Calcium

[CarlD]

I have a question. I have hth droptest kit from walmart. When I do the calcium hardness test, it asks to put 5 drops of hardness indicator in 25 ml of pool water. It says that it should turn red. mine turns yellow. what does that mean? is it too low? too high? does it really matter considering i have a vinyl liner AG pool?

Does it then turn blue when you add the drops of the re-agent?

I don't trust my memory on this, but I THINK it means there's something like copper or iron in your water as well--but that the test is still valid. With a vinyl pool any calcium setting from 0 to 500 is OK. Essentially, you don't have to worry about it. I check calcium 2 or 3 times a season, just to be sure.

[SoCalBoo]

"I wonder how some of you would feel if the customers that pay your daily wage started to figure out how not to pay you for th skill set you chose to earn a living!"

I am still laughing. So because we learn something, we aren't supposed to use it because someone else knows the same thing and we should continue to pay them to do it even though we know how...for a lot less money? So I should continue to pay a gardener $100/mo to mow my lawn even though I know how? So I should pay a plumber $150 to set up a new washer, even though I know how? So I should continue to pay a pool store exorbinate prices for the same (if not lesser - TA up v. arm and hammer baking soda anyone? pharmaceutical grade v. industrial grade?) chemicals? So I should continue to pay a pool service tech $100/mo for coming once a week when I can do it myself? Sorry, the logical totally escapes me.

I am an attorney by trade, and I have a number of people come in my doors who could handle their problems on their own with a little bit of info, or they can pay me $$$/hr. to do it for them. I even educate some on how to do it themselves for free. I don't pay for advertising and referrals are all word of mouth. It is amazing to see how many of those that do it themselves come back with more complicated issues down the road and then do pay me. It is a solid business model that pays dividends for most industries. Always putting your hand out for payment and whinning when people learn how to do things themselves efficiently and reasonably does little good and actually turns people off.

Of course, just my opinion.

I've run the chemical analysis given on this site by a buddy has a Ph.D. in chemistry and has set up and run labs for Yale, Harvard and UCSD, who also owns a pool. He says he uses the same principals himself as are expressed herein and that the chemistry is solid.

The pool chemical industry is just flat out ripping off consumers. To defend this practice is unconscionable. I see nothing redeemable about the practice in anyway.

Other than that, have a nice day!

[gordyjamz]

It turns a clear grey color, i don't thinks theres that much copper in the water since I have blonde hair that hasn't turned green yet