Twenty years with this pool and still depending on pool store. I want to change that.

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Sounds like you havent quite gotten your head around your free chlorine levels. Looks like your last test showed 14.5. Your last CYA measurement was slightly over 50 so you round up to 60. Then look at the fc/cya chart here. Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart
Based on the chart for a cya of 60, your minimum fc would be 5 with a target of 7. So you are pretty high compared to where you want to be. Make sense?

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Thank you. Yes, that's a long time on the original plaster so no complaints here. Hopefully next year we will get it replastered. Looking forward to using all this newly acquired knowledge and advice to have better maintenance on the pool which will result in more enjoyment.:D

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Do you think that is the correct reading? 14.5? That means my FC is super high, right? So do I just wait it out and let it drop?
 
With the current results, when entered into the pool math it tells me the only thing I need is 46 oz. baking soda. My insecurity tells me to do nothing, but my intellect says trust the pool math calculator and just add the baking soda. W hat I completely do not understand is why my drop test is so high. I know I'm following the directions and performing it correctly, or is it that my free chlorine is really that high? I think I'm going to just collect a sample and run it to the pool store and see what they say.
 
With your fc over 10, your ph test will not be accurate. And since your ta is all about stabilizing your ph, I wouldn't do anything until your fc goes below 10. Then retest and see where you are at.

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You are doing great! Trust your tests and check in with us for now. You will learn as you do. Until then we will make sure it is correct.

Make sure to keep a good log of your test results. Make a note of the weather and such in the log. After a while you will see a pattern and that will help you in the long run.

Kim
 
Two cents from a newbie... The drops need to fully form before falling in. The bottle should be straight up and down while you squeeze gently, allowing about one drop per second, swirling the sample while adding drops. At first, it feels like rubbing your stomach and patting your head! (hence the benefit of a magnetic stirrer). As the pink fades, you can slow down a little so the sample mixes fully.

It's often mentioned here that static charges can affect drop size, and this can be eliminated by wiping the tip with a damp tissue between drops. Fortunately I haven't seen this because I would need a third hand or a magnetic stirrer.

Reading the "Notes" section at the bottom of Pool School - FAS-DPD Chlorine Test will boost your confidence in the test.

There's way better experts here to explain this, but also from a newbie who's been through it, while 14.5-17 is more than you need, it's not super high. If your water was warm enough, it would be safe to swim up to the shock level that is correct for your CYA level. With CYA at 50 or 60, your shock level would be 20-24. That said, I'd rinse my cossie (swimsuit) and take a shower after. After swimming in FC 24 / CYA 60, I could smell chloramines a little on my skin after. Not dangerous or anything - just annoying. I hope my comments are helpful, and welcome, you've found an amazing forum!
 
Hi, Thank you for your 2 cents all of them are greatly appreciated. I will also refer my brother to this forum. He too lives in Sydney NSW and has recently purchased a home with a pool. So I have been keeping a log. My Chlorine drop test has come down slowly, but I think the reason it's not going down faster is 1. the water is cold and 2. I have covered it so the sun doesn't get too it and several cloudy days. I had to put the summer cover to protect it from the cold. Additionally if someone reads this please give me your two cents or any advice you can throw my way. Apparently there's a polar vortex ready to hit. The temps right now are in the low 30s F and I have the pump on its highest setting to keep the water circulating. Tomorrow we are expecting more freezing temps and possibly snow. Should I start the heater? Will it create too much condensation being that the water is at 50 degrees, maybe lower at this point.

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Yeah I got the brand from one of the comments on this forum.:D

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Yeah I got the brand from one of the comments on this forum.:grin:

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OK sorry I can't put my reply where I want it to go, typical newby.:(
 

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Hi Kim,
I'm looking out my office window and it's snowing!! light flurries are starting to fall. The water is circulating but the temperature is suppose to drop to 22 tonight. It's windy too, which at times poses an issue to the heater if there are very high winds. It does have a stack which is suppose to protect it from having blow outs. Just wondering if I should go turn the heater on. What would you do if you were in my shoes?
Consuelo
 
I am so sorry but I have no idea what is the best thing to do..............I don't want to say turn on the heater and have then wind blow it out and gas build up and cause a problem............I also don't want any part of your pool or equipment to freeze! Rock and hard place :(

Turn the pump on high and let it flow the water to keep it from freezing would be my guess BUT is is ONLY a guess.

Kim
 
I'm no expert either, but if you keep the water moving it should not freeze, also if you start your gas heater and the wind blows it out the thermocoupler will shut the gas off. I would start the heater, the worst that could happen is it blows out, and keep the water moving you'll be fine as far as I can tell.


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fightinfrenchman said:
I don't think that the pool store people are trying to scam you, they're just trying to help. Pools can be expensive to maintain, no one ever said it would be easy. They are professionals after all.
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There is a huge difference between a "Professional" and someone who works there. That's true in any business. If someone works at a pool store there is absolutely no reason to try and save you money, make maintenance easier or propose anything different than the products sold in the store. Selling those products is how you keep your job and the more you sell the more likely you are to be considered a good employee and hopefully advance in the company.

I don't think pool store people are scamming anyone they likely think what they're pushing is the right thing but I do believe a lot of those employees aren't doing anything to further their knowledge beyond what the store sells. I gave up when I was instructed to raise my CH in my vinyl pool. I was sold an expensive chlorinator with added CH. I was searching for an easier way like liquid bleach and found TFP. That's when I realized the pool store folks always had a Biogard product to toss at me but they didn't necessarily understand them. This will be my third year without any Biogard products or algicides and my water couldn't look or feel better. I'm also positive from my reading that now my FC level is actually high enough to keep the water sanitary rather than just not being green at 1 or 2 ppm.
 
fightinfrenchman said:
I don't think that the pool store people are trying to scam you, they're just trying to help. Pools can be expensive to maintain, no one ever said it would be easy. They are professionals after all.
Click to expand...

The high school kids in the pool store i used in the past were anything but professionals. They tested the water and sold me everything the computer recommended. If i asked a question they could not answer it.

Now i understand my chemistry and i can tell you my what my test results will be before i even test the water :cool:
 
I just got done testing the water so here are my results:
CH BR: nice even yellow color
PH:about 7.5 Both of these tests with the K 1000 test kit
CH: 300
CYA: 70
PH; 7.5 ( judging with the K 100 kit)
Borate: 33 ( using what the pool store result gave me a couple of weeks back
Chlorine drop test 11
CC: 0
I plugged this in the pool calculator and it says to add 61 oz baking soda for a TA of 100 or 153 oz. for a goal of 115 TA.
I'm going to add the 61. oz let it circulate and retest.
I will be vacuuming today and starting to heat the pool so we can jump in this week end!!
Also I'm all stocked up, got my bleach 8.25% , baking soda, and hopefully I can do this.
 
Whoa! Slow your roll down partner!

Why do you want to raise your TA??

This is a chart to show recommended chemistry levels based on your own type of pool and how you chlorinate:
Pool School - Recommended Levels

You don't have Borates, do you??? You need to ignore pool store results and rely on your own reliable test kit. Did you get one of the ones we recommend?
 

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