SWG, Water Testing and Solids PPM Ratio - Need Help

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thetekgeek said:
Since the tabs are the only thing you’ve added other than the chlorine, do you know how many tabs were added and how many fully dissolved? If only a few, I’d calculate 30 ppm of cya and add that now. Use the sock method to dissolve it. You can get it at Walmart it will be labeled as stabilizer. Just look at the ingredients, it should be 100% cyanuric acid. Assume you have 40 ppm CYA once that is dissolved. Then calculate 5 ppm chlorine using whatever strength you have. Add that amount of chlorine each day until your test kit arrives. The chlorine you added today is likely gone at this point, it was burned off by the sun.
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I added e tabs but they were only technically in the water for maybe 30 hours, when I looked at them, they were maybe slightly thinner but didn't looked like much was dissolved. I'm going to follow your advice and do 9oz of 12.5% bleach daily. The kit arrives on Sunday so maybe 3 days of guessing until I can test it.?
 
Also I read up on the sock method. Debating on whether I want to wrap the skimmer basket with a pantyhose and add the granules, stuff a pantyhose with the granules and tie it into a ball and add to skimmer basket, or hang it on the ladder, squeeze it occasionally and let the circulation do its job.
 
Hello and Welcome to TFP!!

It is best to have water flowing over the CYA granules. Hanging it from the ladder won't do much to get it dissolved. Be careful it doesn't touch the vinyl sides because it can cause staining (turn white) of the liner. I don't believe the Bestway has a skimmer unless you bought the clip on version. Just be sure that any thing in the skimmer doesn't block flow.

Yes, you did the CYA calculation correctly. 6.9-7.0 oz of stabilizer is about right. I'd start with 7 oz, close enough for now.

Unless you can find the 12.5%, you can use the store brand bleach at your favorite grocery store. It'll be about 6%. Any kind will due as long as it's not splashless, unscented, not chloromax, no clothing protection.... nothing with Blue in the name.
 
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@RodRamos You’re doing a great job! Once you have the CYA going, keep dosing the pool with 5ppm liquid chlorine each day until you get your test kit. When it arrives, run a full set of tests and post them here. We will take you through the next steps. Last thing, you’ll likely need some muriaric acid at some point, so pick some up while you’re waiting for the kit. I get mine at the big box home improvement store in town ($5/gallon). Here, they stock it in the paint section. You’re looking for 31.45% or 20 Baume. You’ll use that to lower the PH after you are able to test it. Please, don’t store the acid anywhere near your bleach and don’t keep it in your garage. Don’t keep it near any metals. It is fine to store outside, heat won’t bother it. I keep mine out in the back corner of my yard.
 
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Teald024 said:
Hello and Welcome to TFP!!

It is best to have water flowing over the CYA granules. Hanging it from the ladder won't do much to get it dissolved. Be careful it doesn't touch the vinyl sides because it can cause staining (turn white) of the liner. I don't believe the Bestway has a skimmer unless you bought the clip on version. Just be sure that any thing in the skimmer doesn't block flow.

Yes, you did the CYA calculation correctly. 6.9-7.0 oz of stabilizer is about right. I'd start with 7 oz, close enough for now.

Unless you can find the 12.5%, you can use the store brand bleach at your favorite grocery store. It'll be about 6%. Any kind will due as long as it's not splashless, unscented, not chloromax, no clothing protection.... nothing with Blue in the name.
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Thanks for the welcome. I'm so glad I finally joined this forum. Also thank you for the advice on the sock, I think I'll just make a ball with a stocking and have it hanging in front of the outlet port so it gets some water flowing through it. Also thank you for the vinyl precautions, I wasn't aware it could stain so I'll make sure it doesn't touch the sides. You are correct the pool did not come with a skimmer, we added one we purchased on Amazon, the kind you cut a square on the vinyl to install. Seemed like a prudent upgrade and we love it. I'm glad my calculations were right. Once I get the kit I will post the results here for you guys to see.

Thank you.
 
thetekgeek said:
@RodRamos You’re doing a great job! Once you have the CYA going, keep dosing the pool with 5ppm liquid chlorine each day until you get your test kit. When it arrives, run a full set of tests and post them here. We will take you through the next steps. Last thing, you’ll likely need some muriaric acid at some point, so pick some up while you’re waiting for the kit. I get mine at the big box home improvement store in town ($5/gallon). Here, they stock it in the paint section. You’re looking for 31.45% or 20 Baume. You’ll use that to lower the PH after you are able to test it. Please, don’t store the acid anywhere near your bleach and don’t keep it in your garage. Don’t keep it near any metals. It is fine to store outside, heat won’t bother it. I keep mine out in the back corner of my yard.
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Thanks for walking me through this thetekgeek. I will pick up the muriatic acid tomorrow as well and store it on the side of the yard in a plastic bin so the kids dont get to it. I'll post test results as soon as I get the kit.

Thank you.
 
So on my first post ever I posted my concerns over the new pool water. Having never done any testing myself (always took it to pool store) I was advised to get a kit and do it myself. One of the kits suggested was the Taylor K2006C. I accidentally ordered the Taylor K2006...grrrr.

Here are the results as well as the process I took to do the test. Bear in mind this is the first pool water test I have ever conducted. If you see any mistakes in the process please let me k ow but I believe I followed the instructions well.

Free and Combined Chlorine Test (I am assuming this is the FC on the PoolMath App - Filled comparator tube to 25mL l, added 2 dippers of R-0870, swirled until dissolved. Instructions stated if free chlorine is present sample would turn pink, it did not.

TA - Filled comparator tube to 25mL and added 2 drops of T-007, swirled, added 5 drops of R-008, sample turned green, added 1 drop at a time of R-009 until sample turned red. Sample turned PINK after drop 14, times 10 = 1400.

PH - Filled comparator tube to 44mL. Added 5 drops of R-0004. Mixed. Looked like the most pink square on the tube, assuming 8.0, see picture.
112840

CH 16 Filled comparator to to 25mL. Added 20 drops of R-0010. Swirled. Added 5 drops of R-0011L. Swirled. Sample turned red. Added 1 drop at a time of R-0012 swirling and counting after each drop. Sample turned blue after drop16. Times 10 = 160.

CYA - Filled small bottle to 7mL and added R-0013 to to 14mL mark. Mixed for 30 seconds. Transfered solution to CYA section of comparator slowly, looking to see at which point I could not see black dot. I could still see drop at top level (30).
112841

Thanks for the help guys. Any advice of how to proceed is appreciated. I will plug these numbers into the PoolMath app and see what I get.

Also this is what the water looks like, clear and blue. No cloudiness or green at all.
112842


Rod
 
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Most important is to get chlorine in the water. Add enough liquid chlorine to get FC to 5ppm.
Did you ever add the CYA? If not, Then you need to add about 30ppm worth of CYA. Use dry stabilizer in a sock. Regular white sock. Hang it in the water so the return water flows over it. Don’t let it touch the liner.
Then you can use muriatic acid to get pH down. Use 8.2 as starting pH. Enter TA of 140. Use 7.4 as your desired pH.

Don’t worry about a TA of 140 for now
The CH of 140 is fine for your vinyl pool.
 
Welcome to TFP!
I would add stabilizer to reach a cya of 40. Do this by putting half of what pool math calls for, add more after retest in 24 hrs.
Add bleach to get to 4ppm CL immediately.

Add muriatic acid to lower ph to 7.2.

Review guide to small seasonal pools in pool school.
 
Added the recommended chlorine and the stabilizer. I used the sock method. Didn't see I needed to add half stabilizer first then the other half so I added the whole recommended amount. Sorry. Going to get the muriatic acid later and add that aswell. Teald024 you mean I should stop the aeration by maybe having the return valve go under water level or is it good to have the aeration?112864
 
With high pH add MA in multiple doses lowering pH about .2 at a time and testing in between until you get down to 7.6. Give the water 30 minutes between tests and doses.

The less aeration your return creates the more stable your pH will be.
 
The aeration is causing your pH to rise. There is no need to have aeration in the water. Do it for fun or do it to raise pH, but just be aware of the side effects.

How long after you added stabilizer did you perform the CYA test? The lower limit of the test is 20-30ppm. It didn't look like your water is cloudy, but if you added stabilizer then it should be in the water. Be cautious about adding more. You don't want CYA to get too high. The only way to remove CYA is through draining water.
 
Go squish that sock now and again. It will help the CYA dissolve and mix with the water.

Also, pointing your return eye down will help water flow in addition to less aeration. Aeration will increase your pH. I'm actually aerating right now because my pH wants to be low. It's an acceptable method to raise pH without also raising TA.
 

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