Oh My Gosh, There Has to be a Better Way.......

[mknauss]

The OTO - little blue box -- is for pH. The Chlorine side of that test is Total Chlorine and I have never used it. It can be a double check to see if chlorine exists in the pool if your FAS-DPD does not seem right. But the actual chlorine level is nearly impossible to determine with the yellow comparator block.

Be careful adding CYA. Keep track of how much powder you have added (since the start of the year) as it does not go away easily. Believe it when PoolMath says what you add will raise your CYA by XX amount. The test is not all that accurate. At best +/- 10 ppm

During the summer you pretty much need to test and add LC every day. Once you get into fall, say Labor Day on, your FC loss will decrease and you should be able to lengthen out your test time.

I assume you will be closing this pool for winter. I do not have experience at that. There are many other members that do.

Take care.

 

[Teald024]

*****Update 8-1-2018*****

Pool still crystal blue and beautiful.

Great to hear. good job!

CYA: (I am still learning how to accurately measure this one, maybe I strain too much to see the little "black dot" and I keep adding solution)

One hint is to add a bit of the solution, then glance at the tube and see if you can see the dot. look away. add more solution then look for the dot. repeat until the dot disappears. This helps so you don't see something that isn't there... After you get a result, you can pour the solution back into the mix bottle and repeat the test. It isn't subject to quick timing like the other tests.

My plan going forward is to monitor FC/PH/CYA/TA on a daily basis until I get a better understanding of how these chemicals change in my pool. I do not plan to use any chlorine tablets or a liquid chlorinator (at least not this season) i will add bleach according to my CYA reading. Hopefully I can get to a point where I can check/adjust every 2 to 3 days.

You only need to test FC, CC and pH daily for now. No need to test CYA and TA daily. They don't change much or very fast, so you can do them weekly.

The TF-100 kit comes with a Taylor PH & Chlorine test kit. What type of chlorine measurement does this give me? Is it Total Chlorine, sorry if I missed it in the TF-100 instructions. I have just been using the FC measurement.

The chlorine tester that comes in the blue box with the blocky comparator, is an OTO test. It is relatively inaccurate but can be used to get an idea of chlorine levels below 5ppm. It reads total chlorine (TC). For now you should use the powder (R-0870) and drops (R-0871) to test for chlorine. This is a FAS-DPD test and gives free chlorine (FC) and combined chlorine (CC).

 

[MdMcoupe]

Yes, you can stop paying for and using the chlorine tablets. They are OK for a short term use when you might be away and don't have anyone to add bleach/LC for you. But, don't overuse. They contain CYA and you need to keep that is a controllable range. Once CYA gets too high, you will be forced to drain the pool.

Yep, just check the FC and dose daily.

Congrats on getting your pool clear. And I have to add...

What it looked like 2 weekends ago:

Here is what it looked like the other day after TFP help (thanks Marty)....as you can see, I still have some construction to finish..... I had 2 pumps going (the nearest one was running 24/7 and not filtering, and the main DE filter on the other end of the pool/skimmer), and my pole with my CYA socks.

 

[#40Fan]

Beautiful!!

As for testing the CYA, I do what was stated earlier. Mix your chemicals in the dispenser. Add enough drops to get to the 100 CYA mark on the tester. With your back to the sun, hold the tester at your waist. Look straight ahead and then glance down for a split second. If you clearly see the black circle, bring the tester back up to head height and add drops to get to the next reading. Repeat until you don't clearly see the circle after a quick glance. Pour the chemicals from the tester back into the dispenser and do it again.