My first test with my new Taylor Kit!!!

[392papa]

I got my results form my first test,,,,looks pretty good(i think) PH is high but it drops pretty quick here. i really have to keep an eye on it (triclor tabs)

water temp 88 (hot here)
CYA 50
Free Clorine(FC) 3
(CC) 0
PH 7.8
Total Alkalinity 120
CA 82

I know I don't need to raise the calcium levels for pool water chemistry but after reading Taylors instruction book I was thinking about putting 10# of calcium in to harden the water to protect my new concrete deck surface. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[aylad]

Your results look pretty good--except I would bump that chlorine up a little bit. If you look at the Best Guess chlorine chart (link in my sig), the chlorine range for CYA of 30-50 is 3-6 ppm. You are already on the top edge of that CYA scale, and have chlorine at the bare minimum of the scale, so you don't have much wiggle room at all. Besides, if you're still using trichlor, the CYA is going to continue to climb, so you really need to jump up to the next level and start keeping it at 5-10 ppm just to be on the safe side.

It is at this point that folks who don't understand what trichlor does to the water start having algae blooms that they can't control. Your feeder may or may not be able to be turned up to maintain the 5 ppm, but with your CYA that high, you have to be able to maintain it somehow to keep your pool from going green. Now might be a really good time to stop using the tabs and switch to bleach--or, if you want to increase your calcium (I'll let Pooldoc comment on whether or not it's necessary for your pool deck), you could switch to cal-hypo once your trichlor pucks are no longer anywhere in the pool.

Janet

[392papa]

Thanks Janet,
I read your post on my phone last night and quickly dressed and went down and put 2 gal of shock in my pool. I am def one of the folks you are referring to.....10 years of sudden algae blooms just when the water is perfect for swimming when I thought my chemical balance was perfect is what brought me to this site.

Hopefully the water will still be clear when I get home.

Thanks again

Papa