Why the need to test FC above 10 ppm?

[swimmynoodle]

@Ahhsomeguy
Opened my 13' Barefoot swim spa for the season. Cleaned it all out, filled it up, threw in the correct amount of product and... nothing.

The AhhSome video on YouTube says, for the big blue bottle of AhhSome, to never use more than 20 ounces at a time and to use 'two ounces per 100 gallons of water'.

1. 1500 gallon spa = 30 ounces = 20 ounces max = I added 20 ounces.

Running the spa for 30 mins, jets and air open, all I got are the images below:


The instructions say it will make 3-6 inches of foam which it never did.
What am I doing wrong here? To think the lines are clean is absurd because the old owners told me they never cleaned it in in four years. Thinking it simply needed a second go to loosen up all the gunk, I drained, refilled, tried again, and nothing. I have soft water. The second I turn off the jets, all foam disappears.

Thanks.

 

[swimmynoodle]

New here. What is the benefit of being able to test levels above 10ppm?

 

[sande005]

In my case, with my SWCG and CYA level, my range is 4-9. I prefer to be at the top of the range as a buffer for not going too low. Currently at 10, which is fine. But if my SWCG or pump run time is a little too much for the time of year, it could creep up to 13 or more over a few days. I'd kinda like to know if it is doing that.

 

[swimmynoodle]

Taylor K-2005.. 2006...2006C.... FAS/DPD, alkalinity, calcium hardness, pH levels.. mama mia there's a a ton of testing to do.

Out of curiosity, is there a digital pool water meter (a poolometer?) which can simply test for and show results to all of these tests and more?

I dont care if it costs $500 or $1000.. I would seriously look into investing in one of these digital meters if it truly exists.

Imagine, no more reagents, no more test kits, test strips, 2oz bottles, swirling, color matching.

Come on engineers! Help us out! We put a man on the moon... has anyone created a digital tool to make our lives easier in the realm of testing pool water?

 

[ajw22]

Lamotte ColorQ is the best and it has its limitations. Some folks here use it for routine testing then pull out the full test kit when they get unexpected results.

Read Pool Test Kits - Further Reading

 

[mknauss]

The FAS-DPD is a much more definitive test with the color change to clear. The DPD is still matching colors. Which is not very definitive.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Come on engineers! Help us out! We put a man on the moon... has anyone created a digital tool to make our lives easier in the realm of testing pool water?

And the Apollo Program cost roughly $182 BILLION (in 2023 dollars). Feel free to Venmo me that kind of money and I’ll happily build you the most AWESOME water chemistry tester ever … and I’ll even throw in a dot matrix printer with that cool green and white striped paper for an awesome 60’s vibe …

Reagent testing takes about 20mins to complete if you do it carefully … do it on a Saturday morning and enjoy and early cup of coffee as the sunrises … it’s really not that hard. Oh, and no one here uses strips … they’re worthless.

 

[wireform]

I'd have to admit at first it looked intimidating but don't let that get to you. Once you know why and what you're doing all falls in place.

 

[PoolStored]

Lamotte ColorQ

I too wanted to have a "digital" tester and was confused between accuracy and precision. You want accuracy. Precision be dammed. I had a colorQ for about 15 days...after I already had the TF-100. I learned pretty quickly the colorQ would be precise, but it was not accurate. It didn't save any time, in fact, it took more time. I sold it on eBay, which I regret, because it did no favors for the buyer.

Reagent testing takes about 20mins to complete if you do it carefully … do it on a Saturday morning and enjoy and early cup of coffee as the sunrises … it’s really not that hard. Oh, and no one here uses strips … they’re worthless.

^^^This. There is no substitute for the Taylor kit. Once you know how to do it, it is the most accurate and takes the least amount of time.

 

[PoolStored]

Piling on to @sande005 and @mknauss with more reasons.

Anytime you run CYA higher that 60, and want to keep FC in range, particularly at the top of the range, the ability to monitor FC at higher levels of FC, the FAS-DPD is imperative.

If, at any time, you need to slam, you need to accurately measure FC above 10.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

And the PoolMath created by our resident computer-nerds is really a great tool for logging, storing, and analyzing the data you get from a test kit. And it cost a lot less than $182 billion to create and deploy for everyone to use.

 

[JoeSelf]

You can do the first purge normally. Let it sit for a while and add a half dose. I saw a video where Jim (Ahhsomeguys son) got a new tub and ran multiple purges. He even let it sit over night and purged again in the morning. You don't need to dump the water right away, but I would have some FC in the water to kill the nasties.

Alot of us use AquaClarity weekly to help kepp the tub clean between purges.

 

[swimmynoodle]

And the PoolMath created by our resident computer-nerds is really a great tool for logging, storing, and analyzing the data you get from a test kit. And it cost a lot less than $182 billion to create and deploy for everyone to use.

Thanks for the info. I have the Taylor K-2005. As a newb, I typically think 'more is better' and often times that is the case, but do you think I need to get the 2006C with the FAS/DPD? I don't want to get so overwhelmed at the beginning that I give up. At the same time, pool chemistry is important for health concerns and I don't know if I could put myself in danger by not performing the FAS/DPD test by rather relying on the K-2005. Of course, I would imagine the 2005 is lightyears ahead of simple test strips so maybe I'm good to go.

Thank you!

 

[swimmynoodle]

You can do the first purge normally. Let it sit for a while and add a half dose. I saw a video where Jim (Ahhsomeguys son) got a new tub and ran multiple purges. He even let it sit over night and purged again in the morning. You don't need to dump the water right away, but I would have some FC in the water to kill the nasties.

Alot of us use AquaClarity weekly to help kepp the tub clean between purges.

Thanks!. Is AquaClarity the same as this stuff ( I read a post in here that its from the AhhSome company as well):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SFZOABC/ref=sw_img_1?smid=A25XTMFZC4JBXZ&psc=1

 

[ajw22]

Thanks for the info. I have the Taylor K-2005. As a newb, I typically think 'more is better' and often times that is the case, but do you think I need to get the 2006C with the FAS/DPD? I don't want to get so overwhelmed at the beginning that I give up. At the same time, pool chemistry is important for health concerns and I don't know if I could put myself in danger by not performing the FAS/DPD test by rather relying on the K-2005. Of course, I would imagine the 2005 is lightyears ahead of simple test strips so maybe I'm good to go.

Thank you!

Get the FAS/DPD test separately for $32. You do not need to buy a complete new test kit.

FAS/DPD Chlorine Test Kit

tftestkits.net

You will need it.

 

[JoeSelf]

Closely related made by the same company. AquaClarity, can be used for weekly maintenance and purging with a higher dose.

 

[Mdragger88]

Even though theres not a ton of foam it Looks like you’re getting some gunk so keep going! Until there’s no more stuff coming out. & Wipe wipe wipe! You don’t want that stuff to dry.
In my experience as a cleaner, the more funk a surfactant has to break down the less foam you’ll see.
People with super clean tubs end up with towers of foam & must lower their dose accordingly.
Definitely be sure to have some fc in the water as mentioned above.

 

[Mdragger88]

The “daily” tests are the fas/dpd (fc & cc) & ph
It takes only a few minutes.
The rest are not needed nearly as often due to the fact they don’t change much after the initial balancing when you fill.

Here’s the guide incase you haven’t browsed it

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa or Hot Tub?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.google.com

 

[Newdude]

My first purge took a few rounds to loosen up the crud. And boy oh boy did it ever for the next several rounds.

 

[swimmynoodle]

The “daily” tests are the fas/dpd (fc & cc) & ph
It takes only a few minutes.
The rest are not needed nearly as often due to the fact they don’t change much after the initial balancing when you fill.

Here’s the guide incase you haven’t browsed it

How do I use Chlorine in my Spa or Hot Tub?

If you have a question about any information within this Sticky, please start a new thread for yourself where you will receive very quick responses to your specific questions. Thank you! Introduction There are two main things to consider when maintaining your hot tub water, Water Balance and...

www.google.com

Thanks. I was wondering if my K02005 is an ok test for daily use. It doesnt have the FAS/DPD though.