TA Huge swing

[Chief2505]

Ok so I finally converted to salt and I am a bit confused!

6-30 water test per me and my Taylor kit
FC 6.0
CC 6.0
PH 7.2
ALK 70 Added 12# baking soda
CYA 40
CH 70
Salt 200 (added 400# of salt)

7-1
Installed salt system
Salt 1700 added 280# of salt

7-2
FC 4.5
CC 4.5
PH 7.2 first test water straight from pool, 8.0 second test after water sitting on table for 20 minutes while I did all other tests, 8.0+ third test after going and getting a new water sample
ALK 80
CYA 40
CH 170
Salt 3000 according to Taylor, 3200 according to SWCG

What do I do? The chart in the Taylor kit does not match the chart in the owners manual of the SWCG and neither of them match TFP recommendations as to what each level should be.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Follow TFP recommendations:

What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?

Use our tool to find ideal chemical levels for any swimming pool. Check TFP recommended levels on pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, and more.

www.troublefreepool.com

Leave your TA alone. Lower TA works better with a SWG.

How did your CH increase?

 

[Chief2505]

Follow TFP recommendations:

What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?

Use our tool to find ideal chemical levels for any swimming pool. Check TFP recommended levels on pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, and more.

www.troublefreepool.com

View attachment 591851

Leave your TA alone. Lower TA works better with a SWG.

How did your CH increase?

I added 25# calcium hardness increaser.

I am really curious why the TA changed in my tests so much?

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

You indicate you added 12 lbs of baking soda. That should raise TA by 25 ppm in your pool.

 

[Chief2505]

You indicate you added 12 lbs of baking soda. That should raise TA by 25 ppm in your pool.

I am sorry, I typed that incorrectly. I said I am really curious why the TA changed so much.

I meant why did the PH change so much from test # 1 to test # 2 this morning.
And I know what the math says about the baking soda and TA but the Taylor TA test is one I am fairly certain I am reading correctly.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

It's unlikely that the pH changed that significantly in that short amount of time. It's possibly a testing error or some type of interference from a contaminated comparator, vile, or sample bottle.

 

[Chief2505]

I am not sure what happened but test results this morning.

FC/CC 4.0 4.0
PH 7.8-8.0
ALK 80
CYA 40
Ch 170
Salt ??? I quit adding drops at 5,000 PPM, 25 test drops! My SWCG says salinity is bouncing between 3000 and 3200. I only added 680 pounds of salt, which according to pool math should put me around 2300 + the 200 I started with. According to Circupool manual that amount of salt added should leave a level around 3,000. I went back to the pool this morning and got a second water sample and redid the Taylor test. This time I quit adding drops at 20, the test water turned white but never changed to salmon brown/pink.
The SWCG is running at 75%.
What am I missing? Could my new test kit be bad? I even double checked the amount of water in the pool. The builder says 35,000, the previous owner says 32,000, my calculations say 34,000. How can my salinity be so far off from the SWCG? The pump has been running non stop for 3 days!
I cannot believe how fast my PH jumped and how far off my salt level appears to be.

 

[Rancho Cost-a-Lotta]

Salt ??? I quit adding drops at 5,000 PPM

Using the incorrect sample size on this test is a common mistake. Are you sure used a 10 mL water sample?

 

[dereksanders]

That bit me. The instructions say use the 25ml tube and fill to 10ml. I stopped reading after 25ml and jumped to drops.

 

[Chief2505]

That is exactly what I did! Stopped reading at the 25ml!! Followed ALL of the directions this morning and I have the following

FC/CC 4.0-4.0
PH 8.0+
ALK 80
CYA 40
Salt 3200
CH 170

Got to get that PH down today!