorine'. At least that's what i think she said. Did she mean shock? Or partial shock? I have the 1lbs bags that seem to be a weekly treatment depending on use etc?

I am using the store tests along with some tests strips to get a feel for the test strips and their accuracy (and the stores) so that i can slowly start to understand the water chemistry for myself without being reliant on the store tests.

Sorry for all the basic questions. I just want to get an idea of how close I am to where i need to be. I have summarized my questions below:

* Is adding the acid and hardness together OK?
* Is the amount I am adding sensical and in line with expectations based on the water test results?
* How bad is the .6ppm copper result? How much should this come down with the metal free treatment i started on Tuesday?
* How close am I to having a swimmable pool (with the goal to use it next weekend - if feasible)?
* Next steps? Continue with adding the rest of the dry acid and hardness, clean filter on tuesday then shock? Or other recommendations / next steps?

Many thanks for your assistance.

 

[an1vrsy]

Welcome to TFP! As you browse the threads here, you’ll no doubt notice that pool $tore pool water chemistry test are not reliable or accurate. Advice will not be provided using those results. Trouble free pool care relies on testing your water with either Tftestkits.net TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit. Those kits are reliable and accurate.

Adding appropriate amounts of muriatic acid and/or liquid chlorine or plain ol’ bleach is what is recommended. The only way you know how much to pour in is by testing your water with either of those kits. Guess strips, I mean, test strips won’t cut it.

You should read ABC of pool water

 

[ccfc1986]

Welcome to TFP! As you browse the threads here, you’ll no doubt notice that pool $tore pool water chemistry test are not reliable or accurate. Advice will not be provided using those results. Trouble free pool care relies on testing your water with either Tftestkits.net TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit. Those kits are reliable and accurate.

Adding appropriate amounts of muriatic acid and/or liquid chlorine or plain ol’ bleach is what is recommended. The only way you know how much to pour in is by testing your water with either of those kits. Guess strips, I mean, test strips won’t cut it.

You should read ABC of pool water

First off, thank you for taking the time to reply.

Second, I have read similar things about store tests. I was literally just reading other suggestions and had purchased the Taylor K-2006C test kit. I will use this moving forward for my baselines/testing. Much appreciated.

Once I have this new test kit, and after re-reading the ABC of pool water post you linked, if i have additional questions I wlll come back here.

 

[ccfc1986]

I just tested using the AquaCheck 7 test strips. I got the following results:

Hardness: 250+ < 500ppm
Total Chlorine: 1/2ppm
Total Bromine: 2
Free Chlorine: 1ppm
pH: 6.8/7
Alkalinity: 120+ < 180
CYA: 30-50

The number here that concerns me would be the pH level. Right? I now this isn't the recommended testing solution... just trying to start from somewhere we may believe is closer to 'accurate' than the store results I have been going with (until i realized, by reading here, that is less than ideal/wrong thing to do).

Cheers!

 

[DLip]

Welcome! I second an1vrsy, get a proper test kit and read the article he . The pool store will do you no favors - for example, there is no need for you to be adding CH to a vinyl liner pool as vinyl won’t etch like a plaster pool.
You definitely need to add some chlorine quickly based on those numbers. If you download the pool math app, you can enter your pool information (volume, liner, etc) and get proper calculations on what chemicals to add and in what quantity.

 

[ccfc1986]

Ahhh after fiddling with the app and rereading the ABC article things are a little clearer. Once I have the proper test kit I'll be able to add the test results, and based on that, I can add it perform the required steps the app suggest.

In the interim, based on the numbers, you mention I should add some chlorine. The app doesn't tell me how much to add without a test result entered. As the strip isn't accurate enough... How should I proceed?

Also, from the article a low pH (mine is around 6.8 or so right now) this could damage my heater if at this level or lower for a period of time!

Thanks all!

 

[DLip]

Your original ph of 7.5 was fine. Store probably gave you acid to lower TA. Read about that process here:

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.

www.troublefreepool.com

Your ph will naturally increase over time.
For chlorine, if your pool is 18’ diameter and 5’ deep you’re at ~10k gallons. Use that in pool math to calc chlorine needed (start w/ pool store reading of ~2 for now until you verify w/ test kit).
Use the chlorine / cya chart to calculate target FC (7-9 based on your cya, again reconfirm cya w your test kit)

The Free Chlorine and Cyanuric Acid Relationship

Managing your cyanuric acid and Free Chlorine levels is key to stabilizing your pool. Learn how these two items affect each other.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ccfc1986]

Thanks for the reply. I retested this morning and my chlorine levels are basically zero. If I did the test mapping and app config correctly you should be able to see my details via this link:

PoolMath Logs

I am going to try to get the numbers to close to acceptable numbers on chlorine. Following the instructions from the app for adding bleach. I'll go find a good quality etc and make note of the %.

Once I get the ram test kit I am sure I'll be able to record much more accurate tests, but I need to at least have a starting point, and based on the feedback the store should be avoided moving forward!

Lots and lots of great data and information available here. So thank you again. So much to learn it's very overwhelming but I really do appreciate the time spent to read and respond to even the most lost of users!! Cheers!

 

[DLip]

Thanks for the reply. I retested this morning and my chlorine levels are basically zero. If I did the test mapping and app config correctly you should be able to see my details via this link:

PoolMath Logs

I am going to try to get the numbers to close to acceptable numbers on chlorine. Following the instructions from the app for adding bleach. I'll go find a good quality etc and make note of the %.

Once I get the ram test kit I am sure I'll be able to record much more accurate tests, but I need to at least have a starting point, and based on the feedback the store should be avoided moving forward!

Lots and lots of great data and information available here. So thank you again. So much to learn it's very overwhelming but I really do appreciate the time spent to read and respond to even the most lost of users!! Cheers!

 

[DLip]

You bet, I was in the same spot (1st time pool owner) a year or so ago. This place is a great resource and will ultimately save you a lot of time and money (and keep your water clear).
I can see your logs - get your chlorine up w the bleach and you’ll be fine - good luck!

 

[ccfc1986]

You bet, I was in the same spot (1st time pool owner) a year or so ago. This place is a great resource and will ultimately save you a lot of time and money (and keep your water clear).
I can see your logs - get your chlorine up w the bleach and you’ll be fine - good luck!

Random question. From someone who knows literally nothing. To keep my chlorine levels up once they get to where they should be with bleach - how do i keep it between 1-3ppm? Does everyone here use chlorine pucks? If so, whats the recommended placement? Floater? Skimmer? Or does this group believe in just using bleach to keep the levels where they should be based on daily testing?

I am fighting with high copper levels - confirmed to be .5/.6 ppm. Is there any issue using the pool with levels at this level? I used a metal remover last week and will be cleaning the filter / cartridge on Tuesday of next week. I also have the 30 day CuLator pack in the skimmer (turned blue to confirm the copper in the water - this supposedly capable of removing 1ppm in 30 days!). So in a couple of weeks i should be back down closer to 0. Do swimmers need to worry? Or really only an issue for staining my liner etc?

 

[AK-]

You should avoid pucks/tablets as it is going to raise your CYA. From what I notice most people here leave pucks/tablets for when they are unable to add chlorine daily. As for the FC level checkout Chlorine / CYA Chart - Trouble Free Pool

In a nutshell, pucks add CYA that makes chlorine inefficient at high levels, granular chlorine (Cal-Hypo) adds CH that causes calcium scaling at high levels, while bleach/liquid chlorine adds only salt that is harmless.

I don’t k is enough about copper other than not to use Clorox …

 

[DLip]

Good advice. To be clear regular Clorox should be fine, but there are types (typically they have “blue” in the name) that have added copper.
I don’t know much about copper removal either. Your water should be fine for swimming, it appears the drinking water limit is 1.3ppm. Might turn hair a bit green.
Question is how it got there - you could test your fill water at the store and see if it’s high.

Copper in Pool Water - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[an1vrsy]

Copper in your water will turn blonde hair green and will in time cause stains. Avoid products that say “blue” in their description.

Find a source for liquid chlorine, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart or a Mom & Pop pool store.

 

[ccfc1986]

Oh....no Clorox. Got it. What is the recommended bleach or liquid chlorine to use? I want to avoid putting anything other than chlorine into the pool! Especially not copper! I have enough of that already!!!!

Sorry... Page didn't refresh fully and you all replied with all the answers!

Thanks a million all. Let me read, adjust and come back again with more annoying questions!

 

[AK-]

Just be careful to use bleach with no additives. Clorox bleach has “cloromax” (whatever that is) that may cause foam to form on top of your water.

In my personal opinion it is ok to use something other than bleach as long as you understand the consequences and have a plan (something like I’m going to travel for a week and will leave a tablet or two, depending on the size of the pool, on a floater and when I come back I’ll have to keep higher levels of FC until I get some CYA dilution).

Seems any deviation from the TFPC method has to be done with proper understanding of what are the consequences and what you will do next.

I’m currently using Cal-Hypo instead of bleach because I intend to raise my CH to at least the minimum level recommended by the manufacturer of my heat pump and I brought it before knowing better (before TFP). Once I get there I’ll switch to Bleach.

 

[ccfc1986]

Today's test results. Any thoughts here in next steps. TA seems very high still? I added some dry acid (in log). That will/should bring down TA while also decreasing the pH. I've setup a pump (not turned on currently) so I can aerate and increase the pH once the TA is where it needs to be. Hopefully my full / more accurate test pack arrives soon so I can be more accurate with my test results.

Right now I have the pump/filter going and the sun cover rolled up above the pool.

I'll be buying bleach / liquid chlorine in the next day or so. I have yet to add any myself as my FC and TC are high from too much shock that I added. Ooops.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

PoolMath Logs

troublefreepool.com

 

[AK-]

Today's test results. Any thoughts here in next steps. TA seems very high still? I added some dry acid (in log). That will/should bring down TA while also decreasing the pH. I've setup a pump (not turned on currently) so I can aerate and increase the pH once the TA is where it needs to be. Hopefully my full / more accurate test pack arrives soon so I can be more accurate with my test results.

Right now I have the pump/filter going and the sun cover rolled up above the pool.

I'll be buying bleach / liquid chlorine in the next day or so. I have yet to add any myself as my FC and TC are high from too much shock that I added. Ooops.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

PoolMath Logs

troublefreepool.com

I’m no expert, but your CC looks a bit too high to be true.

I understand what you are going thru having only the test strips while waiting for your kit, I did the same thing and once my test kit arrived I found out how bad test strips are. Don’t trust what you see.

Again, I’m no expert, but I’d move that water and keep it chlorinated until you get the test kit. With a good test kit in hands you will be able to get proper guidance.

 

[ccfc1986]

but I’d move that water and keep it chlorinated until you get the test kit

What do you mean by this? Do you mean run the pump to keep the water mixed/moving in the pool?

And keep it chlorinated... So just add bleach each day to keep the level where it is for FC? Is there a magic number/amount to add? Based on the loss each day I assume?

Thanks for the reply and I'm excited to have the full test kit. I hope to get full, more accurate and actionable results soon!

 

[AK-]

What do you mean by this? Do you mean run the pump to keep the water mjxed6/moving in the pool?

Thanks for the reply and I'm excited to have the full test kit. I hope to get full, more accurate and actionable results soon!

Yes, I’d turn it on and have the water moving/mixing.