My P.O.P. is gone. need help again

[PoolDoc]

Ok. I've talked with Chem_Geek, and his thoughts confirmed mine. Add your second set of no-sun readings that pretty much eliminates possibilities other than the ones I mentioned.

But . . . Chem_Geek noticed some things I hadn't about the way you described your CYA testing.

So

#1 - K200x CYA testing is turbidimetric: the water gets CLOUDY when CYA is present.
#2 - You fill the small sample bottle to the first line with pool water and then add CYA reagent to the 2nd line.
#3 - Shake, wait 15 seconds, shake again, wait 45 seconds.
#4 - Then, carefully add this mix to the small CYA tube side of the kit, adding slowly, till the black dot disappears.
#5 - Stop adding when it disappears, and read your CYA level from the outside, matching water level with the marks.

BUT . . . if you the mixed sample water doesn't get cloudy, you have little or no CYA.

Ben

[shub_31]

Ill try the cya again that way but im running out of regeant. I test thsi mourning and it was FC 12 CC 1 with no drop over night. I added 3 qts and just got home. After wife son and dog swam my FC is 5 and my CC is 2. This is a first. Im ready to give up

[PoolDoc]

Shub, I don't want to be rude, but it's not that hard! We're about ready to give up, too.

#1 - Did you mix your pool water 50:50 with reagent in the sample bottle?
If the answer is no, you need to re-read the instructions, and follow them.
If the answer is yes, go to #2

#2 - Did the sample get cloudy?
If the answer is no, you have been reading the test wrong and you need to re-read the instructions, and follow them.
If the answer is yes, then -- and ONLY THEN -- you have a positive high CYA test, and need to go on to #3

#3 - You really have high CYA *and* high chlorine loss to sunlight. There are only 2 ways this can happen:
+ You have added bromine to the pool . . . which you may have done unknowingly! In this case, you'll have to
--- put up with high chlorine use for a period, possibly the rest of the summer, OR
--- drain and refill your pool, but you can't do this with a vinyl inground pool, or with any inground pool in a low or wet area.

+ OR . . . you have discovered some unknown pool chemistry, based on some unknown condition that only exists in your pool. But, if you have, we can't help you, but how to help with unknown pool chemistry based on an unknown condition is unknown.

It is possible for the R-0013 reagent in a kit to be 'bad' . . . but that would almost certainly produce a LOW reading, and NOT the high CYA reading you support.

The initial high CC readings + subsequent loss of chlorine on sunny days in SPITE of high CYA sounds very, very much like the typical response of pools dosed with a lot of one of United Chemical's products.


So . . . the ball is in your court. Why don't you have your pool water tested at a pool dealers? Dealer guess strips are not very accurate with CYA, but they can tell the difference between low and high.

Sincerely

Ben Powell

PS: When you reply, you need to answer questions ONE and TWO with "yes" or "no". You can add something besides yes or no, but we need to see a definite yes or no answer to each question by number.

[shub_31]

1 YES
2 YES
3 YES Im sure I have high CYA. Ive tested it with the 2 entire bottles in kit plus the extra big bottle i ordered. The sun is out in full forece but i thought the higher CYA would slow it down
And NO as far as I know, no united chemicals or bromine have been added.
My dog could be peeing in the pool but he always pees when he gets out
I dont trust pool dealers but I guess I can try it.
Dont worry, I would never consider u rude. I know its easy but I cant understand why this is happening based on all the info I have been given.

[shub_31]

what is a good website to check united chems products

[PoolDoc]

http://www.swimpool.com/category_Swi...Pool_Algae.htm
http://www.swimpool.com/category_Poo...Chemicals_.htm

If you are sure that you have high CYA, and are sure you haven't used any United Chemical products (or other products containing bromide or bromine), we are in uncharted territory. The only thing left to do is a full blown test comparing your pool water with both stabilized and unstabilized tap water. You'll need 3 identical clean buckets that hold at least 3 gallons (and you'll have to clean them again), some liquid stabilizer, some bleach, a set of plastic measuring spoons down to 1/8 teaspoon, and a clean 1 gallon milk jug.

Lemme know when you have those items.

Given the circumstances, it's the only way to establish that you have some unknown 'bad actor' in your pool. If we do establish that, you'll then have to hire a pool service guy to help you drain and refill it safely.

In theory, you could send your pool water off to a water analysis lab, but we don't know what you are looking for, and the sort of analysis that would help in these circumstances would start at over $1,000 and go up from there.

Ben

[shub_31]

Im going away for a week this sat. My neighbor is going to put a 3qt bottle of 12% in each day. So whatever it is it is. Ill be curious to see it when I get back without the testing.
Also, I swam last night til 8 tested water and covered it
FC 12
CC .5-1

This mourning
FC 11
FC .5

Left covered all day with minimal sun. No pump run through night and day. First time in 3 months

4:30
FC 10
FC .5

Dont think I have any major problem.Maybe its just normal with the dog, lotions and sun to lose like I have been.
Ill let you know what I decide about the tests you want to run. Im also going to have a pool store test my water for kicks. Thanks for eveything

Scott