first test - CH question

[EmilyOTR]

My first test of the year my CH is always 250. always. this year it is 175. my reagents are very old. (maybe 5 years?) could that matter? Should I do something? My pool is plaster. My CH never ever changes, so this is strange.

 

[PoolStored]

My first test of the year my CH is always 250. always. this year it is 175. my reagents are very old. (maybe 5 years?) could that matter? Should I do something? My pool is plaster. My CH never ever changes, so this is strange.

I'd order new reagents. Small $ to know your chemistry is right...

 

[EmilyOTR]

I'd order new reagents. Small $ to know your chemistry is right...

thanks, I'm heading to the pool store to buy some R-0013 so i'll check to see if they have the CH ones too. thanks.

 

[proavia]

Just order a full refill kit from TFTestkits - it will be cheaper overall than piecing it together at the PS.
If your reagents are 5-ish years old, they all need to be replaced.

 

[EmilyOTR]

Just order a full refill kit from TFTestkits - it will be cheaper overall than piecing it together at the PS.
If your reagents are 5-ish years old, they all need to be replaced.

most of them get replaced more regularly. I needed 0013 asap!

 

[MITBeta]

Did you empty and replace any water in the process of closing and opening your pool? That would account for the reduction if your fill water has a lower CH than 250.

 

[EmilyOTR]

Did you empty and replace any water in the process of closing and opening your pool? That would account for the reduction if your fill water has a lower CH than 250.

yes, i mean what we do every year, we empty to below the returns and then refill. but we do that every year. So, next question is, if my CH is 175, what do I buy to add? I've never had to do this in 6 years we've owned this pool. it's always been 250-300.

 

[jesse-99]

You buy calcium chloride (for example: Amazon.com) to raise your CH. You add water to a 5 gallon bucket, mix in the calcium chloride, and stir until dissolved (it will get very warm btw), then mix into your pool., That's how you raise CH. Use the Pool Math app to determine how much you need to reach the CH level you want.

Please note, very certain of your CH -before- you add it in. Do a proper reagent test for CH first (as others have said).

 

[EmilyOTR]

You buy calcium chloride (for example: Amazon.com) to raise your CH. You add water to a 5 gallon bucket, mix in the calcium chloride, and stir until dissolved (it will get very warm btw), then mix into your pool., That's how you raise CH. Use the Pool Math app to determine how much you need to reach the CH level you want.

Please note, very certain of your CH -before- you add it in. Do a proper reagent test for CH first (as others have said).

thank you! yes, that sounds like enough of a pain that i will definitely be sure my test is accurate. I'm still waiting on some R-0012 but once that comes I'll have new reagents to test with.

 

[jesse-99]

Buying that will be alot cheaper over than buying the "CH Increaser" you find at pool stores. Note that you want calcium chloride, NOT sodium chloride, so be careful about that.

 

[EmilyOTR]

wait I just looked at that link. is ice melt often calcium chloride? I just cleaned out our shed and found a bunch of ice melt. it was so funny.

 

[jesse-99]

Some is.. but if you found some in your shed, be careful what the purity is of the ice melt. Some bags, even if its calcium chloride and not sodium chloride, might have a real low purity rate which would be bad to put in your pool.

 

[proavia]

Post a picture of the bag and a closeup of the ingredients label.
Someone can assist from there.