Tap Water Test

[DONNIE]

I'm just wanting to get it right. Is a pH of 7ish acceptable? I do have a waterfall that will be installed next week. I'm sure that will help with the TA. I have went from 40 or so pages about water chemistry down to one over the last few weeks. I feel that I have a "pretty good" grasp on it thanks to this board and people like yourself. Now I just need to learn the difference in pink/red and how blue is blue. Thanks for the advice!

Donnie

[waterbear]

Now I just need to learn the difference in pink/red and how blue is blue. Thanks for the advice!

Donnie

The enpoints in the titration tests are very easy to determine. Just add drops until one more drop produces no more color change and then don't count that last drop. For example, with the TA test lets say that 6 drops produces a fleeting red color, 7 turns greyish, 8 turns greyish red, 9 turns red, 10 turns a brighter red, and 11 does not cause any color change at all. Your endpoint is 10 drops or 100 ppm TA.
Chemgeek gave you excellent advise on the calcium test (I do the same thing but I add 6 drops of reagent 1 before adding anything else--been doing calcium tests for many more years than I've owned a pool. It's a standard test for salt water aquairums and I've kept them for about 35 years now!). This will help deactivate any metals that might be present (the titrant in this test is a seqestering agent!) and help get rid of the 'purple floaties' that can make the endpoint of this test hard to see. Once again titirate (add drops) until one more drop produces no more color change and don't count the last drop. Once you get used to it the color change from purple (intermediate color) to light blue is pretty easy to see.
Same thing applies to the FAS-DPD chlorine tests. If you are not sure if the solution has turned colorless add one more drop and if there is no more color change don't count the last drop.

[DONNIE]

Thanks. I have printed many of your previous post on testing methods and reading the results. You should compile them into a sticky. They are priceless!

Donnie

[DONNIE]

Thanks to everybody! CYA is taking forever to dissolve with 50 degree water temps but the rest of my numbers are getting there.

PH 7.0
FC 5.5
CC .5
TC 6.0
TA 90 needs to come up a little
CH 130 needs to come up a little for heater
Didnt test CYA, have about 2# dissolved, hopefully 4# by Monday

I'm just so happy I had to tell someone!!

Donnie

(now if the PB will just get the sand off the bottom and the rest of the deck poured. Concrete scheduled for 9:00 Monday!)