Can you review this before I take the plunge?

[CarlD]

Thanks so much! That was fast.

The CYA is right. Unfortunately. I plan on draining half this weekend. Prior to reading this board I was draining a little at a time and filling and then draining a little more- Which is pointless really when you consider how I'm draining diluted water. I had to use a glass and red food coloring to show my husband what I meant. He's afraid the liner will tear or pull away if we drain 1/2.

I read on another thread that it's okay to drain 1/2. Is that correct?

Sure. You must keep 6" to 1' of water in the shallowest part--that's all. Draining half is no problem.

I'll add 2.5 gallons and keep it between 8 and 15 until Friday when I drain it- halfway.

I was using this formula to determine the amount of chlorine
Sodium Hypochlorite
(0.1016) x (breakpoint factor) x (pool volume / 10,000) = gallons to add
Note "/" means divided by. *not from this forum.

I don't know that formula: We use the best guess table for the shock level. To calculate how much chlorine gets you there use:

(1,000,000/PoolVolume) * Bleach Strength * Bleach amount = FC added in ppm (that's parts per million--that's why you divide pool volume into 1 million).

Bleach Strength: If the bleach is 5.25%, use .0525. 6%, .06, etc. Bleach amount is in the same units as Pool Volume--usually gallons, but it works for liters just as well.

I'm using a brand new test kit from Leslies. It's the Taylor kit with 3 vials for Calcium hardness. I was using one that had only two..no buffer and it was screwy. It also allows testing for FC instead of just TC. I had only been using the cheap OTO for Chlorine.

Thanks so much!

Good luck! Is the kit marked OTO, DPD or FAS-DPD?

[ScottsdaleSwim]

It is a DPD test kit. Good or bad?

My TA was super high a few days ago. I lowered it using Acid and then bought a fountain aerator to bring the ph up. It worked beautifully.

When I was in Leslie's buying the test kit I heard the clerks muddling up another pool so when I had the chance, I scribbled www.poolforum.com on the back of my gum package and gave it to them. They were frustrated and getting pi**ed off at the clerk because he didn''t know what he was talking about.
They'll probably kick me out the next time I go back.

My first CYA reading was near 300 at the beginning of the summer.

pucks pucks and more pucks then treating it with bagged shock.

Thank goodness for this forum!

[CarlD]

What DPD is, is limited. Your range may only be to 5ppm for chlorine.

I THINK the "CarlD Shotglass Method" will work with DPD. You dilute the pool water with steam distilled water (avail at chain drug stores). 1 shot pool, 1 shot distilled doubles the range your read. 1 shot pool, 2 shots distilled triples it, but your accuracy gets harder and harder to maintain. DPD should also allow you to differentiate FC and CC.