Test results on new pool in Tucson

[FormerBromineUser]

Okay, good. Get FC up to >=10 by sundown. (Btw, wait at least one hour after adding bleach and then retest FC to confirm exact results during overnight testing. You won't have to do this once your water becomes stable). Then run overnight test. Would you like me to detail those steps for you?

Also, very jealous of your temp! We hit a high of 60 today!

[CarlD]

Hah! Can't make up it's mind if it's fall or still summer here in North-central NJ! Was cool all day, then I was out working on the pool rebuild. Went out a little later, just as evening was coming on, expecting it to cool down and it was hot and muggy! Tomorrow it could be 60 or 85 and the opposite on Saturday. Weather/Temp wise, September is generally a pain in the neck here in NJ.

[FormerBromineUser]

Getting late here. Just in case you need instructions for the overnight test:
An hour after your last additions, test FC and CC final readings and write them down. At sunrise, or no more than 1/2 hour after sunrise, test FC and CC again. Report both your evening and morning results.

[Wilco]

I had to go out last night, but my last test showed 4ppm, added a gallon of bleach. Tested this am,still 4ppm at ph of 7.6

[Watermom]

At sunrise, or no more than 1/2 hour after sunrise, test FC and CC.

Actually, as long as you test within an hour of sunrise, you are ok.

[Wilco]

So at this rate I'm doing about a gallon of bleach a day. That seems unsustainable.

[FormerBromineUser]

I am in meetings all day with only short breaks so hopefully someone will jump in here. Since you lost about 6ppm FC overnight, you have a chlorine demand that will take time, energy, and faith to get rid of.

But, if you commit to the process, eventually you will get to the point where you only have to use about 2 jugs a week, not a jug/day.

For now, keep putting in bleach and raise that FC. I will check in later.

[Watermom]

Keep your chlorine at shock level (which is based on your CYA level) until you meet three criteria:

1) You can go from sundown one evening to within an hour of sunrise the next morning without losing more than 1ppm of FC
2) You have no greater than 0.5ppm of CC
3) Your pool shows no signs of algae

At that point, let the chlorine drift down but keep it in the range between minimum and maximum ALL the time.

This process may take a few days but you have to be diligent about it. Eventually, your chlorine demand will decrease.

This chart shows the relationship between CYA and chlorine:> http://pool9.net/cl-cya/

[PoolDoc]

Maybe I've missed it, but I haven't seen a chlorine level reading in the late PM, followed by another reading the next early AM.

Those two readings TOGETHER are what gives indication of what's happening. A chlorine reading -- with no time stamp -- followed by a chlorine dose -- with no time stamp -- followed by another reading the next day -- still with no time stamp -- is not particularly informative.

Also, you write that a gallon per day is not sustainable. At Walmart, fresh bleach is under $3/gallon in most locations. For a 120 day season, that's $360, which is much LESS than most pool owners spend on their pools during a 120 day season, when following pool store recommendations. So while I'm not advocating a gallon per day as normal, a whole lot of pool owners sustain even higher expenses.

Let me be more specific.

1. Raise your chlorine level to a tested 15 ppm or higher at 7 pm.
2. Add nothing else. Make sure your pump is on all night.
3. Test again after sunrise, but before 8 am.
4. Report BOTH results.

[Wilco]

This is the first time I have seen the timing of the pump come into play. Is it better to run it at night? - from a cl standpoint? Sorry about not time stamping posts, I thought the server was doing that. So in general, try to do the chlorine adding at dusk, retest an hour later, and then first thing in am as the routine? Going to need more of that powder soon.