Test Results, Please advise, newbie

[NewNatatorium]

Hello- Here are my results after adding bleach, stabilizer, and CH increaser on Monday. The water is clear, but there are very small algae looking piles on the bottom of the pool. It was recommended that I SLAM. I will put these number into pool math and go get the supplies, but I would like any other input as well. nearest pool store is 45 minutes for the CH increaser. Closest thing we have in town is True Value Safe Step 7300 Ice Melt. Has anyone used this? The package doesn't say the rest of the ingredients.

FC 5.4 (was 0.6 on Monday)
CC 0 (same as Monday)
pH 7.4 (was 7.4 on Monday)
TA 90 (same as Monday)
CH 130 (was 90 on Monday)
CYA much cloudier than Monday's test, but dot did not disappear until water was at very top of tube

This is an indoor pool not being used, but just trying to get it to where it is easy to maintain over the winter. Thank you!

 

[aussieta]

hi,
unsure on the ice melt
all numbers look good
but i would use the 10ml chlorine sample, accuracy then becomes 0.5ppm per drop, but your test kit will last twice as long
Pool School - FAS-DPD Chlorine Test
are you performing the cya test correctly, sample at room temperature, back to sun etc

 

[ajw22]

You do not need much, if any, CYA in an indoor pool. Outdoors CYA protects the FC against UV and with an indoor pool you don't need that. What CYA will do is buffer some of the harshness of CL. CYA at the 20 level is all you need for an indoor pool.

With a low CYA you don't need as much CL for your SLAM Process. So for now leave your CYA at the level it is.

SLAM Process instruction say to lower FC to 7.2 since adding a lot of CL can raise your PH some and you can't get a good PH test with FC over 10. Your PH 7.4 will work okay since you only need to get your FC above FC 10. Your choice if you want to lower PH just a bit to 7.2.

Then follow SLAM Process instructions and raise FC up to 10 or higher and keep it there. Check your FC every 2 hours or so initially to see if the algae is rapidly depleting the FC. If so, add more CL and check more frequently. You will see the FC depletion taper off over time.

You are done when CC is 0.5 or lower, water is clear, and FC level stays steady. You don't have to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test for an indoor pool.

Keep your pump running 24/7 during the SLAM Process and brush the pool often. Brushing is important on all surfaces to break the biofilm on the algae and let the CL attack it.

 

[NewNatatorium]

hi,
unsure on the ice melt
all numbers look good
but i would use the 10ml chlorine sample, accuracy then becomes 0.5ppm per drop, but your test kit will last twice as long
Pool School - FAS-DPD Chlorine Test
are you performing the cya test correctly, sample at room temperature, back to sun etc

Thank for advice on using the 10ml sample. Will do going forward.
Cya test is done exactly as in video on Taylor website. The black dot was much blurrier today than Monday, which is when I added the cya, so it is working and there must not have been much cya present at all.

Thank you!

 

[NewNatatorium]

You do not need much, if any, CYA in an indoor pool. Outdoors CYA protects the FC against UV and with an indoor pool you don't need that. What CYA will do is buffer some of the harshness of CL. CYA at the 20 level is all you need for an indoor pool.

With a low CYA you don't need as much CL for your SLAM Process. So for now leave your CYA at the level it is.

SLAM Process instruction say to lower FC to 7.2 since adding a lot of CL can raise your PH some and you can't get a good PH test with FC over 10. Your PH 7.4 will work okay since you only need to get your FC above FC 10. Your choice if you want to lower PH just a bit to 7.2.

Then follow SLAM Process instructions and raise FC up to 10 or higher and keep it there. Check your FC every 2 hours or so initially to see if the algae is rapidly depleting the FC. If so, add more CL and check more frequently. You will see the FC depletion taper off over time.

You are done when CC is 0.5 or lower, water is clear, and FC level stays steady. You don't have to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test for an indoor pool.

Keep your pump running 24/7 during the SLAM Process and brush the pool often. Brushing is important on all surfaces to break the biofilm on the algae and let the CL attack it.

Hi Allen- I appreciate your response and your indoor pool knowledge. I will leave the CYA as is. The Taylor test kit I have only measures cya to 30, so I’m thinking if the solution is cloudy and the dot barely seen at thirty, that’s probably about 20. ?��*

I’m also going to leave the pH as is because I don’t know how to lower it yet!

The water is clear. It’s just that there small algae floaters at the bottom of the pool that I don’t like. I will go out and brush and add pool math chlorine to get it to ten. And read up on slam again.

Is there a way to quickly test the FC without checking the CC? Or do you always check both?

Once the slam is done, what do I want to keep the FC at for the winter so I don’t have to mess with it too much?

Thank you you so much for your help!

 

[ajw22]

Hi Allen- I appreciate your response and your indoor pool knowledge. I will leave the CYA as is. The Taylor test kit I have only measures cya to 30, so I’m thinking if the solution is cloudy and the dot barely seen at thirty, that’s probably about 20. ?

If you can barely see the dot at 30 then your CYA is 30. We always round UP on the CYA test.

I’m also going to leave the pH as is because I don’t know how to lower it yet!

You lower the PH by putting muratic acid into the pool. You use PoolMath to calculate how much MA is needed based on what your PH is and what your target PH is.

The water is clear. It’s just that there small algae floaters at the bottom of the pool that I don’t like. I will go out and brush and add pool math chlorine to get it to ten. And read up on slam again.

CYA of 30 requires a FC maintaining a FC level of 12 or higher. See [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]

Is there a way to quickly test the FC without checking the CC? Or do you always check both?

It is not clear to me what test kit you have and if you have the FAS/DPD chlorine test. See Pool School - Extended Test Kit Directions CC test follows FC test.

From Pool School - FAS-DPD Chlorine Test

The FAS-DPD chlorine test is used to find the level of Free Chlorine in the pool water. It uses a powder to show the presence of free chlorine in the sample pool water followed by liquid drops to determine the total amount of free chlorine in the sample of pool water. It is very important to know the amount of free chlorine in the pool water for swimmer safety and water cleanliness.


Rinse the sample tube with pool water.
Fill the sample tube with pool water to the 10 ml mark. The top of the sample will be curved. This curve is called a meniscus. The bottom of the meniscus should be level with the 10 ml mark.
Using the small spoon shaped end of the dipper, add one heaping dipper, or two level dippers, of R-0870 and swirl to mix. If the sample turns pink for a moment and then turns clear again, or if it turns brown, add another dipper of R-0870. If the sample remains clear the entire time, your FC level is probably zero, however it is best to verify that with an OTO chlorine test, since the FAS-DPD test is prone to the occasional false zero.
Swirling constantly and counting the number of drops as you go, add R-0871 one drop at a time. Continue adding drops until the color changes to clear. The pink color may become extremely faint before it goes away. Make sure that the sample goes completely clear.
Multiply the number of drops by 0.5 to get your FC level.
Add 5 drops of R-0003 and swirl to mix. If the sample remains clear, your CC level is zero.
If the sample turns pink again, add R-0871 one drop at a time, swirling constantly and counting the number of drops as you go. Continue adding drops until the color changes to clear. The pink color may become extremely faint before it goes away. Make sure that the sample goes completely clear.
Multiply the number of drops by 0.5 to get your CC level.
Dispose of the sample safely. It is best to pour it down the drain with the water running. Do not add it back to the pool.
Rinse the sample tube with tap water and store for next time.

Once the slam is done, what do I want to keep the FC at for the winter so I don’t have to mess with it too much?

Follow the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] FC of 4-6 never letting it fall below 2 should keep you algae free with a CYA of 30.

 

[aussieta]

i only perform cc test once every week or two, unless i suspect a problem

 

[NewNatatorium]

If you can barely see the dot at 30 then your CYA is 30. We always round UP on the CYA test.



You lower the PH by putting muratic acid into the pool. You use PoolMath to calculate how much MA is needed based on what your PH is and what your target PH is.



CYA of 30 requires a FC maintaining a FC level of 12 or higher. See [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA]



It is not clear to me what test kit you have and if you have the FAS/DPD chlorine test. See Pool School - Extended Test Kit Directions CC test follows FC test.

From Pool School - FAS-DPD Chlorine Test





Follow the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA] FC of 4-6 never letting it fall below 2 should keep you algae free with a CYA of 30.

Thanks Allen. I think I am understanding this process better now. I do have the Taylor K2006 FAS/DPD Kit. For some reason it wasn’t clear the first ten times I read it, but something just clicked when I was trying to see how long to SLAM. If I understand correctly, there is no set number of days/time to SLAM. You just keep the FC at recommenced slam amount and continue checking both FC and CC until CC is below 0.5. At that point, then I just check every few days to make sure FC levels don’t fall below 2.

Should the CH be the same for an indoor pool as outdoor? Right now it is at 130, so I think I need to add a lot more calcium chloride. Or do I wait until done slamming to worry about that?

Thank you for help on the cya test as well. I didn’t know to round up!

 

[ajw22]

Thanks Allen. I think I am understanding this process better now. I do have the Taylor K2006 FAS/DPD Kit. For some reason it wasn’t clear the first ten times I read it, but something just clicked when I was trying to see how long to SLAM. If I understand correctly, there is no set number of days/time to SLAM.

Some SLAM Process go quickly and others take many days and lots of CL. It partly depends how tough your algea is and how well you maintain your CL level at or above shock level.

You just keep the FC at recommenced slam amount and continue checking both FC and CC until CC is below 0.5.

You will see when your FC is holding at 12. That indicates there is no more algae consuming your FC. And your CC should be 0.5 or less.

At that point, then I just check every few days to make sure FC levels don’t fall below 2.

More like keep your FC between 4-6. With an indoor pool you should have little CL loss over a 24 or 48 hour period. Starting off check your FC every day. After a while you will learn your pool and know what your normal daily FC loss is. You want to have your FC at 4-6 so that the next time you check it with your normal loss it will not have fallen below 2. So don't keep it at 2 or it will fall below 2 before your next check.

Should the CH be the same for an indoor pool as outdoor? Right now it is at 130, so I think I need to add a lot more calcium chloride. Or do I wait until done slamming to worry about that?

Your signature says "painted concrete" pool. Do you have a plaster base? Do you have tile work with grout? You need a CH of 250 - 350 to keep calcium from being sucked out of plaster or grout. Folks who have a vinyl liner or fiberglass pool with no tile work don't need to worry about CH.

You also need to maintain a CH level is you have a SWG to prevent scale on the cell and also scale in your heater.

You should use the CH level as part of managing your CSI, as calculated by PoolMath, to keep it between -0.6 - 0.6 and preferably between -0.3 - 0. That prevents scale.

So we need to understand better the construction of your pool. Your CH tuning can wait until you get the SLAM Process done. Then post your water chemistry, let's look at your CSI, and discuss your pool construction.

 

[NewNatatorium]

Some SLAM Process go quickly and others take many days and lots of CL. It partly depends how tough your algea is and how well you maintain your CL level at or above shock level.



You will see when your FC is holding at 12. That indicates there is no more algae consuming your FC. And your CC should be 0.5 or less.

More like keep your FC between 4-6. With an indoor pool you should have little CL loss over a 24 or 48 hour period. Starting off check your FC every day. After a while you will learn your pool and know what your normal daily FC loss is. You want to have your FC at 4-6 so that the next time you check it with your normal loss it will not have fallen below 2. So don't keep it at 2 or it will fall below 2 before your next check.



Your signature says "painted concrete" pool. Do you have a plaster base? Do you have tile work with grout? You need a CH of 250 - 350 to keep calcium from being sucked out of plaster or grout. Folks who have a vinyl liner or fiberglass pool with no tile work don't need to worry about CH.

You also need to maintain a CH level is you have a SWG to prevent scale on the cell and also scale in your heater.

You should use the CH level as part of managing your CSI, as calculated by PoolMath, to keep it between -0.6 - 0.6 and preferably between -0.3 - 0. That prevents scale.

So we need to understand better the construction of your pool. Your CH tuning can wait until you get the SLAM Process done. Then post your water chemistry, let's look at your CSI, and discuss your pool construction.

Hi Allen- I understand now to keep the FC between 4-6 once the slam is complete. I will test every day at first and hopefully get a routine figured out. I need to find a good source of bleach. Pretty much everywhere in town I have been is $3 for 64oz so far.

I know the pool is painted, but how do I know if it has a plaster base? I know it’s not vinyl or fiberglass. There is a tile border that runs around the top edge of the pool and on the spa divider (spa had guts taken out at some point so it functions as part of the big pool- no jets or different temp of water or anything). The tile border is made of one inch squares and is four inches tall. I will message the guy that inspected the pool and find out more specfics about the construction. I don’t have an SWG thing.

Omg- I have to learn about CSI too? I haven’t even seen that yet. �� Thank goodness you all are here to help!

 

[ajw22]

Make sure you get pure bleach with no additives, no fragrance, not splashless, and stay away from Clorox bleach.

Good chlorine sources vary by region.

 

[aussieta]

if pool is painted
with tiled waterline
it is most likely plaster
just treat as plaster pool

 

[NewNatatorium]

if pool is painted
with tiled waterline
it is most likely plaster
just treat as plaster pool

Ok. Thank you. I still haven’t heard back from the inspector so that is helpful.

 

[NewNatatorium]

Make sure you get pure bleach with no additives, no fragrance, not splashless, and stay away from Clorox bleach.

Good chlorine sources vary by region.

I have been using pure bleach, but it is regular Clorox. Only thing available at both the stores I went to. I haven’t been to Fred Meyer yet, but on their website, all I saw was Clorox or their Kroger brand. Why is Clorox not recommended? What kinds should I be looking for? The biggest store we have in our town is Fred Meyer. I can go farther to get if I know where to look and what to look for.

Again, THANK you. I had good numbers all day today for the SLAM once I got FC to 12, but haven’t had time to post between brushing the pool, testing the water, and trying to live our busy life at the same time! Will continue testing tomorrow. I think I will try vacuuming the little bit of algae I can’t get rid of that settles to the bottom in one spot of the pool a couple hours after I brush.

 

[aussieta]

check price of liquid chlorine from pool stores or pool section of big box stores
it is usually 15% so can work out better value
especially when you consider you only need to cart half as much

 

[duraleigh]

Clorox brand has been troubling in their consistency. They continue to add things to bleach that are simply not needed and usually interfere somewhat with the chlorine's job. Too easy to buy the wrong type of Clorox.

About 10-12% chlorine is the strongest you will find......at least in the US. The stronger the percentage, the shorter the shelf life.

 

[ajw22]

Read the Clorox bleach label and see if it says it contains Cloromax Technology. If so it contains polymers that cause foaming and maybe other undesired things in a pool. Many threads on it here if you do a search. When asked about it Clorox has said their bleach is not for pool use.

Look for pure liquid chlorine in hardware stores or pool stores. The bleach in cleaning aisles all seems to contain additives you dont want in your pool.

 

[NewNatatorium]

I was able to source some pure bleach today and hubby brought it home. Thank you all for steering me in the right direction. I hope to have time to post some more numbers tomorrow. I vacuumed the little bit of stuff on the bottom of the pool today and FC was staying at 12 with 0 CC. Hoping there is nothing on the bottom of the pool in the morning!