Test results and help with calcium hardness test

[Mical718]

I use the tf100 kit and follow their directions for testing. I need help testing calcium hardness. After the 3 drops of 0011 and it turns red, it does not say to mix when adding the 0012 to turn blue. I do use a speed stir. So am i not supposed to be mixing while adding the 0012? And when is blue blue enough? I feel like i go from red to an almost clear with a tint of sky blue.
Fc 7.5
Cc 1.5
Ph 7.6
Ta 110
Ch 300
Cya 65

 

[mknauss]

Use your Speedstir. The CH test is one the most important ones to use the Speedstir for.

 

[Mical718]

Use your Speedstir. The CH test is one the most important ones to use the Speedstir for.

And im really lost why i have 1.5cc as i have not allowed my fc to get below 5 since opening. Im on my way to leslies for conditioner to bring cya up to 70 so im gonna let them test too.

 

[mknauss]

I would not get the pool store test. It is more than likely to confuse you and quite frankly we will not recognize any of the results for guidance.

Do you cover your pool? Did you just open it and raise your FC? Those can result in some CC.

 

[mknauss]

I would not add any CYA if your testing 70 (remember to round up).

 

[Mical718]

I would not add any CYA if your testing 70 (remember to round up).

Kids had burning eyes yesterday so now it has me all flustered. I opened 2 weeks ago. I added liquid chlorine when i added to bring fc up. Got all levels in line then fired up the swg. Being it is still windy out i have been running my pump at 2800rpm to keep the skimmer up with any debris falling in the pool. Also some days i havent been shutting it off. So i have not been able to accurately keep the swg producing the same amount of fc everyday all day.

 

[mknauss]

Burning eyes are CC or low pH. Have you done a OCLT?

 

[Mical718]

No i have never done an oclt.

 

[Mical718]

Also what shade of blue am i looking for in the calcium hardness test?

 

[mknauss]

I would suggest that tonight.

 

[mknauss]

I would call it baby blue? My CH is always high so I go from a purple/violet color to blue.

 

[Mical718]

@mknauss so at 8:22pm last night my fc was 6.5 and cc was 2.0. At 6:15am this morning i went back out and tested and
Fc is 5.5 and cc 1.5. Now according to the oclt since i did not drop more then 1.0ppm i do not have anything living in the water. So am i still “slamming” the pool due to the high cc amount?

 

[mknauss]

Yes. What is your CYA if your FC was just 6.5 last evening?

 

[Mical718]

@mknauss 65 last week. I ran out of 0013 so i can not test it. I ordered some more so it should be here this week.

 

[mknauss]

The your SLAM level FC is 28 ppm. I suggest you raise your FC to that and hold for a day or two and then do another OCLT.

 

[Mical718]

Ok this is now day 5 of slamming the pool and i still have a cc of 1.0. I have been maintaining my slam fc level since tuesday now with liquid chlorine and brushing the walls, running the robot on the floor. Yesterday i took apart the de filter and cleaned the grids and put back together and added new d.e.

 

[mknauss]

How does the water look? If clear, have you done an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test?

Clean your testing vial for FC / CC thoroughly with bleach. This can provide a false positive on CC.

 

[Mical718]

Water i

How does the water look? If clear, have you done an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test?

Clean your testing vial for FC / CC thoroughly with bleach. This can provide a false positive on CC.

s crystal clear and has been since opening. I will perform another oclt tonight. I will also clean my vial because i never did that before.

 

[Mical718]

Something has to be wrong. I started my slam on tuesday night with a crystal clear pool. Only issue was my cc at 2.0. It is now sunday. I have been keeping fc at 26-28. I just went out to test it to add l.c. And it was 21fc so i brought back to 28. And my cc was now 1.5. Since Thursday i was getting 1.0 on cc. I cleaned the vial i test in today like @mknauss said. I did forget to do a oclt last night so i will do it tonight.

 

[mknauss]

Do an OCLT tonight. If CC still high, let your FC drift down to mid teens and do a CC test at that point in the morning. See if it is just a case of elevated FC is hampering your CC from testing lower.