Went through pool school - waste

[mknauss]

The CYA test you are using is the best one available for the residential pool owner. The TF100 has a test that will measure down to 20 ppm. But what you have is sufficient.

 

[Dirk]

Nope. CYA testing is what it is. Believe me, we would all like a better test!

The amount of reagent you get with the kits only gives you a few tests. A while back I purchased this on Amazon. For 15 bucks I can test and retest CYA to my heart's content. The R-0013 reagent is pretty stable and can last in a cupboard for a good long time.

Amazon.com : TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES INC R-0013-E CYANURIC ACID 16 OZ : Swimming Pool Liquid Test Kits : Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com : TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES INC R-0013-E CYANURIC ACID 16 OZ : Swimming Pool Liquid Test Kits : Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

 

[HermanTX]

Is there a kit or test I can get that can accurately tell how much CYA is in the pool? The K-2006c has a small bottle which you empty into the small tube. But the tube readings do not go below 30, and you have to estimate lower reading, and there is no way to estimate anything below 20 or so.

Others have noted this before but just a reminder, the CYA tube is a logarithmic scale which is why it is suggested to round up to the next "10th" number, i.e.. 30, 40, 50, etc. Don't try to interpolate between the whole numbers. So it is never exact, even though some pool stores will sometimes put "exact" numbers i.e. 93 or 156. The minimum CYA on the FC/CYA Levels is 20 with recommended range of 30-60 for non-SWCG pools and 70-80 for SWCG pools. So continue to wait a couple to 3 days and test again. You can always buy more R-0013 reagent if needed.

 

[ciaka]

Tested again today.
FC: 2.0
CC: 0
pH: 7.6
TA: 225

Added Chlorine to raise FC to about 2.5.
Added MU to lower pH to 7.4.
Will test again tomorrow.

I should be sending a bill to the PB for maintaining the pool for them over the month. They abandoned me due to Thanksgiving week. Emailed me yesterday said earliest they will come out is Dec 3. So much for helping me get this going.

 

[ciaka]

Yes, saw R-0013F (32 oz bottle) on Amazon. If it comes to that, will be pulling the trigger on that baby. For now, the 3 bottles in the kit are enough.

 

[ajw22]

Tested again today.
FC: 2.0
CC: 0
pH: 7.6
TA: 225

Added Chlorine to raise FC to about 2.5.
Added MU to lower pH to 7.4.
Will test again tomorrow.

I should be sending a bill to the PB for maintaining the pool for them over the month. They abandoned me due to Thanksgiving week. Emailed me yesterday said earliest they will come out is Dec 3. So much for helping me get this going.

You are doing fine. Dump the PB's services and don't let him touch your water chemistry again. He will only mess up your good work.

 

[markayash]

Tested again today.
FC: 2.0
CC: 0
pH: 7.6
TA: 225

Added Chlorine to raise FC to about 2.5.
Added MU to lower pH to 7.4.
Will test again tomorrow.

I should be sending a bill to the PB for maintaining the pool for them over the month. They abandoned me due to Thanksgiving week. Emailed me yesterday said earliest they will come out is Dec 3. So much for helping me get this going.

Ask for some "chemicals" since you had to buy them on your own

 

[ciaka]

Yeah, I should. The service they provide is included in the package.
For 30 days I think. So no way they will give me any money back. As to chemicals, they started my pool up with chemicals they asked me to purchase.
I should maybe clarify if the service will include them using their own chemicals, or if they assume to arrive and use mine.
I swear, I imagined this whole process to go a whole different way. Is it just me or do many have their reality bubble popped when building a pool.

You are doing fine. Dump the PB's services and don't let him touch your water chemistry again. He will only mess up your good work.

Ask for some "chemicals" since you had to buy them on your own

 

[Summoner12]

lots of great tips here.

I wanted to add one.... Get the Taylor mixer... it's great! It swirls the water and mixes the reagents well. Only test I don't use it on is the PH test... When I "test the pool" I go FC, PH and TA. Since it's cold out now... I only test twice a week and add chems accordingly.

You're in good hands on this site, take the advice you get and try it out. trust me, pool care isn't THAT hard. people here can help and have experience. Keep at it and good luck!

 

[ciaka]

Its been raining today. Projecting to rain tomorrow first half day too.
Wonder what the process is for rain. Do I wait until sun to test? Any specific number of hours after rain stops to test? Did brushing of pool today anyway, but not trying to do any balancing since I am sure the rain will introduce Crud into it.

 

[ajw22]

Rain makes no difference to your pool care or water balance. Keep your regular routine in between the rain drops or after the rain passes.

 

[ciaka]

I was referring to holding out with test until after rain passes. I remember someone telling me good to test after rain, so I thought would be good to wait until after rain, then treat if needed.

 

[ajw22]

I was referring to holding out with test until after rain passes. I remember someone telling me good to test after rain, so I thought would be good to wait until after rain, then treat if needed.

It does not matter if you test before, during, or after the rain.

 

[Dirk]

I was referring to holding out with test until after rain passes. I remember someone telling me good to test after rain, so I thought would be good to wait until after rain, then treat if needed.

Semantics. Rain will/does affect a pool's chemistry. It has to. But it would have to rain a LOT for that to matter in terms of general pool maintenance. So you're right in thinking that rain might affect the results of your testing, however little. But Allen is right in that it doesn't really matter (assuming it is not some sort of deluge, or multi-day rain event). If it's just as convenient to test your water 30 minutes after a rain, then do so. But if it's raining and it's going to continue to rain past when you need to test, then test in the rain. You may also sing in the rain, but that won't affect the test results either.

It's important, rain or shine, but especially rain, to draw your sample water from well below the surface. 18" (or "elbow length") is the rule of thumb. Which is no fun in rain or cold. I use this, made from 3/4" PVC, a few feet long, with caps on each end and 3/8" holes drilled in each cap. You hold your thumb over the hole BEFORE you submerge it into the pool, then release your thumb after it's at depth. This draws "18-inch water" into the pipe. Then thumb back over the hole, pull it out of the water, then fill your sample container from the pipe. No matter how nasty out it is, I don't get more than a couple fingertips wet. I actually use this year-round, as it saves me from getting down on my hands and knees.

Be sure to rinse both the pipe and the sample container with pool water first, before you take a sample. This is easy to do: you just do the sample twice: pipe water into container, shake and dump out, then again for the testing sample.

 

[ciaka]

I like that tool. Think gonna make me one.
I am in jeep testing mode for FC and pH. While at it, checking TA too.
Not checking CYA til Sunday.
Its been non stop rain here in sunny Austin.

My latest check today was:
FC: 2.5ppm
CC: 0.5ppm
pH: 7.7
TA: 225

So my pH keeps trying to go up even though I add MU daily. It did come down from 8.2that I saw few days ago, but when I dose to bring down to 7.3 or 4, next day I test it seems to be back up to 7.6 or 7.8. Is it due new pebble thats curing? Trying to understand.
TA did come down from 275 to 225,so that trend is in right direction.
My FC was near 0, but after few days dosing its up to 2 5. Will try for 3.0. No more.

Why did my CC increase marginally by 0.5 (from 0)? Another thing to try understand here.

Thanks to all you fine folks.

 

[ajw22]

PH will continuously rise. It is both the plaster curing and your high TA. Don’t expect that the stop.

CC of 0.5 if from the chlorine doing it’s work sanitizing your water. It is a normal part of pool chemistry. If CC gets to be 1 or above it indicates you have algae brewing. But 0.5 is normal.

 

[Dirk]

Your doing great ciaka. I would just caution you to not let your FC drop like that. You really don't want an algae outbreak right now, in a new pool. Don't let it drop below 3. Test more, add more, whatever you need to do. 3 should be your minimum right now, not the max. If you slip up and it falls to 0, you don't take days to get back to 2.5 or 3, you add enough chlorine right then and there to immediately bring your FC to 3 or more. Algae can grab hold really quick, so don't lollygag when it's below 3. (That's right, I said lollygag! )

As Allen points out, CC of 0.5 is just fine. CC is a byproduct of the chlorine gobbling up the nasties. It's what's left over after the chlorine does it's thing. Kinda like a picked-clean carcass. To see 0.5 every once in a while just means some nasties tried an assault and lost. To see a CC of 1.0 or more means the nasties are starting to win! CC will come and go, so only worry about it when it climbs higher than 1.0.

Fun fact: remember the last time you were at a public pool and smelled chlorine? That wasn't chlorine. What you were smelling was CC. Which means if you can smell that, then the chlorine is working that hard to produce that much CC, which means what? Yep, there's that much nasty in that pool! Yuck. The bummer about the TFP method is: once you get your pool dialed in, and learn what a truly clean and sanitized pool feels, looks and smells like, you'll never be able to swim in a public or hotel pool again!! Oh well.

The lower you take your pH, the faster it'll come right back up. That's OK, and expected. By lowering your pH the way you are it's also lowering your TA, which is good. So stay the course there. Once you get your TA down doing that, you'll see your pH stabilize and then you can be less aggressive about lowering pH. But for now, you're good. Your pool is curing right now and needs a lot of acid. Totally normal. The longer it cures, the less you'll need, but you'll never get down to none. You'll always be adding acid to your pool, but in time it'll be much less than now.

 

[ciaka]

Rely appreciate your words of encouragement.
I'm such a newb, but hoping to ramp up quick.

After I dosed in am, I just tested water again.
It is now:
FC: 3.0 ppm
CC: 0 ppm
pH: 7.4
TA: 225 ppm

Looks like I will continue daily testing for now. And will try to keep FC at 3.0 per your guidance.
At some point, maybe you can advise how to lower TA. I assume this will be after FC stabilizes and pH too.
What great forum. This is for pool owners.
No I don't smell any of the public pool chlorine in my pool. So far water looks crystal clear, but its been raining 2 days now. Tomortow calls for sun. So I will see if rain changed anything. Thanks.

 

[Dirk]

I'm such a newb, but hoping to ramp up quick.

Got news for ya. You already have!

After I dosed in am, I just tested water again.
It is now:
FC: 3.0 ppm
CC: 0 ppm
pH: 7.4
TA: 225 ppm

Numbers look great!

At some point, maybe you can advise how to lower TA. I assume this will be after FC stabilizes and pH too.

You're already doing it, which is why you're seeing TA come down. There is a more aggressive method, but it's not needed for now, with this young of a pool. Just keep adjusting pH as you have been and TA will come down on it's own. A while from now, if TA gets stuck too high, then we can try the other way. (Sorry, I only got two thumbs! )

No I don't smell any of the public pool chlorine in my pool.

And you won't if you stick with TFP!

 

[HermanTX]

Great news on your progress!!!
I went back and looked at thread and could not find if you ever tested your fill water. Suggest you test that now so you have that as a reference for the future. It should not have any Chlorine (or less than 1 if it does), no CYA as tap water does not have it. so focus on Calcium and Alkalinity test.
Keep up the good work.