New User with New TF-Pro Kit

[frostys582]

I've been lurking around these forums for a while now, moved to a new house just over two years ago and have been going at it with the test kit the pool builder left me. I upgraded to the TF-Pro Salt as a father's day gift and gave it a whirl this past weekend. Test results are as follows:
FC 4ppm
PH 8.2+
CC 0ppm (?)
CH 450ppm
TA 110-120ppm (light pink at 11 drops, red at 12 drops)
CYA 0ppm (? - vial was completely clear when full)
Salt 3400ppm

I'm seeing some black algae forming (it isn't out of control) that I'm brushing every day, and see after reviewing the basics that I have to work on CYA and TA to get my chlorine in line. A few questions for you experienced folks:

1. Should I work on CYA or TA first or attach them both together?
   • Going from my experience of my last house and pool, I feel like I've been dumping a lot of muriatic acid in my pool every week. From what I've read in the basics I need to lower the TA which should help with the amount of acid I'm using. Am I on the right track? I've applied my weekly dose of acid to get the PH down and haven't tried tackling the TA yet.
   • I never really paid attention to CYA and when I tested, I never lost the black dot in the vial, so I'm thinking my CYA level at the time of the test was 0. I bought a gallon of Instant Conditioner Plus and dumped it (slowly) in the skimmer as directed. Based on the pool school recommendations I'll need quite a bit more to get the the level I should be. I've read the conditioners take a while to disperse and pump has been running for about 24 hours now. How long before I should retest?
2. I'm not sure if my CC test was right or not, I'm guessing that with CYA and TA off I should work on those before paying too much attention to my FC/CC/TC, is that right to think?
3. Should I go ahead and SLAM to make sure the algae doesn't get any worse? I'm going out of town for 5 days soon and don't want to come home to out of control algae!
4. My last test kit had an acid demand test dropper that followed the PH test. I didn't see any instructions in the TF-Pro kit, so I added the usual amount weekly of acid and will retest PH this evening. Did I overlook an acid demand step or does TF-Pro not have this dropper?

Thanks!

 

[Jimrahbe]

582,

Having a little algae is like being a little pregnant.. You either have it or not..

If you can see any algae you should SLAM.. The good news is that if you catch it early, it will not take very long to kill it all.

CYA protects the FC from being burned off by the sun, so with no CYA, the sun will quickly consume whatever FC you are adding each day..

We recommend that a saltwater pool have about 70 ppm of CYA... BUT.. if you have algae, it is best to fight it with a lower CYA of say 30 ppm or so.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[frostys582]

On the acid demand not being a part of the TF-Pro kit, does the pool math app essentially replace the need for the acid demand part of the pH test?

 

[mknauss]

On the acid demand not being a part of the TF-Pro kit, does the pool math app essentially replace the need for the acid demand part of the pH test?

Correct.

 

[PoolStored]

On the acid demand not being a part of the TF-Pro kit, does the pool math app essentially replace the need for the acid demand part of the pH test?

Yes.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

'm seeing some black algae forming

Are you sure it's black algae? Have you done the BA test. Scrape with fingernail and wipe on paper. It should smear green.

Black Algae

This guide provides a step by step procedure for eliminating black algae in your concrete or gunite pool. Read full post here.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[frostys582]

Are you sure it's black algae? Have you done the BA test. Scrape with fingernail and wipe on paper. It should smear green.

Black Algae

This guide provides a step by step procedure for eliminating black algae in your concrete or gunite pool. Read full post here.

www.troublefreepool.com

No I have not done a test to confirm it. I'll scrape a spot and check the color when I get home. My pool bottom has black spots which look like dirt, but do not brush away even with rigorous scrubbing. Water is otherwise clear. I started a SLAM last night to try to knock the stuff out. This morning's overnight FC loss was 1.5ppm and CC remained at 0.5ppm. I'm brushing the pool once or twice a day with the SLAM

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Sounds good. Black algae is somewhat unusual. Larger areas of dark discoloration could be attributed to metal staining as well.

One step at a time.. let us know about the black algae test. If it tests negative, and there are no other visible signs of algae, do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to determine if you need to SLAM.

Stains in Your Pool

The stained pool is beyond embarrassing. Our in-depth Guide to remove stains in your pool will help you to remove the stains and prevent them in the future.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[frostys582]

Sounds good. Black algae is somewhat unusual. Larger areas of dark discoloration could be attributed to metal staining as well.

One step at a time.. let us know about the black algae test. If it tests negative, and there are no other visible signs of algae, do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to determine if you need to SLAM.

Stains in Your Pool

The stained pool is beyond embarrassing. Our in-depth Guide to remove stains in your pool will help you to remove the stains and prevent them in the future.

www.troublefreepool.com

Yes, black dots (hard to see with the pebbletec finish) that don't scrub off with the vinyl brush when picked off with a fingernail smears green.

Lighting conditions for a picture of the deep end at dusk aren't great, but I circled the dark areas I keep hitting with a brush with little results. I'm not able to tell if it's the same looking black algae as the close-up shots I took of the sun shelf.

24 hours into my first SLAM as of this post!

 

[PoolStored]

@Katodude

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Did you previously fail an OCLT? Getting rid of BA doesn't necessarily require a traditional SLAM.

Black Algae

This guide provides a step by step procedure for eliminating black algae in your concrete or gunite pool. Read full post here.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[frostys582]

Did you previously fail an OCLT? Getting rid of BA doesn't necessarily require a traditional SLAM.

Black Algae

This guide provides a step by step procedure for eliminating black algae in your concrete or gunite pool. Read full post here.

www.troublefreepool.com

11pm - 7am my FC dropped 1.5ppm (this morning)....I'll check again after tonight.

I've found the dark spots in my deep end are starting to come up with a lot of pressure while pulling on my brush rather than pushing. I'm thinking my brush is too soft and I need a stiffer bristle. Any recommendations for a pebbletec finish?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

11pm - 7am my FC dropped 1.5ppm (this morning)....I'll check again after tonight.

Good luck on the SLAM!

 

[Katodude]

You have Black Algae and regular algae. Welcome to Florida, it happens a lot. You need to continue the SLAM.

For Black Algae you are discovering that a regular brush will not cut it. If you only have a few spots, get a mask and snorkel get in the pool with a wooden BBQ skewer and pick at the spots. You need to physically disrupt the BA. If that sounds challenging or you have more than a few spots, then mask snorkel and a weak pressure washer and go at those spots. I find that less damaging than a wire bush. It’s also more fun.

If you can while adding chlorine to the pool let it wash over the spots that you just cleaned so it gets a high dose. You can also take a 1 gallon pump sprayer filled with the strongest LC you can get and go in the pool and spray those spots after you have cleaned them.

Continue the SLAM it will help the newly cleaned spots. When the SLAM is finished run your FC at 20% of your CYA for several weeks. We need to kill the roots of the BA.

And now for the rest of the time you have this pool you will need to run FC hotter than the recommendations set here. Personally, I like 12.5%-15% of your CYA.

 

[frostys582]

I appreciate everyone's help; things have looked pretty good for the last month! Now I'm off to rebalance everything after the 12" of rain we got from Debby