Thank You

[Rchamrick]

Hello TFPers. My name is Rhonda. My pool and I are in Spring Branch, TX (about 1 hour north of San Antonio) where it is currently a cool 98 degrees! My husband and I added a small plaster pool to our home last year. It's our first, and we were both completely clueless. Thankfully, I found this forum and established an account in April 2018. I've been lurking ever since, and y'all have been life savers! With your help, I've become the pool keeper. I purchased the TF-100 test kit, and I use the Pool Math app.

With your help, I'm about to add borates to my water. There's a bug swimming around in the shallow end. I don't know for sure if it's a boatman or a backswimmer and he's too fast for me to get a good picture. Given that I'm not sure, he's gonna have to die before I get back in the pool. I've been searching the TFP forums and found some thought that borates may help with that. I also learned that borates may help with PH drift. I have a serious problem with rising PH so I've decided to give them a try.

Thank you for all the help you've provided over the past 15 months! Hopefully, I'll be able to pass that along some day!

Rhonda

FC 4.0
pH 7.5
TA 90
CH 313
CYA 30
CSI -.02
BOR 0 (for now!)
TEMP 85

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
Great job on a test kit and the app!!
Be aware that a new plaster pool will have a rising pH from the plaster curing for a year or so.
We in general prefer that a full season of pool water chemistry be managed before introducing borates. They have some advantages, but there are also some detriments.
I assume you have read Borates - Why and How
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook.

 

[mknauss]

Also -- how did you measure your CH? That value is not possible with drop based testing methods.

 

[Rchamrick]

Also -- how did you measure your CH? That value is not possible with drop based testing methods.

Thanks, Marty! We're into the second season with this pool. Opened it in April 2018. I have read Borates - Why and How, ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry, and also So you want to add borates to your pool--Why and How.

That CH reading comes from my confusion about how to read the drop test results. The test instructions say to add one drop at a time until the color changes blue. I would say it never changes true blue. At 12 drops it turns kind of light lavender, and at 13 drops it was light blue. I split the difference and multiplied by 25. I have the same issue with the TA test. I add drops until the color changes red but, often, one drop before it turns red, it changes to an almost gray color - it's definitely no longer blue, but it's also not really red. If it turns gray at 6 and red at 7, I call it 65. Advice?

 

[mknauss]

This works for TA and CH testing --
Continue adding drops as long as the color continues changing. The final drop, that does not change the color any further, does not count.

 

[Rchamrick]

I've read about the rising pH with new plaster, but this seems kind of crazy. It's been over a year and I still have to add acid every day or so, and that practice drops my TA about 30 ppm every 10 days or so. I'm hoping the borates will help buffer the pH.

 

[mknauss]

Something is not right if that is occurring.

Do you have water features that run every day for long periods?

 

[Rchamrick]

Something is not right if that is occurring.

Do you have water features that run every day for long periods?

No water features.

 

[mknauss]

Allow your TA to drop. If it goes below 50, then add baking soda to raise to 70. See if that slows the pH rise.

 

[Rchamrick]

Allow your TA to drop. If it goes below 50, then add baking soda to raise to 70. See if that slows the pH rise.

Thanks! I’ll give it a try.

 

[Rchamrick]

This works for TA and CH testing --
Continue adding drops as long as the color continues changing. The final drop, that does not change the color any further, does not count.

Thank you!!!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hi there Rhonda, let me tell ya how I read my TA test. I think you're ending your tests prematurely.

I add drops until it goes dull red....then add one more drop.
It then goes kinda hot pink.... I add and count another drop.
Then it goes BARBIE FUN HOUSE PINK!.... you know, bright!
I add another drop and it doesn't change any. I do not add that last drop to my count.

I hope this helps?

Maddie

 

[Rchamrick]

Hi there Rhonda, let me tell ya how I read my TA test. I think you're ending your tests prematurely.

I add drops until it goes dull red....then add one more drop.
It then goes kinda hot pink.... I add and count another drop.
Then it goes BARBIE FUN HOUSE PINK!.... you know, bright!
I add another drop and it doesn't change any. I do not add that last drop to my count.

I hope this helps?

Maddie

Thank you, Maddie!