Opened pool and problems...

Don't worry too much about your different test results.

=> DPD tablet testing is NOT reliable at all with the chlorine levels you are encountering. Don't use it.
=> Syringaldazine (test strips -- blue/purple color) are reliable, but not very precise.
=> OTO (yellow / orange / brown color) is reliable and slightly more informative than the strips: use that.

The ONLY tests you need worry about right now are your PM and AM tests. Until your post chlorine-dose PM test equals your AM test result -- keep chlorinating every evening. You don't even need to do more than that, once you receive the K2006, until your chlorine is stable overnight. OTO is cheap and gives you enough information to get you through this stage of the process.

Ben

Thanks Ben...

So using the yellow test... I'm just looking for no change between pm and am? Basically just the same reading?

Thanks

JAson

You got it in one!

Well UPS says my k-2006 will be here today so I'll do both tests and report the results. Thanks

I got the k-2006 and here are the numbers...

Ph=7.4
FC=15ppm
CC= 1ppm
TA=210
CYA= 30

So if I understand things correctly, I can stop adding chlorine now right? CC is down to a negligible level and FC is up?

What's next? Pool is still pretty cloudy. Not sure how efficient my filter is. I have replaced the sand in it once but's it probably been 4-5 years. I have added DE to the filter as of last night. It didn't go from 18ppm (after DE) to about 24-25 and at that point the flow had been reduced greatly so I backwashed and added DE again tonight.

Anything else I need to do tonight? Chlorine?

Thanks!

Keep the chlorine at or above the 15 ppm until the CC goes to 0 and/or you don't lose more than 1 ppm of chlorine overnight. Keep the filter running, and backwash/add more DE as needed. Patience!!!

Janet

Free Chlorine dropped this morning to 3.5ppm and CC went up to 9ppm... Not exactly sure why but I will add 6 jugs of bleach to get it back up to 15ppm.... not sure why it flip flopped so drastically from my numbers of last night...

It can take chlorine awhile to react with some of the types of 'goo' found in pools. That's one reason for POP -- you need to wait awhile to see if you are *really* done, or of the 'goo' is just 'playing possum'!

Also, it's often true that the are big piles or layers of gunk on the pool walls or floor. Often, people get the pool almost all cleaned up (so they think) and then brush -- clear pools can be turned green instantly that way.

Bottom line: till your pool has been brushed and vacuumed AND held stable chlorine levels overnight for at least 2 days, you can't assume your done.

Ben

Ok, I can be patient. Just trying to understand the process. So to be clear Stable chlorine levels with the k-2006 kit would mean that after getting a FC reading the combined Chlorine level is Zero? So a testing would look like this:

At night I test and get a hypothetical FC level of 5ppm and a hypothetical CC reading of 0 and then I test again in the morning and I get the same results? That would be considered "stable"?

I am brushing the pool but I havent' done much vacuuming. Do you suggest I do that now?

Pool water looks marginally clearer today btw

Thanks for all the help...

I'm gonna disagree with WaterMom a bit here.

As long as your chlorine is high AND substantially higher than your CC levels, don't worry about the CC levels -- they will go down. Also, the CC test sometimes shows stuff it really shouldn't, so don't pay to much attention to fine differences.

From my point of view, your chlorine is "stable", when it doesn't change from PM to AM, two days in a row AND when the FC is more than 5x the CC.

Regarding brushing, if you've brushed the WHOLE pool carefully, that's what's needed. But if you have any suspicion of there being piles of stuff on the floor, by all means vacuum it up.

Basically, if
+ your filter is working, and
+ you keep your pH between 7 and 8, and
+ you do NOT add pool store goop, and
+ you keep filtering, chlorinating, and cleaning, then
. . . you will get your pool clean, about as fast as anyone can, without replacing the water or bringing a battery of pumps and DE filters.

Ben