On the test sheet from TFTESTKITS.NET there's only one option offered, how interesting never knew.
New Hot Tub Owner - Taylor Test Kit
- Thread starter mwhitney
- Start date
That makes sense. To clarify, I used the 25mL sample size.
In other news, off to check it this morning as well as the Alkalinity and PH.
Question: Regarding the Dicholor startup, you'd mentioned, "in a 1200L, 317G spa, .5 oz of DiChlor will raise your FC by 3.25 and CYA by 3. ... When your CYA hits about 30, then switch to chlorine"
This site mentions adding enough Dichlor to hit a FC reading of 6ppm. Is it recommended to do this over two days, i.e. .5 oz of Dichlor today, test, and then just under .5 oz tomorrow (or later today)? How long does it take for the added chemicals to register in a new test?
Also, if I'm first testing / adjusting Alkalinity and PH, if I need to make adjustments to those, how long to those take to register on a test and how soon after those are dialled can one add the Dichlor?
Thank you.
Last edited:
- Jun 24, 2021
- 15,766
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
With pump circulating, likely less than 10 minutes. Certainly within 30.
Don't know what Al is. Test pH after 30 minutes. You can add the Dichlor 10 minutes after the muriatic acid.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 15,766
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Perfect. Thanks.
Hardness came out to 180 ppm this morning after adding the Cal-Rise last night.
pH is looking closest to the 7.8 window on the Taylor test. I'm thinking that's safe to leave as-is.
Off to add the DiChlor...
*Friendly suggestion to current and future readers to use the 10ml / 25ppm per drop test for CH.
Nobody needs to know the calcium is 310 instead of 325. Or 330 instead of 325. Why waste time and supplies with 2.5X more drops ?
** Ditto for FC to use 10ml / 0.5FC per drop
Nobody needs to know the calcium is 310 instead of 325. Or 330 instead of 325. Why waste time and supplies with 2.5X more drops ?
** Ditto for FC to use 10ml / 0.5FC per drop
Thanks for this. As per @Newdude 's comments = less wasted product. I'll follow this method moving forward.
So this is kinda radical, I know.
But frequent testing (of all the levels) gets you the knowledge of how your pool/spa behaves. Once you have some time under your belt, you'll just know that when XXX happens, YYY happens. It'll just all become second nature and won't need as much testing besides the Ph and FC, which you'll also just sense but test anyway.
So more work, makes less work. It's crazy. If you slack on the testing before that, less work makes a metric truck ton of work when the chemistry runs wild on you. 0 stars, do not recommend.
CYA is very stable long term when stored temperature controlled. You don't have to worry about it going bad on you, so the big jug now will allow you to get those learning tests done without worrying about supplies.
CYA in the spa is a consumable as the water is hot. Once you figure out the loss you won't need to always test and just add it back to the chemistry. You don't need to be at exactly 30 so if it hits 40 or 50 let it be as it'll come down sooner then you think.
Really looking forward to getting to this point.So this is kinda radical, I know.
But frequent testing (of all the levels) gets you the knowledge of how your pool/spa behaves. Once you have some time under your belt, you'll just know that when XXX happens, YYY happens. It'll just all become second nature and won't need as much testing besides the Ph and FC, which you'll also just sense but test anyway.
I mentioned earlier in this thread that there was a tub on the property when we purchased in 2008. We had the tub for about a year before we sold it due to sheer frustration and not wanting a 'project'. I've become more patient since then (and my body hurts more) and, I believe there are better resourced online, such as this forum.
I found this site while looking for a better way to address chemicals than driving to the tub store every weekend. Given the plethora of digital devices and apps, I thought surely there must be a probe of some type that could spit out the info that the tub store was feeding us. While that doesn't seem to be the case, the test kits seem to be the next best thing.
I'm determined now to dial this in and keep things well maintained so we can measure, manage and go by some intuition as you say.
Analogous to the 'buy once, cry once' adage.
I'm trying to go slow with the DiChlor (.5 oz, waited 30, just added .4 oz and will test) as I don't want to overdo it... likely being way to cautious but I'm striving to get this initial setup and changeover to the Dichlor / Liquid Chlorine method, right.
Excellent. Good to know.
By 'loss', I'm assuming what is 'consumed', for lack of a better word, over time (heat, degradation, etc.). I know that frequency, temperature, UV exposure, etc. will all affect levels differently, but is there a general daily or weekly recommended amount of liquid chlorine to add once the Dichlor hits, say 40 just to give a guy a ballpark for maintaining - OR - is this only done after testing each day and adjusting precisely per one's individual tub?
Exactly the same as pools. Your pool/spa will tell you what it needs, *if* you listen.
It will not listen to you. Not even if you tell it that XYZ worked fine at Newdudes house.
Once the CYA is met then it's only the fc part you need to deal with. By trial and error say it 2 people saok for an hour it'll use X amount of FC. You want to have an excess amount before the soak so that when the soak is done you're not below the target.
Heck. Even at your own house..... this time you sweat more. Next time you have more residual soaps on you / your suit. The time after that you spill a margarita.......
It'll tell you what's up at any moment, and you go from there.
It'll tell you what's up at any moment, and you go from there.
Ha! 'Shhh... let her speak.'
Makes sense.It will not listen to you. Not even if you tell it that XYZ worked fine at Newdudes house.
Do you have kids / grandkids / nieces/ nephews ? They add a whole new level because there's 2 kinds of kids.
1) those who pee in the pool/spa
2) liars liars pants on fires
There's no standard for that either.
1) those who pee in the pool/spa
2) liars liars pants on fires
There's no standard for that either.
OK - round two of the Dichlor. .5 oz the fist go, waited 30 minutes with the circulation pumps going and added .4 oz (.9 oz - 25.5g) total over the course of 60 minutes. I did this as per @PoolStored 's recommendation:
The CYA test vile is filled to the 30 mark but the dot is still visible (about half-way on the cloudiness 'scale'). I don't want to overdo it. Can I expect that the CYA level will continue to change over the day, or should I be adding, say, another .5 oz to the tub.
I figured of 6.0 is the goal, then just under 1 oz should get me there.
The CYA test vile is filled to the 30 mark but the dot is still visible (about half-way on the cloudiness 'scale'). I don't want to overdo it. Can I expect that the CYA level will continue to change over the day, or should I be adding, say, another .5 oz to the tub.