Got my new K2006 Test Kit - here is my first reading

[rdbrya1]

I was excited to use my Taylor test kit for the first time. I had been using a 5 way kit previously so it was very similar. Here are my first results:

FC - 6
CC - 0
Ph - 7.8 (maybe borderline 7.9 since it sort of looked to be b/t the 7.8 - 8.0 color)
Alk - 140
CH - 30
CYA - around 60 I think (when they say look until the black dot disappears, I thought that meant completely, not only looking straight down from the top, so I am not quite sure. My last CYA reading from the pool store about 1 week ago was 70 so that is probably pretty accurate)

My pool water is currently very clear and has been for awhile. I am currently using a 50lbs tub of cholorine tablets (see my last post) and so far they seem to not be affecting my other things like Ph or Alk too much. I have an automatic cholorinator that is set on a number 3 for the amount of cholorine.

Just wanted to get some input on if my numbers look good! :)

[Watermom]

Your numbers look pretty good. pH is slightly high but not a problem if you are using trichlor pucks. They are acidic and will push pH down. However, the pucks have CYA in them and continued use will cause your CYA level to continue to rise. You are already at 60-70. Plenty high. If it were my pool, I'd discontinue using them and just use bleach for your source of chlorine.

[rdbrya1]

Thanks watermom! Yes my pucks are 76% trichlor and the rest "other ingredients" (Borax and Aluminum Sulfate). But like you said that will keep the Ph down a tad. I do plan to go to bleach eventually but I am only using these pucks because unfortunately before finding this forum I had purchased them ($250 for 50 lbs super skimmer tablets - ouch) :-(

I am hoping that the pucks do not rise my CYA too much over the course of using the 50 lbs bucket up. So far I have been using them for about 5 weeks and the CYA has stayed around 60-70. But I am not sure if that is a slow increasing level and I may not have seen the increase yet.

[Watermom]

Just keep an eye on the CYA level and adjust your chlorine levels accordingly. (If you haven't already done so, read the Best Guess Chlorine Chart in my signature in the post above.) Don't test CYA every day or you'll run out of the reagent fast. Maybe check it every couple of weeks while you are using the pucks. If the CYA starts getting too high, you can always keep the rest of the tabs for another season. Some pools always seem to open up to no CYA so using trichlor at the beginning of the season is a good way to bring it up.

[rdbrya1]

Thank you for the great advice!! :)

[Themadczar]

The cya test is tricky to read correctly. You want bright, indirect light. So ideally stand in sunlight with your back to the sun (your shadow directly in front of you) and view the dot in the comparator by holding it at your waist. You can also pour the sample back into the bottle and retest a second or third time to verify your results.

Also, if I understand correctly, CYA can take a week or two to show up in the test results (perhaps I'm wrong, or maybe that was only when adding CYA directly, not trichlor). If I'm correct thou, your CYA might be higher than you thought.

Assuming your pool is around 15300 gallons, every pound of trichlor will increase your CYA by 4.3, so 50 lbs will increase your pool's CYA by 215. I would suggest no more trichlor... But others intentionally operate their pools at high CYA (80-100) levels. Doing so has some unique challenges, and I recommend reading here in the forum thoroughly before doing so. I don't think CYA over 100 is ever recommended though. See the Best Guess chart in Watermom's signature for further explanation.

[JimK]

The cya test is tricky to read correctly. You want bright, indirect light. So ideally stand in sunlight with your back to the sun (your shadow directly in front of you) and view the dot in the comparator by holding it at your waist. You can also pour the sample back into the bottle and retest a second or third time to verify your results.

Also, if I understand correctly, CYA can take a week or two to show up in the test results (perhaps I'm wrong, or maybe that was only when adding CYA directly, not trichlor). If I'm correct thou, your CYA might be higher than you thought.

Assuming your pool is around 15300 gallons, every pound of trichlor will increase your CYA by 4.3, so 50 lbs will increase your pool's CYA by 215. I would suggest no more trichlor... But others intentionally operate their pools at high CYA (80-100) levels. Doing so has some unique challenges, and I recommend reading here in the forum thoroughly before doing so. I don't think CYA over 100 is ever recommended though. See the Best Guess chart in Watermom's signature for further explanation.

I use a SWCG and add stabilizer directly. It usually takes about 24 hours or so to get a good reading after adding it (I run the pump continuously after adding CYA). At least that's been my experience. ;)