just got good test kit. HELP PLEASE

[shub_31]

thanks for the info.
I tested my CYA with dilution and its at 100. However i kinda can still see the black with the white ring around it. But barely. So if i need to add more that means my CYA is lower. I have been shocking to 25 to 30ppm.. I do know i have to drain. But given the mid 90s my only option now is to kill the algae and maintain fc of 10 to 15ppm until later in the summer. My alk. is very high at 250ish so I know that needs to be lowered. I did it once last year with the method here. Comments. Thanks

[PoolDoc]

Yeah, just hold the FC at 30 ppm, and brush away at any spots.

Adding borax sufficient to take your borates to 60 ppm will help some too, and will create a certain amount of permanent algae 'resistance' in your pool. You'll need 15 boxes of borax and probably 5 gallons of muriatic acid to compensate, and have a bit left over to lower your pH to 7.0. If you START with the acid and cycle the pH to below 6.8 and then add borax till it's back to 7.2, you'll also tend to remove the excess TA which 'feeds' algae somewhat, too.

By the way, IF you use the DPD-FAS kit, you can run perfectly OK at high CYA. There are some adjustments, and you want to stop using anything but bleach so you don't add MORE CYA.

You can still drain if you like, but you have another option.

[shub_31]

thanks again, however, I thought the taylor kit could only test PH with a max of FC 15ppm. Im at 30. how do I do that.

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One more thing. Do I use all of the acid at once to get to 6.8 then add the borax to bring it back up. Your"cycle" is throwing me off. thanks

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You guys asked for it. I just thought of something else. If im to lower my ph, why cant I aerate to lower TA before I raise is back up.

[PoolDoc]

thanks again, however, I thought the taylor kit could only test PH with a max of FC 15ppm. Im at 30. how do I do that

#1 - Try it. If the phenol red converts to chlorophenol red, you'll end with a purplish-blue. If not, the test should be valid
#2 - Confirm it - if it worked, check it it by adding 1 drop of thiosulfate from your K2006 to your water sample and mixing BEFORE you add phenol red. If the result with thiosulfate is the same, or just slightly higher, the first test was OK.
#3 - If #1 fails, and you show chlorophenol red, add 3 drops of thiosulfate and mix before adding phenol red. You should get a meaningful result, but it may read 1 color bar high because of the thiosulfate / chlorine reaction.

When you lower pH, it will -- if you act slowly -- also lower TA. If you lower pH, and actively aerate, the TA (really, the CA, carbonate alkalinity) will drop much more rapidly.

[shub_31]

Im in trouble now. After all the help from everyone, Im afraid it may have been a waste of time. I am down to my last 1 maybe 2 tests for chlorine. After 3 days I have used a whole bottle of fasd. Just ordered it from Amato Inds, but dont know how quick they ship. Even then, Ill be out. Not sure what to do. Dont want to overchlorinate. Need to swim this week. In the mid 90s
I did lose 4ppm last night so not over yet.

[Watermom]

If you have a cheap OTO kit (yellow and red drops) you can use it til you get your refills. It will only read to 3 or 5 but you can force it to read higher with a dilution method described here: Testing Without a Good Kit

[shub_31]

sounds like a plan but i would have to dilute it like 10:1. its a 6mm vile and ive done 1mm pool water to 5mm distilled and still not high enough to reach 300ppm. how do i do even more. thanks