Salt water pool - lower alkalinity and higher chlorine

[kenpee]

New pool owner. Hot weather in S FL And pool is usually around 90. Have a salt water generator. My salt water generator is set to 60.

im new to testing as well but I have strips and a dpd kit.

Seems like Alkalinity is around 80 but free chlorine is high. Cyuranic acid seems fine. Combined chlorine seems 0.

How should I try to lower the free chlorine?

 

[Texas Splash]

Free chlorine will lower on its own, so there's no need to make it fall. The biggest concern is that you don't seem to have a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006 test kit. We know strips are horrible, and if you only have a DPD kit you're missing out on badly needed accuracy. I would recommend obtaining one of those kits and posting a full set of results. With accurate results, we can certainly guide you better.

 

[kenpee]

Free chlorine will lower on its own, so there's no need to make it fall. The biggest concern is that you don't seem to have a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006 test kit. We know strips are horrible, and if you only have a DPD kit you're missing out on badly needed accuracy. I would recommend obtaining one of those kits and posting a full set of results. With accurate results, we can certainly guide you better.

I have the Taylor Technologies K-1004-1 Test Kit Residential Trouble-Shooter DPD. Does that lack a particularly important test That the TF-100 covers? Thanks

 

[Texas Splash]

Does that lack a particularly important test That the TF-100 covers?

Looks like you are missing the FAS-DPD for pinpoint accuracy FC testing and at elevated levels as needed.

 

[Donldson]

Does that lack a particularly important test That the TF-100 covers?

The accuracy of the DPD test is fine but it lacks the necessary precision that an FAS-DPD test can provide for both FC and CC. You also lack an accurate CYA test.

 

[kenpee]

Just ordered a FAS/DPD test kit.
Can you recommend a better CYA test kit for me? Thanks

 

[Oly]

Looks like you also can't test CH with the K-1004.
Getting a solid kit may save you $.
Test Kits Compared

 

[kenpee]

Hello,
I've been trying to learn how to properly test my pool but I've been struggling a bit. Here's a step by step walk through of what I've done and the results.

Test kits:


1. Aquachek 7 Strip:

• Total Alkalinity looked a little low to me. It matched best with the color for 40.

2. Aquacheck Salt (Sodium Chloride) strip:

• I think this lined up best with 1,920ppm, but I'm not positive.
• Would 1,920ppm be low?
  • If that's low, should I turn my SWG higher?

3. Aquachek Free Chlorine strip:

• Total Alkalinity seemed to line up best with 40, which would be on the low side.
  • If so, should I turn my SWG higher?
• PH appears to line up best with 6.8, which would be on the low side.
  • If so, what should I do about this?

4. Taylor 6 Way: Free Chlorine and Total Bromine:

• Free Chlorine didn't appear to match any to my eyes, so it may be too high.
  • What should I do?
• Bromine didn't appear to match any to my eyes, so it may be too high.
  • What should I do?

5. Taylor 6 Way: Total Chlorine:

• Total Chlorine also didn't appear to match any colors to my eyes.
  • What should I do?

6. Taylor 6 Way: pH:

• pH appears to line up with 8.2.
  • Is this high?
  • What should I do?

7. Taylor 6 Way: Total Alkalinity:

• It turned from green to purple after 8 drops.
• So that means 80ppm, which sounds like it's on the low end.
  • What should I do?

-----

Thanks for any help in advance. I'm not sure if I'm misreading results, have poor test kits, or what. My SWG was installed about a month ago. I haven't used any other chemicals. I did just start to notice some algae in a few spots above the water line in the grout:

 

[mknauss]

The combined thread shows you are trying to use a pieced together set of test kits.

The strips are trash. Throw them away. We will not provide guidance based on them.

You need a FAS-DPD test for FC/CC testing.

Your TA of 80 ppm is fine.

Lower your pH to 7.6. The TC is above 5 ppm. But most likely not above 10 ppm. You need a proper test kit.

 

[kenpee]

The combined thread shows you are trying to use a pieced together set of test kits.

The strips are trash. Throw them away. We will not provide guidance based on them.

You need a FAS-DPD test for FC/CC testing.

Your TA of 80 ppm is fine.

Lower your pH to 7.6. The TC is above 5 ppm. But most likely not above 10 ppm. You need a proper test kit.

Can you please just recommend me a solid kit? Don’t really care about cost. Just want to buy and use one that folks like yourself find to be suitable so I don’t keep wasting money trying to guess and piece some together. Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

I suggest the TF-100 / TFPro or Taylor K2006C. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.

The TFPro Salt from TFTestkits.net is your best value. It will include a SmartStir and the salinity test kit. In Florida, you need the salinity test kit.