When is it too cold to drain?

[Bragz22]

Bear with me. Been in AZ since 4 and dont even know what cold is. Anyways I started draining pool today. Low is 36 tomorrow. in ground concrete pebble tech. 36 is totally safe right?

 

[ajw22]

Why are you draining?

Are you going to immediately fill or leave empty.

Cold is not a problem until things begin freezing and ice forms.

 

[Bragz22]

Immediate fill. I was using the guess sticks and jacked my checmicals up. TDS is 5000, CYA is 137. I did buy a Taylor kit and threw the sticks out. Lesson learned. Also went a little crazy with the shock. Gotta just stick with liquid.

 

[ajw22]

You should be fine if no ice is forming.

 

[Newdude]

TDS is 5000

TDS is a junk stat. Let's take just 2 parameters and get a wildly different story with the same TDS

CH. 350
Salt. 3500
TDS. 3850

CH. 3500
Salt. 350
TDS 3850

Immediate fill

Test your fill water and report back.

 

[ajw22]

TDS is a junk stat. Let's take just 2 parameters and get a wildly different story with the same TDS

CH. 350
Salt. 3500
TDS. 3850

CH. 3500
Salt. 350
TDS 3850



Test your fill water and report back.

CYA is 137.

CYA is high. That alone requires a drain. Why are you lecturing him about TDS?

High CYA contributes to high TDS.

TDS - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Newdude]

CYA is high. That alone requires a drain

I didn't say there was no need for a drain. I said TDS is a junk stat. (Which is often overemphasized by new or casual members).

With a TDS of 5000, the calcium could be 150 or 1500. it doesn't tell us anything.

 

[JamesW]

You probably don't need a full drain and refill.

A 50% drain and refill might be enough depending on the CH.

You might need a water softener on the fill line to prevent high CH in the future.

 

[JamesW]

Can you report all readings including salt?

Note that a TDS reading of 5,000 ppm is not accurate and it is really a reading of 3,300 ppm for salt.

 

[JamesW]

If you drain 42% and refill, then the CYA will be 80 ppm and you can switch to a SWG.

 

[JamesW]

Time to invest in your own test kit rather than relying on the pool store.

TF-Pro Salt

tftestkits.net

 

[Bragz22]

FC - 6, TC 1.2, pH - 7.4, Alk 142, CH 509, CYA 137, Phos 2995, TDS 5k.

 

[ajw22]

FC - 6, TC 1.2, pH - 7.4, Alk 142, CH 509, CYA 137, Phos 2995, TDS 5k.

Show us the results from your Taylor kit. Which kit number did you get?

We don’t believe pool store tests are accurate.

 

[Bragz22]

Time to invest in your own test kit rather than relying on the pool store.

https://tftestkits.net/TF-Pro-Salt-...et/TF-Pro-Salt-with-SmartStir-p119. [/QUOTE]

http://

Show us the results from your Taylor kit. Which kit number did you get?

We don’t believe pool store tests are accurate.

The TC, FC, PH are from the kit so FC - 6, TC 1.2, pH - 7.4. Just did ALK 300. CYA is thru roof. Way over 100. Calcium Hardness came in really high at 1500. Do I test salt if I dont have a salt pool? Is the calcium hardness why I have an insane scaling problem? Appreciate the help. Taylor K-2006

 

[ajw22]

Do the dilution test to get a ballpark on your CYA. Pool store tests max out around 100.

CYA > 90 dilution Test​

For CYA > 90ppm, repeat the test, adjusting the procedure as follows:

1. Fill the mixing bottle with pool water to the lower mark (15 ml line).
2. Continue filling the mixing bottle with tap water to the upper mark (30 ml line).
3. Shake briefly to mix.
4. Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle so it is again filled to the lower mark (15 ml line).
5. Continue the test normally by adding R-0013, but multiply the final result by two.

If you need to dilute the pool water further, then apply these ratios:[8]

Pool water	Tap or distilled water	Multiply result by
1	1	2
1	2	3
1	4	5

Note that when doing a diluted test, you multiply the range of the test and the error rate of the test, so the results are a ballpark—not an absolute.

See CYA Testing for tips on how to read the test results.

 

[ajw22]

CH over 800 is difficult to prevent scaling.

 

[Newdude]

TC 1.2,

TC is another junk stat.

4 + 0.5 = 4.5 and 0.5 + 4 = 4.5 tell wildly different stories. Just like TDS, the individual #s are the key, not the sum. Ignore TC from here on out and report FC and CC. (Not a lecture, just bringing you up to speed )

 

[Bragz22]

Do the dilution test to get a ballpark on your CYA. Pool store tests max out around 100.

CYA > 90 dilution Test​

For CYA > 90ppm, repeat the test, adjusting the procedure as follows:

1. Fill the mixing bottle with pool water to the lower mark (15 ml line).
2. Continue filling the mixing bottle with tap water to the upper mark (30 ml line).
3. Shake briefly to mix.
4. Pour off half of the contents of the mixing bottle so it is again filled to the lower mark (15 ml line).
5. Continue the test normally by adding R-0013, but multiply the final result by two.

If you need to dilute the pool water further, then apply these ratios:[8]

Pool water	Tap or distilled water	Multiply result by
1	1	2
1	2	3
1	4	5

Note that when doing a diluted test, you multiply the range of the test and the error rate of the test, so the results are a ballpark—not an absolute.

See CYA Testing for tips on how to read the test results.

My mixing bottle (9191) is 7 and 14. Still half and half and multiply result by 2?

 

[ajw22]

My mixing bottle (9191) is 7 and 14.

Change 15 to 7 and 30 to 14 and it works fine.

You want to dilute the pool water by 50%.

 

[Newdude]

My mixing bottle (9191) is 7 and 14.

There's a couple sizes but the ratios are the same. Mix up a 50/50 batch of pool and tap. Use that as your 'sample' and continue with the test as normal. Double the result.