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mommytotwins

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Mar 30, 2015
50
NC
Hi everyone!

I’ve just opened our above ground pool and the water is beautiful! I have always used the pool stores but I’ve finally came over to the light. I ordered my Taylor K-2006C kit but I have NO idea what I’m doing. I’ve read the Pool School posts but I’m an accountant and never was great in Chemisty! Lol!

Can someone help me with exactly what to do?

Thanks so much!
 
The test kit should've come with directions, but perhaps these will help you just as well: Pool School - Extended Test Kit Directions. Once you get them, post like this:
FC
CC
CYA
PH
TA
CH

Right now, your most critical will be the CYA (trickiest, but see below), FC, and pH. We have time to help you with the others.
CYA Testing:
Proper lighting is critical for the CYA test, so you want to test for CYA outside on a bright sunny day. Taylor recommends standing outside with your back to the sun and the view tube in the shade of your body. Use the mixing bottle to combine/gently mix the required amounts of pool water and R-0013 reagent, let sit for 30 seconds, then gently mix again. Then, while holding the skinny tube with the black dot at waist level, begin squirting the mixed solution into the skinny tube. Watch the black dot until it completely disappears. If it helps, pour a little, look away, then look back and pour some more. Once it disappears, record the CYA reading. After the first test, you can pour the mixed solution from the skinny view tube back to the mixing bottle, shake, and do the same test a second, third, or fourth time to instill consistency in your technique, become more comfortable with the testing, and validate the CYA reading.
Click to expand...

For your FC test, just do it like this: 10ml water sample with one heaping scoop of R-0870 powder & mix (should be Barbie pink). Add R-0871 drops until clear, then divide in half (standard method). i.e. 20 drops = FC of 10.

Let us know how it goes.
 
Hey Mommytotwins, that taylor kit is awesome. I have one and yes, like you, I was like... what did I just do?!?!?! lol

Deep breathes, when you open the blue box, inside the lid are the directions. Now, most of us cheat and by the speedstir as this really makes testing a breeze and now that I have it, I would never do without.. but... your beautiful test kit has all the reagents and they are numbered on the bottles, and you measure out the water as it says, add the # of drops it says and then swirl and mix and take notes of the readings. Then you take that and go to the pool calculator and input your gallons and all of your test results and what targets you want to be at and then starting making adjustments.

Believe me, even the toughest of the tough get a wee bit uncertain on their first couple of tests. Trust your test results, make small adjustments and retest, this will help you not overshoot and gain confidence that you are doing it right.

Just like in speech class where they tell us to picture something in our head... well with testing... remember that most public pools have teenagers doing these tests... you got this!

Good luck and we are here for you,
 
Texas Splash said:
The test kit should've come with directions, but perhaps these will help you just as well: Pool School - Extended Test Kit Directions. Once you get them, post like this:
FC
CC
CYA
PH
TA
CH

Right now, your most critical will be the CYA (trickiest, but see below), FC, and pH. We have time to help you with the others.


For your FC test, just do it like this: 10ml water sample with one heaping scoop of R-0870 powder & mix (should be Barbie pink). Add R-0871 drops until clear, then divide in half (standard method). i.e. 20 drops = FC of 10.

Let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Tomorrow I will test the CYA and the others!
 
funandsun said:
Hey Mommytotwins, that taylor kit is awesome. I have one and yes, like you, I was like... what did I just do?!?!?! lol

Deep breathes, when you open the blue box, inside the lid are the directions. Now, most of us cheat and by the speedstir as this really makes testing a breeze and now that I have it, I would never do without.. but... your beautiful test kit has all the reagents and they are numbered on the bottles, and you measure out the water as it says, add the # of drops it says and then swirl and mix and take notes of the readings. Then you take that and go to the pool calculator and input your gallons and all of your test results and what targets you want to be at and then starting making adjustments.

Believe me, even the toughest of the tough get a wee bit uncertain on their first couple of tests. Trust your test results, make small adjustments and retest, this will help you not overshoot and gain confidence that you are doing it right.

Just like in speech class where they tell us to picture something in our head... well with testing... remember that most public pools have teenagers doing these tests... you got this!

Good luck and we are here for you,
Click to expand...

I swear it’s like you can see me right now! Panic has set in. I didn’t even see the numbers on the bottles. ?[emoji15] I can do this!!
 
Texas Splash said:
The test kit should've come with directions, but perhaps these will help you just as well: Pool School - Extended Test Kit Directions. Once you get them, post like this:
FC
CC
CYA
PH
TA
CH

Right now, your most critical will be the CYA (trickiest, but see below), FC, and pH. We have time to help you with the others.


For your FC test, just do it like this: 10ml water sample with one heaping scoop of R-0870 powder & mix (should be Barbie pink). Add R-0871 drops until clear, then divide in half (standard method). i.e. 20 drops = FC of 10.

Let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...

Ok...the black dot never disappeared! It never turned cloudy
 

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Ok, then we need to get some cyanuric acid into a sock and get it dangling in front of a return or place it in the skimmer. Head over to pool math https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html and set your specific pool gallons in there. This will be your go to for everything when it comes to how much of what to add based on your own test results.

Pool Math.jpg

You will want to target 30 CYA.. so now = 0 and target = 30, based on the gallons you put in at the top, it will give you a measurement of how much to add. Now usually you will want to add a little bit less so you don't overshoot, but targeting 30 CYA is the minimum the range is 30-50, but I would not target 40 just yet. Lets get CYA going because CYA protects your valuable chlorine from sunlight and you want the Chlorine to fight the algae not get robbed out of your pool from the Sun.

With it so far?

If you do not have CYA (also called Stabilizer) you will need to get some. If you are headed to the store, get an inventory list of what you do have so we can help you with a shopping list of what you will need.

Btw, did you do any of the other tests? pH, TA?

- - - Updated - - -

kellyfair said:
Then we know you need CYA! What were the rest of the numbers?
Click to expand...

we are basically twins lol :cheers:
 
funandsun said:
Ok, then we need to get some cyanuric acid into a sock and get it dangling in front of a return or place it in the skimmer. Head over to pool math https://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html and set your specific pool gallons in there. This will be your go to for everything when it comes to how much of what to add based on your own test results.

View attachment 76883

You will want to target 30 CYA.. so now = 0 and target = 30, based on the gallons you put in at the top, it will give you a measurement of how much to add. Now usually you will want to add a little bit less so you don't overshoot, but targeting 30 CYA is the minimum the range is 30-50, but I would not target 40 just yet. Lets get CYA going because CYA protects your valuable chlorine from sunlight and you want the Chlorine to fight the algae not get robbed out of your pool from the Sun.

With it so far?

If you do not have CYA (also called Stabilizer) you will need to get some. If you are headed to the store, get an inventory list of what you do have so we can help you with a shopping list of what you will need.

Btw, did you do any of the other tests? pH, TA?

- - - Updated - - -



we are basically twins lol :cheers:
Click to expand...

Where do I buy stabilizer if I don’t get it at the pool store? Also...should I vacuum before adding all the chemicals? The pollen is terrible here so it could use a good vacuum. Sorry for all the novice questions
 
Yep, it makes sense. So, let’s focus on lowering PH and raising CYA. Take a look at Pool Math, put in your test results for each, and your targets for each. First, see how much muriatic acid Pool Math recommends. MA freaked me out the first time I used it! Just take it slow, wear eye protection and don’t breathe the fumes. Pour slowly and gently in front of your return while pump is on. Wait 30 min or so and test again. I’d add a bit less than Pool Math says to, just in case you’ve overestimated your pool volume. You can always add more if needed.

After you have more reasonable ph, then you can work on adding CYA.

- - - Updated - - -

LOL, I went the opposite way than Trip!

I got my MA at Home Depot, and my CYA at Walmart (although Home Depot had it too. I bought at different times and just happened to be at Walmart when I needed CYA).
 
mommytotwins,

Totally up to you on how crazy you want to get with driving all over town chasing down the lowest prices on your shopping list.

Me personally, I live in Bloomington, Indiana, I still buy my chlorine from my pool guy that we have used for years because his prices are good, I get 12.5% strength, it's always fresh and he always has it in stock.

I buy my CYA/Stabilizer from him, I can get my Muriatic Acid at either Menards or my pool guy the price is the same for me.

I get my Baking Soda at Sams it comes in a 13.5lb bag it's around $9 bucks (this is used to raise TA)

I buy Borax at Walmart or Grocery store, it just depends on where I am or where I am headed as to how I acquire my supplies.

But Things you need

Stabilizer
Liquid Chlorine
Borax
Baking Soda (you dont have to buy 13.5 lbs, you will use only what the calculator tells you to use, but it has a great shelf life.)
Muriatic Acid (sold in gallon jugs and you should only ever need 1 on hand and you probably won't use the whole gallon this year)


Immediately you need, CYA/Stabilizer, Muriatic Acid, 12-16 gallons of 12.5% or double that for 6% Bleach.

Bleach and Pool Chlorine are both Sodium Hypochlorite the ONLY difference is the strength. Pool Chlorine is 10%-12.5% and Bleach is typically 6% but can be as high as 8.25%. For me, that gets a bit much, I keep this part of my life simple.

- - - Updated - - -

mommytotwins said:
Where do I buy stabilizer if I don’t get it at the pool store? Also...should I vacuum before adding all the chemicals? The pollen is terrible here so it could use a good vacuum. Sorry for all the novice questions
Click to expand...

Thing is, you do not have to "avoid" the pool store, fact is you will have to go there for some things. What you are learning is what to buy while you are in the pool store and more importantly.. what NOT to buy when you are in the pool store.

and Yes, feel free to vacuum and net and rake everything you can out of your pool. You want that valuable chlorine working on algae, not leaves and sticks.
 
kellyfair said:
LOL, I went the opposite way than Trip!

I got my MA at Home Depot, and my CYA at Walmart (although Home Depot had it too. I bought at different times and just happened to be at Walmart when I needed CYA).
Click to expand...


The pH is very important - my logic was simply that she could get the CYA soaking, and right after putting the sock full of CYA into the water go right to adding the acid in a different part of the pool. No worries. :)
 
If you are really a mom to twins, you'll quickly find that keeping a pool crystal clear is much less stressful and time-consuming than chasing two toddlers running in different directions. I know this because it's my everyday life! In fact, a bit of time away from the munchkins in the evening doing a mindless activity like brushing the pool and emptying the skimmers is sometimes a welcome break. :)
 

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