Second week with the TF Pro Test results and questions

[Jsf721]

FC 5.5
CC 0
PH 7.8
TA 90
CH 350 **
PH 7.8
CYA 60

Based on these results I :

Added just over 1/2 gallon of regular bleach 6% to target the 7 which is the low side of. Is this right? Prior to finding TFP I would think the FC level was almost too high to swim in?

Added 1 lb and 9 oz (approx) Dry Acid (once its gone I'll switch to Muriatic Acid)s

** CH shot up since my last test and I do not know why- I have a vinyl liner so I do not believe its a big deal.
Since this was an outlier I took a sample to 2 different Leslies just to verify CH-one got 295 the other 271 so I will just watch it next week.

----------------
On a side note I put a CULater 4.0 in my pump basket and over the 2 weeks its been in, my copper dropped from .4 to .2 with no other changes OTHER than I dumped my copper algaecide in the garbage pail

 

[duraleigh]

What does your water look like?

 

[Jsf721]

What does your water look like?

Looks Great ! I guess I am still getting my head around the TFP numbers that vastly differ from the pool store recommendations.

 

[jimbethesda]

CH will climb due to adding water with CH in it. Water evaporates, calcium doesn’t. Even if your tap water has low levels of CH, it still adds to the calcium levels in your pool.

Pool store recommended levels are set to extract the most amount of $$ from customers. Full stop. TFP recommended levels are based on science.

You’re on the right track!

 

[gingrbredman]

Water does look great!

I took a sample to 2 different Leslies just to verify CH

I would avoid taking any water samples into a PS, you are going to drive yourself mad. They are never going to be the same, and comparing the bad results to your results will keep you second guessing. Like the confidence in throwing away the copper garbage from the PS, the confidence to trust your own results will come. The results, when done yourself with a good test, are the results. No sense in seeing if someone who doesn't do the test the same is close to your tests, that's not a validation.

We see it a lot in the beginning, slowly getting off the PS strings, in order to fully take it over, but you didn't slowly dump the copper in the trash, you took one swipe and it was gone. The same should be done with the PS testing. You have the kit, use it, and the wisdom here to it's best!

 

[Jsf721]

Water does look great!


I would avoid taking any water samples into a PS, you are going to drive yourself mad. They are never going to be the same, and comparing the bad results to your results will keep you second guessing. Like the confidence in throwing away the copper garbage from the PS, the confidence to trust your own results will come. The results, when done yourself with a good test, are the results. No sense in seeing if someone who doesn't do the test the same is close to your tests, that's not a validation.

We see it a lot in the beginning, slowly getting off the PS strings, in order to fully take it over, but you didn't slowly dump the copper in the trash, you took one swipe and it was gone. The same should be done with the PS testing. You have the kit, use it, and the wisdom here to it's best!

Agree with 99% of what you say and perhaps I'll come along the other 1%.

I currently cannot test for Copper and I have not found a reliable test at an affordable price. I would never have known I had an issue if not for the test.

The CYA test is still a little scary for me. I don't trust myself 100% yet. My last result was better in line so I am "getting it".

I know we don't worry about phosphates here but I still like to keep and eye on them. This pool is a one hour drive from my home and I live in fear that if I mess up, i will have a mess and keeping the phosphates low might save me a mess if I get close the edge of TFP FC / CYA number. I am hoping the 90 plus degree heatwave will burn off some CYA.

A SWG is in my future, I just need to figure out what i need to :

Remotely monitor and adjust the SWG for production

Remotely check my FC reliably

If I could do the other Pool Math # that would be awesome.

Also Need to be able to afford it and the maintenance of it.

 

[gingrbredman]

If I could do the other Pool Math # that would be awesome.

Not sure what that means. Do you mean being able to have multiple results logged, or multiple pools, or something else?

With a premium pool math subscription, you can have multiple pools and multiple logs per pool. A lot of people get the premium subscription just to be able to collect their logs, and for like $7 a year, so worth it.

 

[duraleigh]

I'm a bit late to the dance but let me help clarify a few things.

1. Nailing the CYA test is not a requirement. The test resolution is roughly plus/minus 15 ppm so you have some slack. You get bewtter at it with time but DO NOT be afraid of it.

2. The sun will not "burn off" any CYA

3. If you still like to "keep an eye" on phosphates, please do but TFP doesn't know why you would do that.

4. I haven't read this whole thread. Did your test results show copper? Do you have visible symptoms?

 

[Jsf721]

I'm a bit late to the dance but let me help clarify a few things.

1. Nailing the CYA test is not a requirement. The test resolution is roughly plus/minus 15 ppm so you have some slack. You get bewtter at it with time but DO NOT be afraid of it.

2. The sun will not "burn off" any CYA

3. If you still like to "keep an eye" on phosphates, please do but TFP doesn't know why you would do that.

4. I haven't read this whole thread. Did your test results show copper? Do you have visible symptoms?

No visible symptoms other than some rust on some of my step hardware. I should have changed them when I installed the new liner.

I was using the pool store wrest before finding this forum and they suggested a cooler algaecide because I was trying to avoid the mustard algae bloom I had last summer. It drove my copper number from .1 to .4 in a few weeks. I installed a culater 4.0 and it helped reduce the number.

I thought read on this forum that 90 plus degrees heat degrades CYA. It that not true. I’ll be doing some water exchange in 2 weeks to reduce the cya that will reduce the amount of FC required.

Where would I post a thread asking for pool systems I’d like suggestion on ?

Thanks !

 

[Newdude]

I thought read on this forum that 90 plus degrees heat degrades CYA.

Yes it does, but it's slow. At best for us you may see a 10% reduction a month, it will likely be only 5 or so ppm per month. So yes it deteriorates, but no, not fast enough for most folks when it's high.

Where would I post a thread asking for pool systems I’d like suggestion on ?

Click the 'Hamburger menu' in the upper left corner. Then click forums. In this case, you'd want the equipment sub forum but feel free ask appropriate stuffs in any of them.

It gives us something to do.

If you can, keep all related topics in one thread. For example, anything chemistry related. Keep it here. No need to start another one about TA if that comes up tomorrow. Pool pumps ?? start a new one over in that section.

 

[Katygreys]

Added just over 1/2 gallon of regular bleach 6% to target the 7 which is the low side of. Is this right? Prior to finding TFP I would think the FC level was almost too high to swim in?

Yes, 7 is on the low side of the target. Odds are in 24-48 hours you’ll be below the minimum if 5. That’s bad news. I also have CYA of 60. I was dosing to 7 when I started TFP initially (chlorine phobia ). My FC was dropping to 3-4 each night. After a few weeks I had algae on one of the walls. I Now dump bleach each night to get to 11ppm, and it drops to ~7. I never flirt with minimum any more. Tonight my kids decided to night swim after I dosed the pool. No biggie. We swam in 11ppm and it was glorious. The difference I can discern between swimming in 11 ppm or 9 ppm or 6 ppm or 4 ppm is zero. Can’t tell a thing other than my water sparkles.

I too had “1-3ppm FC” drilled into my head prior to TFP. I was very weary of swimming in crazy high FC of like 5ppm lol. TFP is the way to go. You can have a discussion with someone versed in TPF methodology and challenge them. You can do the same with someone versed in pool store methodology. I bet can guess whose position will be more easily and scientifically defensible.

Don’t fear chlorine. It is our friend. It’s a beautiful thing!

 

[Jsf721]

Yes, 7 is on the low side of the target. Odds are in 24-48 hours you’ll be below the minimum if 5. That’s bad news. I also have CYA of 60. I was dosing to 7 when I started TFP initially (chlorine phobia ). My FC was dropping to 3-4 each night. After a few weeks I had algae on one of the walls. I Now dump bleach each night to get to 11ppm, and it drops to ~7. I never flirt with minimum any more. Tonight my kids decided to night swim after I dosed the pool. No biggie. We swam in 11ppm and it was glorious. The difference I can discern between swimming in 11 ppm or 9 ppm or 6 ppm or 4 ppm is zero. Can’t tell a thing other than my water sparkles.

I too had “1-3ppm FC” drilled into my head prior to TFP. I was very weary of swimming in crazy high FC of like 5ppm lol. TFP is the way to go. You can have a discussion with someone versed in TPF methodology and challenge them. You can do the same with someone versed in pool store methodology. I bet can guess whose position will be more easily and scientifically defensible.

Don’t fear chlorine. It is our friend. It’s a beautiful thing!

I don’t fear chlorine. I just fear loosing the pool for a few days .

I don’t live at the house so that it’s not easy to manage.

 

[Mdragger88]

I don’t fear chlorine. I just fear loosing the pool for a few days .

I don’t live at the house so that it’s not easy to manage.

Then be sure to dose high enough to stay above minimum by the time u return. U can dose higher than target range for your cya- it is safe for equipment, surfaces, & swimmers all the way up to slam level for your cya FC/CYA Levels

 

[Jsf721]

Then be sure to dose high enough to stay above minimum by the time u return. U can dose higher than target range for your cya- it is safe for equipment, surfaces, & swimmers all the way up to slam level for your cya FC/CYA Levels

Ok - thanks. So it’s ok to swim with a FC of 24 at 60 cya ? Good to know.

 

[Mdragger88]

Ok - thanks. So it’s ok to swim with a FC of 24 at 60 cya ? Good to know.

It is safe to swim w/ fc levels anywhere between minimum & slam level for your cya, so long as u can see the bottom of the pool for safety purposes.

CYA Chlorine Relationship - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Newdude]

Good to know.

Also good to know that Chlorine burns off as a %, so you will see considerably more loss per day starting in the 20s than in the normal range. But. It will then get back in the regular range and take a few more days to be depleted.

There are too many factors to list that change the equation, but for this discussion's sake, let's say it may take 2 days to drop from 24 to 12, and then take 4 days to drop from 12 to 0.

With a normal operating FC of 8, you may lose 2ppm a day. Going to 24 doesn't buy you 12 days, but it would probably get you from Sunday night to Friday night when you return.