Need Help Please - just got my taylor 2006 testing kit...

[rannrich]

I have read the book and watched the video at Taylor's website but no where does it tell me how to actually test the chlorine with the chemicals that I received in my kit. I have R-0870 DPD powder, R-0871 FAS-DPD titrating reagent drops and R-0003 DPD reagent drops. Can anyone help me with this? Thanks!!

[SalemCastles]

They are inside the cover ...

Take a water sample by plunging a plastic cup upside down to elbow depth and then turning it over to let it fill. Take the sample where your shallow end meets the slope to the deep end if you have one and away from the returns.

Fill the test block to the 10 ml level and add 2 scoops of powder ..1 works but they say 2. Swirl it around and if there is chlorine present it will turn bright pink. Now take the 0871 and add a drop at a time while swirling in-between until the liquid turns clear. If it's just a little pink add one more and you will see when it's perfectly clear. Count the drops and multiply by .5 (or divide by two of course) and that's your FC Free chlorine. Add five drops of the 0003 reagent and if it turns pink again you have combined chlorine (bad). If it is pink you then again add drops of the 0871 and count until clear ... that's how much CC is present and must be added to the FC to get your TC Total chlorine level.

[waterbear]

NOT quite right, DurhamHouses.
The first titration give you free chlorine, NOT total chlorine. After you add the R-0003 and titrate again you have the combined chlorine. The FAS-DPD test does not test total chlorine at all. If you want total chlorine just add the free chlorine and the combined chlorine.

You are confusing FAS-DPD titration testing (used in the K-2006) with DPD (color matching) testing that is found in the K-2005 and other test kits. DPD tests Free Chlorine and Total Chlorine and you must subtact the Free Chlroine from the Total chlorine to get the combined chloirne. FAS-DPD directly tests for combined chlorine, DPD does not.

If you have been subtracting the second reading from the first with an FAD-DPD test then you are not getting the correct number for FC if there is any combined chlorine present!.

[SalemCastles]

Ok thanks, appreciate the correction .... found this in the mean time. There is a list of tests by kit with specific videos.

http://www.taylortechnologies.com/products_choose_slideshow.asp?KeyWord=FASDPD

[CarlD]

You know, I've been using the FAS-DPD test for ten years and I have RARELY had to add more than one scoop of FAS-DPD powder. The key is, if it's good and pink, you have enough. Adding more simply wastes re-agent.

There's a much simpler way to get your FC level. I add one drop and say to myself "Point 5". The next drop I say to myself "1", then "1 point 5" then "2" then "2 point 5" etc, until the water turns clear. I put the test cell on something white, usually the inside cover of my old PS233 kit box to ensure there's no pink left.

The, after I add the R-0003, I repeat the process. "point 5", etc. (I think I once got to "1 point 5", a long time ago).

TC = FC + CC.

Carl

[rannrich]

They are inside the cover ...

ahem...about that. I totally did not notice the inside cover because I flipped that piece of white paper stuff that comes on top of the chemicals up and didn't think to look under it. Thanks.

[rannrich]

Thank you everyone for the replies! Truly the best website on the 'net!!

I have run my numbers and have my results based on the instructions on the cover, yep the ones I missed originally.

fc - 2.4
cc - 0.2
ph - 7.6
alk - 110
cya - and here is my problem it is below 30 but I don't really know how much so I am at a loss.

To make it a little more complicated my husband bought a supply of chemicals from the pool store when he bought the pool. I want to get rid of them and of course they were expensive so he wants to use them before we convert to the BBB method. The chemicals that he bought are all Clearview, I have only a little stabilizer, I mean water conditioner, left though. The chlorine tabs he bought (50 pounds worth) are Trichloro-S Triazinetrione 99% with available chlorine 90%. Apparently they have some stabilizer in them.

So, wondering where I go from here? Not knowing my exact cya makes it hard to know how much stabilizer to put in. Any and all responses appreciated!!

[waterbear]

So, wondering where I go from here? Not knowing my exact cya makes it hard to know how much stabilizer to put in. Any and all responses appreciated!!

2 oz BY WEIGHT, NOT VOLUME of stabilizer will raise the CYA by 15 ppm in 1000 gallons so multiply 2 oz by the number of 1000 gallons that are in your pool to get a 15 ppm rise in CYA. Even if you start at 30 ppm then you will only go to 45 ppm and that is still well withing range (and probably better than keeping it at 30 ppm for technical reasons). Wait a week, retest and if too low add the same amount again. I would shoot for between 40-50 ppm for starters. In your roughtly 17000 gallon pool you would add 2 lbs for just under a 15 ppm rise in CYA. Not exact but close enough for government work!:D

(I know your pool is 27'x52 inches which works out to 18.5K gallons BUT your pool is not filled with water to the very top so I am only calculating the water height at 48" or 4 feet which comes to just a bit over 17000 gallons and is going to be much closer to the actual amount of water in the pool so you should find that every 2 lbs of CYA will raise you pool by 15 ppm or pretty close to it!)

[rannrich]

Thank You so much Waterbear!

[waterbear]

Here are the charts I use to calculate dosing. Print them out and laminate them so you always have them. All you need is the table and a calculator.

http://www.poolhelp.com/SimplifiedDosageFormulas.pdf
http://www.poolhelp.com/SimplifiedFormulaNumbers.pdf
http://www.poolhelp.com/ChemicallyDerivedPoolVolumes.pdf

The first is set up with the formula on the chart for the most common chemicals you might use:
(Pool Volume / formula number from chart) X ppm change desired = amount of chemical to add in either pounds or quarts
(Just in case your math is "rusty" do the division in parenthesis first then do the multiplication)

The second is an expanded chart of formula numbers for more pool chemicals that you plug into the formula above

The third is a method of chemically calculating the volume of a pool. You really do not need this one since circular pools are pretty easy to calculate accurately (diameter X water height x 5.9 = volume of circular pool in gallons). It is more useful with irregular shaped in ground pools.

A lot of people use The Pool Calculator
http://www.poolcalculator.com/
but it give too much info all at once, IMHO. I prefer to just concentrate on what chemical I am currently adjusting. Either method works.

[CarlD]

Meanwhile, your chlorine for that level CYA should be adequate, but you need to test it, I'd say, at least twice a day until you have sufficient stabilizer to keep the UV from devouring your chlorine.

BTW, your chemicals will last longer if you test 10ml of water rather than 25ml. Each drop of the test will then measure .5 rather than .2 and you'll use less. You don't need any greater accuracy than that.

Carl

[rannrich]

Waterbear and CarlD, thank you so much for all the valuable information. It has made having a pool so much more FUN! :)

[waterbear]

just wait...you will one day reach that point when you say "Do I REALLY need to test the water. It looks fine. Hand me a strip!":eek:
That is when you know the honeymoon with your pool is finally over!;)

[rannrich]

LOL... hopefully that won't be too soon!!!