Off the chart FC, PH, what to do next?

Jump to latest Follow Reply
W

wmckenzie

0
Jun 14, 2012
18
Georgia
I've never run into this before and could use help.
"Officially" opened my pool Friday. Had poor numbers but clear water and figured I could adjust as always. Now it seems like I've lost control of the chemistry.

First tests were:
FC: 0*
PH: 8+ (got purple)
TA: ~100 (not 100% confident in result)
CH: 330
CYA: <30
Temp: 74f

Added 74oz MA, 44oz Bleach, 80 oz Stablizer, turned on heater

Sunday (multiple times):
FC: 2, then zero, then off the chart*
PH: 8+ (got purple), then 7.8 after MA, then back 8+ (purple)
TA: ~110 (not 100% confident in result)
CH: 280
CYA: 30
Temp: 87f

Added MA twice (55oz, 45oz), added 80oz chlorine

* Appears now that my DPD powder was bad. Used a newer batch which shows the chlorine off the chart whereas the older batch didn't register any chlorine.

My kids and I got in the pool between those tests and that's when I got very concerned. After a while in the pool our skin and eyes were irritated, one child's eyes really irritated.
I've shut off the SWG and the heater. (Temps will be 60f to 80f the next several days.) Leaving the cover off until this is resolved. (Usually cover when not swimming.)

What is the best way to get TA, PH and FC back into range?
Thanks for any help.
 
woodyp said:
PH will test falsely high with an FC at 10 or above. Let's start there. "opff the chart" has no meaning. Got a reliable #?
Click to expand...

I don't have a reliable #.
On the Taylor kit, the color is deeper purple than the scale goes.
On the FAS/DPD test, the solution turns deep red. Added R-0871 dropwise to between 50 and 60 drops with no color change. Guess I could continue higher.
 
I'd start by adding enough muriatic acid to bring you 18K pool from 8.0 to 7.2 pH It likely won't bring it all the way down but it's someplace to start. Might need to do it twice or ... until you get a reading on the testers scale that matches something.

.
 
I added MA twice today. PH got down to 7.8 at one point but went right back up.
Not sure on the chlorine because of the faulty DPD on the first two tests I did during the day. (Final test, with new DPD, was so high I couldn't get an accurate reading on Chlorine or PH.)
 
If you added stabilizer on Friday it usually takes a week for it to fully dissolve and show up in the water so retesting it in two days is kind of a waste of the chemical. Hopefully when you say the CYA was 30 on Sunday that's your target and you haven't retested yet. Usually you just add the stabilizer and take it for granted you hit your target and use that target number until you've gone a week and then retest.
I'd still go after the pH until you get it closer to 7.2-7.6 and holding and then test the FC. Try the simple tester and see if it's reading off the chart in yellow. If so than you know it's time to break out the FAS/DPD and maybe review a video on how to. Might be you, something you're doing or the chemical. Is the pool "stirred up" before each test, 20+min ?? Pulling water from the same location and depth each time ?? Having the readings bounce around like that there is something wrong in the process.
 
Hits keep coming...
I got an accurate FC reading this afternoon. It's 31. CC is 0.5
TA seems to be 110, CH is 290, Ph is unstable (starts around 7.2 when first mixed but rises to 8+ off scale within a minute or two).

Seems the pool Gods have sent their solution though. As I walked out to test and immediately saw the water level was down about 6", strange noise from the pump area. Pump housing had cracked and was spewing water everywhere. Adjusting my priorities now. Will be replacing a good bit of water, repairing pump and retesting from there...:(
 
When FC is greater than 10, pH will read falsely high. Do not keep trying to adjust pH down until the FC is 10 or less.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply