TF Kit - First Test
- Thread starter Kouri
- Start date
Everything makes sense except for the "CH 2". 
Can you clarify that one? Your CYA is high, and that would make sense if you're still using a pool service and/or using tabs for chlorination. Good thing your FC is elevated to compensate. Ideally I would drain/exchange some water to lower it to around 50-60 if possible. If you chose to continue with the elevated CYA, make sure to keep your FC elevated. Also remember that when FC is at/over 10, it tends to skew the pH and make it read high.
To be sure about the CYA, you can always do the following:
CYA Dilution Testing:
Add pool water to bottom of sticker.
Add tap water to top of sticker.
Shake.
Pour out half so mixture is to bottom of sticker.
Add reagent to top of sticker.
Shake.
Test outside with back to sun and tube at waist level.
Pour back and forth a few times to see if you get the same result.
Double the result.
If you are using chlorine tabs, I would remove them from your chlorinator and stick to just regular bleach to keep the CYA from increasing any further.
Can you clarify that one? Your CYA is high, and that would make sense if you're still using a pool service and/or using tabs for chlorination. Good thing your FC is elevated to compensate. Ideally I would drain/exchange some water to lower it to around 50-60 if possible. If you chose to continue with the elevated CYA, make sure to keep your FC elevated. Also remember that when FC is at/over 10, it tends to skew the pH and make it read high.To be sure about the CYA, you can always do the following:
CYA Dilution Testing:
Add pool water to bottom of sticker.
Add tap water to top of sticker.
Shake.
Pour out half so mixture is to bottom of sticker.
Add reagent to top of sticker.
Shake.
Test outside with back to sun and tube at waist level.
Pour back and forth a few times to see if you get the same result.
Double the result.
If you are using chlorine tabs, I would remove them from your chlorinator and stick to just regular bleach to keep the CYA from increasing any further.
Kouri,
Good job getting the right kind of test kit...
You really don't want you pH to be above 7.8. You can use pool math and determine how much Muriatic Acid you need to add to reduce it to 7.5 or so.
I see you listed CH twice, so I ignored the first one..
TA looks ok for now.
CH looks ok for now.
I Suspect your CYA is over 100 - if so way too high. The only way to fix that is to drain some of your water.
Your FC of 10 would be a little high in most cases, but with a CYA of 100 your FC needs to be about 12 See this chart... https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock
Your high CYA is caused by using pucks in you In-Line Chlorinator..
And sorry, and not to be picky, if you could report your tests in the following order it would make it so much easier on everyone here..
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Thanks for posting and good job on your first test run...
Jim R.
Good job getting the right kind of test kit...
You really don't want you pH to be above 7.8. You can use pool math and determine how much Muriatic Acid you need to add to reduce it to 7.5 or so.
I see you listed CH twice, so I ignored the first one..
TA looks ok for now.
CH looks ok for now.
I Suspect your CYA is over 100 - if so way too high. The only way to fix that is to drain some of your water.
Your FC of 10 would be a little high in most cases, but with a CYA of 100 your FC needs to be about 12 See this chart... https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock
Your high CYA is caused by using pucks in you In-Line Chlorinator..
And sorry, and not to be picky, if you could report your tests in the following order it would make it so much easier on everyone here..
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Thanks for posting and good job on your first test run...
Jim R.
Thanks Texas and Jim. As far as draining water no problem and as it will be completely emptied for re-finish this month! Jim, thanks for letting me know about reporting sequence; I was following the order of the TF kit instruction.
I do have and will have to keep in-line chlorination system because I am not maintaining the pool myself -- for now anyway; I'm a seasonal resident and must rely on pool company.
CH 2 should be chlorine.
Jim, thanks for letting me know about reporting sequence; I was following the order of the TF kit instruction.I do have and will have to keep in-line chlorination system because I am not maintaining the pool myself -- for now anyway; I'm a seasonal resident and must rely on pool company.
CH 2 should be chlorine.
If the pool was just filled this month then unless someone added a bunch of CYA, something is wrong. Your CYA should not be close to 100 this soon. I would not drain yet...
I suggest you retry the test again. Keep in mind this test must be done in full sun, not inside or at night.
You could try the test on tap water and the CYA should be zero.
Do you know if your service added CYA and if so how much?
Thanks,
Jim R.
I suggest you retry the test again. Keep in mind this test must be done in full sun, not inside or at night.
You could try the test on tap water and the CYA should be zero.
Do you know if your service added CYA and if so how much?
Thanks,
Jim R.
Jim:
Oh boy -- I am confusing people but learning a lot. The house CYA is zero. The pool was NOT filled this month. The pool has been in our family for 6-years and, I don't believe any water has been added or drained in all that time -- honestly it's hardly ever used. This month we will be draining and re-finishing. As far as the CYA test, I tested inside but not at night.
Because I decided the badly etched surface needed fixing I was flung/forced/dragged into learning about pools a mere 3-weeks ago. The good news -- the TA was 140 and pH 8.4 the first time I tested it so I feel I've made baby steps. Keep the advice coming -- I need all the help I can get!
Susan
Oh boy -- I am confusing people but learning a lot. The house CYA is zero. The pool was NOT filled this month. The pool has been in our family for 6-years and, I don't believe any water has been added or drained in all that time -- honestly it's hardly ever used. This month we will be draining and re-finishing. As far as the CYA test, I tested inside but not at night.
Because I decided the badly etched surface needed fixing I was flung/forced/dragged into learning about pools a mere 3-weeks ago. The good news -- the TA was 140 and pH 8.4 the first time I tested it so I feel I've made baby steps. Keep the advice coming -- I need all the help I can get!
Susan
Susan, house water CYA will be zero, so there's nothing to compare there. But your CYA could be well over 100 if you pool has always been fed chlorine by tabs/pucks from that feeder and perhaps occasional "bags of shock" from the pool store. Most of those products have stabilizer as a by-product, so CYA goes through the roof quickly. That's why we recommend regular bleach most of the time because it won't effect CYA. Make sense?
Since you plan on draining this season, there's no sense going too crazy now. As Jim noted, make sure to keep your FC elevated to about 12 or so and always keep the pH below 7.8. Next time you get a chance on a sunny day, I would try that diluted CYA test noted above. If you find your CYA to be more like 150-200, then let us know for sure. Your pool's ability to keep algae away is based on FC (free chlorine) and CYA (stabilizer) being balanced together as noted on that CYA/Chlorine Chart.
Hope that helps.
- - - Updated - - -
I should emphasize again though (like in post 2 above) that when you are forced to keep FC over 10, it makes the pH look higher than it really is. When you want to take an accurate pH reading, do it when the FC drops just under 10.
Since you plan on draining this season, there's no sense going too crazy now. As Jim noted, make sure to keep your FC elevated to about 12 or so and always keep the pH below 7.8. Next time you get a chance on a sunny day, I would try that diluted CYA test noted above. If you find your CYA to be more like 150-200, then let us know for sure. Your pool's ability to keep algae away is based on FC (free chlorine) and CYA (stabilizer) being balanced together as noted on that CYA/Chlorine Chart.
Hope that helps.
- - - Updated - - -
I should emphasize again though (like in post 2 above) that when you are forced to keep FC over 10, it makes the pH look higher than it really is. When you want to take an accurate pH reading, do it when the FC drops just under 10.
Susan,
So sorry, I completely misread what you were saying..... I'll try better next time...
Pat has got you pointed in the right direction...
Jim R.
Kouri - Since you need to stay with a feeder type system, there are two other options for you. You could go with a SWG that would maintain the chlorine level without adding anything extra to the water. Also, there is another type of solid chlorine that adds calcium instead of CYA.
The paving stones were put down today, to be finished tomorrow. Cutting the coping stones, drain line and field stones has made a complete mess of the pool. The pool will be drained on 2/20 and should be re-filled on 2/23 (kitkat wisely advised me to stick to my guns with Lightstream Glass installation instruction which I have done). This will give the pool a new start and I will monitor for 30-days. After that it's back in the hands of the pool service (same person for 6-years).
Adding bleach daily to the pool is not an option. If I understand this, high CYA is corrected by draining water from the pool which is important in controlling the amount of chlorine needed to keep the pool healthy. Does this mean the in-line system is adding too much driving up the CYA? Can I -- the pool -- tolerate this if it's corrected occasionally? Is there an instruction I can give the pool company for the once a week visit to help keep this under control?
Once the pool is re-filled (bi-carb system) I will post the new readings here (in the usual order), put them into pool math and ask for more help. This is overwhelming but yoga in the morning and wine at night will keep me calm!
Adding bleach daily to the pool is not an option. If I understand this, high CYA is corrected by draining water from the pool which is important in controlling the amount of chlorine needed to keep the pool healthy. Does this mean the in-line system is adding too much driving up the CYA? Can I -- the pool -- tolerate this if it's corrected occasionally? Is there an instruction I can give the pool company for the once a week visit to help keep this under control?
Once the pool is re-filled (bi-carb system) I will post the new readings here (in the usual order), put them into pool math and ask for more help. This is overwhelming but yoga in the morning and wine at night will keep me calm!
Absolutely! You got it. Those tabs have stabilizer in them (beside chlorine), and that's exactly what's happening.
Well, besides using something other than pucks (SWG or bleach), then periodically some water may have to be exchanged just to keep the CYA down to a manageable level. When you're away from home or can't add chlorine, that may be a final outcome. Later, you may want to look into a SWG (salt water generator) which creates chlorine from salt in the water and does the work for you. A SWG will not increase CYA like the in-line does with pucks/tabs.
I'm not against SWG and was very interested in changing to SWG with this project. It seemed, however, that the salt was harder on the plaster than chlorine so I gave the idea up. I've also read (TFP?) that I can add salt to my pool to give the water a silkier feel but I don't suppose that will help my problem.
What about this product? Lawrason's, Inc. Pool and Spa Products - Unstabilized Chlorine Products
I realize this is to easy to be a solution but I'd like to hear thoughts and comments.
Susan
Susan,
Do you think I should run out and tell the thousands and thousands' of people who own Saltwater pools that there plaster is about to be destroyed???
I'm not sure who told you that, but they are just flat out wrong. There are many reasons why water in general can cause plaster to become damaged or stained, but none of them have to do with the fact that they are saltwater pools.
Following the TFP principles on chemical balancing, will prevent plaster damage, saltwater or not...
You may already know this, but a saltwater pool is a chlorine pool. Instead of using pucks or liquid chlorine, which have to be added on a routine basis, a saltwater pool has a Chlorine Generator (SWCG) which uses the saltwater in the pool to make chlorine.
Again, thanks for posting,
Jim R.
Do you think I should run out and tell the thousands and thousands' of people who own Saltwater pools that there plaster is about to be destroyed???
I'm not sure who told you that, but they are just flat out wrong. There are many reasons why water in general can cause plaster to become damaged or stained, but none of them have to do with the fact that they are saltwater pools.
Following the TFP principles on chemical balancing, will prevent plaster damage, saltwater or not...
You may already know this, but a saltwater pool is a chlorine pool. Instead of using pucks or liquid chlorine, which have to be added on a routine basis, a saltwater pool has a Chlorine Generator (SWCG) which uses the saltwater in the pool to make chlorine.
Again, thanks for posting,
Jim R.
The product you linked to add Calcium Hardness (CH) to your pool If it is not one thing it is another huh?
I invite you to do some reading and asking questions about a SWG. I REALLY think that is the ticket for your new plaster/pool. It is the cat's meow and would be purrfect for your pool with you being away. You plaster will last even longer as it will be even easier to keep your water balanced.
Now if you decide to not get a SWG then you can expect to need to remove and replace your water every once in a while. How often depends on how fast the CYA rises. That will depend on how many and how often your service puts in the tablets.
I do not have a SWG. My reason is I have an above ground pool. My last one was very rusted on the bottom. We bought the house and the pool was like that already. We nursed it along until we get the new one. I am sure the rust had nothing to do with salt but..............hubby cannot get over the idea of "salt" + metal (walls)= rust. It is not big deal for me as I live here 24/7 so can lug jugs
LOL
Kim
If it is not one thing it is another huh?I invite you to do some reading and asking questions about a SWG. I REALLY think that is the ticket for your new plaster/pool. It is the cat's meow and would be purrfect for your pool with you being away. You plaster will last even longer as it will be even easier to keep your water balanced.
Now if you decide to not get a SWG then you can expect to need to remove and replace your water every once in a while. How often depends on how fast the CYA rises. That will depend on how many and how often your service puts in the tablets.
I do not have a SWG. My reason is I have an above ground pool. My last one was very rusted on the bottom. We bought the house and the pool was like that already. We nursed it along until we get the new one. I am sure the rust had nothing to do with salt but..............hubby cannot get over the idea of "salt" + metal (walls)= rust. It is not big deal for me as I live here 24/7 so can lug jugs
LOLKim
Jim and Kim:
Okay -- I will check into it. For now -- new plaster starts Monday -- I am not going to bring a new variable. I will look into and have no problem changing to something that's better. Should my visit be extended this time, I may act swiftly. Had I known about AquaBright before signing contracts I absolutely would have looked into that.
Doggone Kim, thanks for letting me know about the CH problem. :-(
Susan
Okay -- I will check into it. For now -- new plaster starts Monday -- I am not going to bring a new variable. I will look into and have no problem changing to something that's better. Should my visit be extended this time, I may act swiftly. Had I known about AquaBright before signing contracts I absolutely would have looked into that.
Doggone Kim, thanks for letting me know about the CH problem. :-(
Susan
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