Overwhelmed

[ajw22]

By the way, is the pool unsafe to swim in while I'm doing all of this?

With test strips it is impossible to say. But you have been swimming in it so far without any problems.

Once we get accurate tests we can tell you that a pool is safe to swim when FC is below SLAM FC level for your CYA and you can see the bottom of the pool should it be necessary to rescue someone.

With high CYA it is doubtful your FC is higher then the SLAM FC for that CYA level.

 

[V___25]

Will do. I'll be glad to be rid of them.

By the way, is the pool unsafe to swim in while I'm doing all of this?

For swimmer safety, you need to be able to see the bottom of the deepest point

 

[Darin]

By the way, is the pool unsafe to swim in while I'm doing all of this?

You can swim in it the water wont hurt you, but hitting your head on the bottom will. If you cant see the bottom it is not the safest but then everyone swims in rivers and lakes don't they? your choice.

 

[Newdude]

You can swim in it the water wont hurt you, but hitting your head on the bottom will.

It's about rescuing your family member if you can't see them, God forbid. Once the panic sets in, seconds feel like minutes and just a few minutes may cause irreversible damage.

Or for a family member trying to rescue you.
Will you have a problem ? Not likely. But Mr Murphy is a .

 

[Darin]

By the way, is the pool unsafe to swim in while I'm doing all of this?

This is a question about the water being safe to be in i.e. will the water hurt my skin. Not about seeing the bottom.

 

[Newdude]

This is a question about the water being safe to be in i.e. will the water hurt my skin. Not about seeing the bottom.

It is. The OP has cloudy water tho. Many future readers may as well.

It needs to be spelled out for both.

 

[AdrianT]

I'm new here too... but I can tell you from experience, if you will take all this advice, follow slam to a T.. stay up late and get up early keeping your chlorine level at slam... your pool will be clear by the 4th.

 

[GaryV512]

New(er) pool owner here, still learning, and the advice in here is rock solid. Watch your CYA level! Make sure you check the chlorine you buy for non-stabilized vs stabilized, and get the right one when you want it. CYA doesn't dissipate except with evaporation (takes a long time). Thus the suggestions about draining your pool to correct high CYA. I wound up in that situation because I was (ignorantly) over-using pucks to raise my chlorine, had to drain half the pool to get CYA down to acceptable levels. Best of luck!! Stabilized vs Unstabilized Chlorine (Here's the Truth)

 

[The New Guy]

Stock up at WalMart or if you are close enough to Lancaster or Mechanicsburg, go to Ocean State Job Lot and get the 12.5% they sell (Walmart's is 10%).

Big thanks for the tip! My wife & I coincidentally met friends in Millersville last night so we stopped into OSJL beforehand. Great deals in there! Loaded up on liquid shock - so much easier to work with than granular.

Also much appreciate everyone chiming in with words of encouragement. My panic is gone and my confidence is growing.

 

[V___25]

Great! I know it's like drinking from a fire hose right now but everyone here will get you there if you are willing to trust the process

Just keeping adding a gallon a day and let us know when your test kit comes.

 

[The New Guy]

Test kit arrived last night! Quite a lot of components so I'm not exactly sure where to begin! Any tips?

For reference, I got the T-100 with the Smart Stir add-on and extra chemicals for SLAM.

Also after a few days of adding a gallon of shock, vacuuming, and scrubbing daily, I'm definitely starting to notice the water getting bluer and less cloudy.

 

[Mdragger88]

Test kit arrived last night! Quite a lot of components so I'm not exactly sure where to begin! Any tips?

For reference, I got the T-100 with the Smart Stir add-on and extra chemicals for SLAM.

Also after a few days of adding a gallon of shock, vacuuming, and scrubbing daily, I'm definitely starting to notice the water getting bluer and less cloudy.

Do all the tests - 1 at a time- just follow the instructions
Here’s videos of each test

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE98E18E2EE701C4D&si=FM4vhJ0eHJXm64oe

Post the results like this:
Fc
Cc
Ph
Ta
Ch
Cya

 

[The New Guy]

Results below:

6/24/2024
FC: 18
CC: 0
pH: 8.2
TA: 110
CH: 400
CYA: 100

I did the FC test about 8 times with results varying from 17 - 22. I settled on 18 because I think that was my most accurate measurement of the DPD powder. "A heaping scoop" is not a helpful instruction but I tried to copy the guy in the video.

Also did the pH test multiple times. I recorded it as closer to 8 at first.

 

[Texas Splash]

"A heaping scoop" is not a helpful instruction but I tried to copy the guy in the video.

When using the 10 ml water sample size, the "exact" amount of powder is not critical. We say "generous" or "heaping" just so that you don't try to shave the scoop perfectly level like you might when doing the Taylor 2-scoop thing (25 ml sample), but any variation of generous powder should work fine. More than that is just a waste and doesn't change the outcome of the 10 ml test.

You should be more consistent however, so it's odd you are receiving such a wide swing in results. The whole point fo the FAS-DPD is for pinpoint accuracy. To be sure, you are doing the test as follows:

10 ml water sample with one generous scoop of powder. Mix and add drops until clear then divide the result in half. For example, 24 drops o clear equals an FC of 12. Once it goes clear you're done. Don't let the sample sit or wait as it will always try to revert back to pink if allowed to sit still.

 

[The New Guy]

But is it the case that no matter how much powder I use, the results are the same? Before I watched the video, my "heaping scoop" was like the full scooper with potentially another scoop's worth of powder sitting on top (I didn't try to shave/knock any off, since it said "heaping")... But then after watching the video I noticed his scoop didn't look heaping at all!

Otherwise, I followed the instructions perfectly.

 

[ajw22]

But is it the case that no matter how much powder I use, the results are the same? Before I watched the video, my "heaping scoop" was like the full scooper with potentially another scoop's worth of powder sitting on top (I didn't try to shave/knock any off, since it said "heaping")... But then after watching the video I noticed his scoop didn't look heaping at all!

Otherwise, I followed the instructions perfectly.

The amount of powder does not effect the test. Once the sample turns red you have adequate power for the test.

What does effect the test is drop size. You need to hold the bottle vertical above the test vial and let the drop for on the tip and roll off. Don't hold the bottle at an angle. Don't squeeze the bottle and squirt the drops off. At most very gently squeeze the bottle once the drop is hanging on the tip to get it to fall.

 

[The New Guy]

The amount of powder does not effect the test. Once the sample turns red you have adequate power for the test.

What does effect the test is drop size. You need to hold the bottle vertical above the test vial and let the drop for on the tip and roll off. Don't hold the bottle at an angle. Don't squeeze the bottle and squirt the drops off. At most very gently squeeze the bottle once the drop is hanging on the tip to get it to fall.

So to clarify, when I initially turn the bottle vertically, several drops come out quite easily without squeezing. After about 5 or so, unless I flip the bottle again, some amount of gentle squeezing is required to get additional drops.

 

[ajw22]

So to clarify, when I initially turn the bottle vertically, several drops come out quite easily without squeezing. After about 5 or so, unless I flip the bottle again, some amount of gentle squeezing is required to get additional drops.

Yup, that happens with a new bottle. Don't squeeze the bottle until the drop has formed and is sitting on the tip and will not drop. Or flip the bottle to let some air in and then drops come out on their own.

Figure out the best technique that works for you and do it consistently.

 

[The New Guy]

Okay - I've done the tests again and have some updated numbers:

6/24/2024
FC: 17 - 18 (did the test twice)
CC: 0
pH: 8.2
TA: 110
CH: 300
CYA: 100

 

[Mdragger88]

Okay - I've done the tests again and have some updated numbers:

6/24/2024
FC: 17 - 18 (did the test twice)
CC: 0
pH: 8.2
TA: 110
CH: 300
CYA: 100

No need to keep testing fc twice - you’ll burn through your reagents.
Ph test is invalid at fc levels above 10ppm so disregard it for now.
Your cya is over 90 so you need to do the diluted cya test to get a better idea of where it is so you know how much water to exchange as a slam with such high cya is impractical
Follow Step 8 & let us know what you get

CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test

Cyanuric acid (CYA) is the chemical name for the product commonly called “pool water stabilizer” … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com