Test results and remediation

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New2water

New2water

LifeTime Supporter
Jun 28, 2011
152
Stockton, CA
Pool Size
18000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
The pool is showing some light algae on the walls. My test kit has run out so I took water sample to local pool store. Their test results were:
FC: 0.14
TC: 0.14
pH: 8.5
TA: 250
Ca Hardness: 213
Cyanuric Acid: 29
Phosphates: 1,269ppb
TDS: 2,500

Their recommendations: Add 2 gallons of Muriatic Acid (1/2 G every hour)
Return for another test.

I tried PoolMath but it doesn’t offer any recommendations. It’s only calculates how much pH is expected to change after adding a gallon of Muriatic Acid.
Is there a step by step process to balance the chemicals?
 
Order a refill for your test kit.
Add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine each day until you get the refills.

Do not add more acid. The pH is not critical. The TA is high which will just push the pH higher. Get your test kit refills and we can go from there.
 
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Thank you. I’ll clean the filters tomorrow morning, add stabilizer powder so my chlorine doesn’t quickly dissipate and then will keep adding chlorine as advised. I’m ordering test kit refills as well.
 
CYA testing at pool stores is notoriously garbage. I would NOT add any based upon their results. Since you're going to need to SLAM, the last thing you want to do is overshoot on it.
 
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If those test results are to be believed, a CYA of 29 is essentially 30. Totally fine for now.

Do as @mknauss suggests:
Get those refills ordered... tonight - so they will ship out on Monday
Add 5ppm chlorine daily until you have the refills and can accurately test
 
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New2water said:
I tried PoolMath but it doesn’t offer any recommendations. It’s only calculates how much pH is expected to change after adding a gallon of Muriatic Acid.
Click to expand...

To get PoolMath to calculate the necessary amount of MA, first go to the Home screen and tap the pH measurement.

The pH calculator will appear. Enter your pool volume, current pH, target (desired) pH, and current TA, then select the strength of Muriatic Acid you'll be using. The recommended amount of MA to add will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.

The pH calculator is most accurate for small changes, so in a situation like yours where you want to move pH a lot, it's best to break it up into smaller moves of 0.4 or less. Calculate the MA required for the small move, add it, then run the pump and retest 30 minutes later before calculating the MA required for the next addition.

PoolMath can do the same thing for the other chemicals. When people say, "Add 5ppm FC," for example, you can calculate how much bleach that is by tapping the FC measurement on the Home screen and then using the FC calculator. For 5ppm, set Current Free Chlorine to 0 and Target Free Chlorine to 5.

step1.png step2.png
 
Last edited:
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New2water said:
Thank you. I’ll clean the filters tomorrow morning, add stabilizer powder so my chlorine doesn’t quickly dissipate and then will keep adding chlorine as advised. I’m ordering test kit refills as well.
Click to expand...
No! Don’t add stabilizer. Just get chlorine in there ASAP as Marty mentioned.
 
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DrewLG said:
To get PoolMath to calculate the necessary amount of MA, first go to the Home screen and tap the pH measurement.

The pH calculator will appear. Enter your pool volume, current pH, target (desired) pH, and current TA, then select the strength of Muriatic Acid you'll be using. The recommended amount of MA to add will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.

The pH calculator is most accurate for small changes, so in a situation like yours where you want to move pH a lot, it's best to break it up into smaller moves of 0.4 or less. Calculate the MA required for the small move, add it, then run the pump and retest 30 minutes later before calculating the MA required for the next addition.

PoolMath can do the same thing for the other chemicals. When people say, "Add 5ppm FC," for example, you can calculate how much bleach that is by tapping the FC measurement on the Home screen and then using the FC calculator. For 5ppm, set Current Free Chlorine to 0 and Target Free Chlorine to 5.

View attachment 481232 View attachment 481235
Click to expand...
Thank you for a good tutorial on PoolMath. A lot of hidden functionality!
 
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mknauss said:
Order a refill for your test kit.
Add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine each day until you get the refills.

Do not add more acid. The pH is not critical. The TA is high which will just push the pH higher. Get your test kit refills and we can go from there.
Click to expand...
Test kit is on order. I had added one gallon of acid by the time I saw this message and have not added anymore. I have added liquid chlorine, brushed walls and have been running the pump continuously after having cleaned filter cartridges. Tested again with the leftover reagents of my test kit. The results are:
FC & TC: 9.5 ( Corrected from earlier CC)
pH: 8.2
TA: 160
Should I continue to add Chlorine?
 
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IF you have algae, the FC should disappear pretty quickly.
I would wait until tomorrow and then add about 3/4 gallon of 10% chlorine each day until you get your kit.
 
New2water said:
Test kit is on order. I had added one gallon of acid by the time I saw this message and have not added anymore. I have added liquid chlorine, brushed walls and have been running the pump continuously after having cleaned filter cartridges. Tested again with the leftover reagents of my test kit. The results are:
FC & CC: 9.5
pH: 8.2
TA: 160
Should I continue to add Chlorine?
Click to expand...
Maybe check the FC and CC again. It isn’t possible for them both to be 9.5.
 
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Test results with newly refilled test kit:
FC & TC: 8.5
pH: 7.6
TA: 250 (not sure why it went up)
CH: 320
CYA: 30
Water is clear. Brushed walls again today, Robotic vacuum running for 4 hours every day, Pool pump also runs for 6 hours/day.
Pool Math recommends adding acid to lower TA, reducing pH to 7.0-7.2, and then aerating to increase pH
Is that my next step?
 
When your pH reaches 8, lower it to 7.4 or so. Test pH every few days. The TA will come down over time. Test TA at least once a week.
 
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