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waterbear

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Posts posted by waterbear

  1. 19 hours ago, BobbleWobble said:

    the fact that I'm red-green colorblind and all the measurements are color-based doesn't help

    Which Taylor test kit did you get? The K-2006 and K-2106 are the recommended ones since the FAS-DPD sanitizer test is far superor and easier to read to DPD based testing. As far as the TA test, it is a color change from green to red in the Taylor kits so if you are having trouble with it have someone else read it. pH and CH measurements are based on other color chagnes so you should not have problems.

     

    19 hours ago, BobbleWobble said:

    Did the 7-in-1 (JNW brand from amazon) test strip reading and everything looked normal. Hardness ~160, alkalinity ~180, pH ~7.6. Good to go, right?

    no, alkalinity is way too high and strips only measure total hardness, not calcium harness. Total hardness is a useless reading. Also, strips do not have the resolution to effectively balance water. The range is often too wide for even a "ballpark" guess as to the actual levels.

    19 hours ago, BobbleWobble said:

    (1) the hardness dropped off the map. The scale is supposed to go from green to dark green but the strip was almost yellow, and (2) the bromine reading was still basically at 0 ppm, despite the bromine (?) smell.

    Your hardness test and sanitizer test both bleached out because of high sanitizer and MPS. If you have the taylor K-2006 or K-2106m you would be able to get an accurate reading. IF you are using MPS (why? it's not normally needed!) then you need to also get the Taylor K-2941 or K02042 MPS interference remover add on kit for accurate readings. MPS will test as chlorine or bromine.

     

    19 hours ago, BobbleWobble said:

    his suggested TA (50-70ppm) seems a lot lower than the 'recommended' range in the other guides/test strips I've seen (usually 120-180ppm).  Is that difference crucial?

    Yes, if you want good pH stability. Read these to help you understand the effect of high TA on pH. The second one will explain what is going on and will also show you the ONLY way to lower TA and keep it low.

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52522-some-truths-about-ph-and-ta/

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/28846-lowering-total-alkalinity-howto/

  2. I hose them off and then soak them in 1 cup of automatic dishwasher detergent powder (cheaper house brand is fine) to every 5 gallons of water in a container large enough to submerge the filter (I use a trash can) for an hour to overnight then hose off again. I also have a spare filter so I can swap out the dirty one and soak it and pop the clean one in so the spa is back in use. Same info applies to pool cartridge filters. Unicel has good info on cleaning filters on their website

  3. 10 minutes ago, THE DUDE said:

    had the diclor at 3 ppm  a few days ago (13th) and back to 0 a few minutes ago and ph looks to be above 8 .

    Please post a new full set of test results done with your Taylor K-2006 so I can have a look at what's going on and let me know what chemicals you have added within 3 days of the test and how much. I think that it mught just be normal chlroine loss and rising pH from your high TA but lets get you soaking. It is, after all, a hot tub and not a chemistry set! ;)

  4. On 11/14/2023 at 8:46 AM, THE DUDE said:

    Its the original test that has me baffled. if i was 100 and only added 25 ppm  how did it get to 200?

    If I remember correctly your original test was done by your dealer and they use strips. Strips are not accurate and don't have the same resolution as your Taylor kit so the margain of error is much greater. .

     

    On 11/14/2023 at 8:46 AM, THE DUDE said:

    The bottle reads to increase TA above 100 but what I read here on the forum says to get it to around 50. I have also read Gental spa may have changed a bit, do you still shoot for a 7.2 ph before adding it or am I reading some of these posts wrong?

    TA 50 - 70, pH around 7.6 or lower, pH will rise naturally due to outgassing of CO2 and stabilize around 7.7 - 7.8, don't lower it until it climbs to l8.0 and don't go below about 7.6 for the best pH stability. You could also just buy boric acid from an online supplier such as Amazon, DudaDiesel, Maxtite, The Chemistry Store, etc. Boric acid will have a slight pH lowering effect when added but the pH will quickly stabilize at the same levels as Gentle Spa. Also get some borate test strips. I have found that the LaMotte and the Industial Test Systems Poolcheck borate test strips easier to read than the strips from Hach, Taylor, and Aquachek. You will most likely need to order the strips from an online retailer. I get mine from Amazon. 1.5 Tablespoons of boric acid will raise borate by by 10 ppm in 100 gallons. You want to shoot for 50 ppm. You will lose borate by splashout so when the level drops to 30 ppm raise it back to 50. check the borate level monthly.

    On 11/14/2023 at 8:46 AM, THE DUDE said:

    I'm not to wild on letting it go down to .5

    I agree, keep it at 3 to 5 ppm. If you are doing that you really don't need the N2 as long as you watch your CYA levels and switch to bleach as soon as they hit about 30 ppm so you don't overstabilze with the dichlor, which adds 9 ppm CYA for ever 10 ppm FC added.

    On 11/14/2023 at 8:46 AM, THE DUDE said:

    it reads 54% cal hypo, don't know what the other 46% of other ingredients are

    inert fillers. Cal Hypo is very reactive and the stronger ones used commercially can spontaneously ignite and have been responsible for warehouse fires at one the manufacturing plants for cal hypo in the past.  Cal hypo does not add CYA but does add 7 ppm CH for every 10 ppm FC added. You can use it but when your CH hits around 400 ppm switch to bleach. If you are lucky you will reach the 400 ppm at the same time you are due for your 3 month water change so it will be a non issue for you. (You ARE changing the water every 3 months, aren't you?)

    On 11/14/2023 at 8:46 AM, THE DUDE said:

    hen i brought my Ta up I was spoon feeding baking soda "TA increaser" and added "Ph decreaser" as needed

    NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO  This can create a yo yo effect with pH rising and falling. It's not how it's done!

    READ THIS!!!!!!:

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52522-some-truths-about-ph-and-ta/

    AND STUDY THIS!!!!!!!:

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/28846-lowering-total-alkalinity-howto/

    They will explain the relationship between pH and TA and how to correctly adjust them!!!! Adding backing soda to increase TA should not cause

    On 11/14/2023 at 8:46 AM, THE DUDE said:

    One teaspoon dropped the hell out of the ph from above 8 to 7.3. I didn't expect that much of a drop with that little additive.

    This is why you want to do an acid demand test before adding acid to drop pH (or determining how much acid to add to drop pH to 7.0 before aerating when lowering TA.

     

  5. Post a full set of test results ( total bromine, pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness) and how they were done (strips, liquid reagents, store testing (and whether they used liquid reagents, strips, or strips or discs read in a machine) and we will have a much better idea of what's going on.

    In the meantime read these. They might give you some insight into why you are having problems.

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52522-some-truths-about-ph-and-ta/

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/53410-how-to-use-bromine-3-step-method/

    and be sure to read this one. It explains the relationship between total alkalinity and pH and how to adjust them properly

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/28846-lowering-total-alkalinity-howto/

    It seems that you are just chemicals in the water and don't understand why pH rises in a tub. Also, am moving your post to a more appropriate section of the forum.

     

  6. 2 hours ago, Mmcniel said:

    We both have sensitive skin so the saltwater seemed appealing, also less chemistry and work involved

    Be aware that a saltwater system is usually a chlorine system. The chlorine is generated by electrolysis of the salt. If sodium bromide is used instead of sodium chloride then it becomes a bromine system. Chlorine is not a sensitizer, bromine can be. However, the usual culprit for those with 'sensitive skin' is MPS or non chlorine shock so that should be avoided.

    As far as less work, you won't have to worry about daily dosing of sanitizer or weekly shocking but the chemistry is the same. The water still needs to be tested and balanced and pH control is a bit more of an issue. You still have to maintain your calcium hardness, total alkalinity, and cyanuric acid if you are using chlorine. Cyanuric acid is a chlorine stabilizer. It is not used with bromine.

    • Like 1
  7. 38 minutes ago, THE DUDE said:

    now see on the Taylor wiz wheel my water balance is -.015  or close to it with 102 * water.  If my ph climbs to 7.8 and the alk and ch stays the same it looks like I'll fall below -.03. I guess i can just add some ph and ta down. Using that wiz wheel i also noticed the last page in theTaylor book. Do you use a CYA adjustment to TA before using the wiz wheel?

    Don't use the water wheel. It's only applicable to Plaster pools, not acrylic shell spas.

     

    40 minutes ago, THE DUDE said:

         Ph-7.6

            TA- 90

           CH -190

    pH is fine, don't worry about lowering it until it hits 8.0

    TA is high, you were perfect at 60 ppm. Because of the extra aeration in spas pH will rise faster if the TA is higher or the pH is brought low.

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52522-some-truths-about-ph-and-ta/

    CH is fine, you want it high enough to help prevent foaming (sift water will foam more readily that hard). Anywhere between 130 to 200 ppm is a good range.

    If you are going to use N2 with MPS then follow the N2 instructions. If you are going to use plain chlorine (dichlor/bleach) then dump the N2.

    53 minutes ago, THE DUDE said:

    I imagine you are supposed to go for a true blue and not just a color change as it looks like it makes the differance in water balance using taylor 2006 kit.

    end color is blue, not purple. that is an intermediate color. Keep adding drops until the last drop produces no further color change and then don't count that last drop.

    These videos from Taylor might help:

    https://www.taylortechnologies.com/tv/page/231/k-2006-complete-kit-with-fas-dpd

    1 hour ago, THE DUDE said:

    everyone local says throw that test kit away and use strips but they don't  give as much detail from what I am seeing, and doesnt take much to put the water out of balance.

     

    50 minutes ago, THE DUDE said:

    I asked abount Borate when i had the test done at the store and they looked at me with a deer in headlights. Said they don't know about it since they don't sell it, actually they never heard of it either

    Most pool/spa stores don't have a lot of knowledge and much of what they know is wrong, Sadly it's common in the industry. Also, the main reason a pool/spa store will test your water for free is to sell you chemicals, many of which that you don't need. Their bottom line is selling chemicals, the more they sell the better their bottom line. Accurate testing is NOT what they want. Even those that use some type of colorimeter or strip reader  will have the software set up in such a way as to maximize chemical sales. I used to work in the retail end of the industry and have seen this firsthand. Most pool/spa store employees have little or no training and what they do receive is often from product manufacturers, who also want to maximize product sales. I have even dealt with CPOs (Certified Pool Operators), who have to sturdy and take a test to get that certification so they can maintain pools and spas at commercial facilities such as hotels, water parks, community pools, etc.) that could not properly test a pool at a facility where I used to work. They were unable to read the comparator and were confusing the chlorine and bromine scales, which are different.

    There is another forum on the internet that I contribute to that calsl what has happened to you as being  "pool stored". It's common which is why I recommend testing your own water with a good test kit and not strips.

  8. Trust your K-2006. How is the store testing? If they are using strips that would explain the discrepancy in test results. If you want to verify your test kit Taylor does sell standard solutions that you can test to determine if your testing method and/or reagents are good.

    On 10/26/2023 at 3:23 PM, THE DUDE said:

    i have trouble seeing the difference in the orange and pink on the strips.

    Many men have problems differentiating shades of red. This is a main reason why the FAS-DPD chlorine test in the K-2006 is much better than the DPD test found in most other test kits (including Taylor's) and the vast majority of test strips.

     

    On 10/26/2023 at 3:23 PM, THE DUDE said:

    I show a diclor around 9 ppm they show 5.

    The FAS-DPD also will not bleach out and read low when the sanitizer is high, which could explain why the strips are reading about half of what the FAS-DPD test is showing. (BTW, dichlor is a form of stabilized chlorine, it will add 9 PPM of CYA for every 10 ppm chlorine added so once you have about 30 ppm CYA in the water you should switch to bleach (sodium hypochlorite), which will not raise CYA.

     

    On 10/26/2023 at 3:23 PM, THE DUDE said:

    Their ph showed 7.2 and on my test i show between 7.8 and 8.0

    pH often reads low on strips but no one ever talks about it. I've seen the same thing many times. Strips also don't have a resolution to provide useful results for many tests and pH is one of them.

    On 10/26/2023 at 3:23 PM, THE DUDE said:

    There test says i can get in the tub, my tests say not yet diclor too high..

    You can get into the tub as long as your FC is below 10 ppm. with 30 ppm CYA.

    On 10/26/2023 at 3:23 PM, THE DUDE said:

    added a little calcium increaser which i show now at 120-130. They show the calcium at 200. think they are off on that also.

    The resolution on your Taylor kit is +/- 10 ppm with a 25 ml sample.  Strips can't test for calcium hardness, only total hardness,which usually gives a higher number since it is a combination of calcium and magnesium hardness. This explains the different readings. The Taylor test is testing only calcium hardness. Also, if you look at the resolution of test strips the best ones will have a resolution of +/- 40 ppm while the majority have a resolution of +/- 100 ppm or worse!

     

    On 10/26/2023 at 3:23 PM, THE DUDE said:

    I didn't use any oxidizer until last night.

    Do you mean non chlorine shock (MPS)? Be aware that it will test as combined chlorine, as will residual ozone in the water. It is usually not needed unless you have persistent combined chlorine over 1 ppm and running the tub with the cover off and exposed to sunlight for abut an hour will often take care of it, making the use of MPS unnecessary. You mention the N2 stick. Why are you using it if you are running your FC at normal levels. It's not doing anything for you at all.  If you were using it wiith MPS only that's a different story since the combination of silver, hot water, and MPS IS a fast acting residual sanitizer (that still requires the use of chlorine for shocking).

    Taylor sell an add on for the K-2006 to remove the interference from MPS and ozone, btw.

     

    On 10/26/2023 at 3:23 PM, THE DUDE said:

    they tell me r i need 3/4 cup of spa up but if they are wrong my ph would be way high if i did.

    pH in spas will rise usually rise on it's own as CO2 gases off from the aeration from the jets.

    On 10/26/2023 at 3:23 PM, THE DUDE said:

    I'm on city water, I didn't use any calcium increaser that time and they found my alky at 100 and calcium at 100. I would have thought they would have been closer to my current test as i only put in enough calcium booster for 25ppm.

    On 10/26/2023 at 3:23 PM, THE DUDE said:

    added a little calcium increaser which i show now at 120-130

    By my calculations your CH is right on the money, fill water starts at 100, CH increaser added to raise it about 25 ppm should put you right at 120-130 PPM.

     

     

  9. Just to clarify, a Biodesign pool is not the same as a 'natural' pool. Biodesign pools are liner pools with a resin shell that have beach entries and are built to look like a pond. It is a construction technique that uses no concrete but can have a custom design like a concrete pool. It is not a 'natural pool, which is a pool that uses no chemicals but relies on an ecosystem of plants, anerorbic and aerobic bacteria, and gravel to 'filter' the water, much like a natural pond. The water is not sanitized and can contain harmful organisms such as Naegleria fowleri, also known as the 'brain eating amoeba'.

  10. Chlorine tabs are trichlor and extremely acidic. They are not recommended for use in spas for this reason because of the small volume of water compared to pools which means pH is less stable than in a pool. They can and will cause ph to crash to dangerously low levels which can cause pump seals, o-rings, and other rubber and plastic parts to become damaged. The black junk you are seeing is probably from very low pH dissolving something in the workings of your spa. Trichlor goes in acidic and has an acidic reaction when it sanitizes. TA must be in the 100 to 150 ppm range when using it in a pool.

    On the other hand, liquid chlorine is pH neutral on use. (goes in alkaline and had an acidic reaction when it sanitizes).

    Also, continued use of trichlor WILL cause overstabilization, much like dichlor. Trichlor add 6 ppm Cyanuric acid (stabilizer) for every 10 ppm of chlorine added. Dchlor is even worse, adding 9 ppm Cyanuric acid for every 10 ppm chlorine.

    Please post a full set of test results (FC, CC or TC, pH, TA, CH, and CYA) and how they were obtained (strips, liquid reagent test kit, strip reader or colorimeter and whether they were home tests or dealer tests and if possible, the brand (Taylor Technologies, LaMotte, Hach, AquaChek, etc.) so we can get a better idea of what's going on.

    3 hours ago, christopher5246 said:

    The chlorine levels tested fine each time, however, the PH dropped a bit. 

    This tells us nothing about the condition of your water. Test result numbers do. For example, the chlorine level necessary for sanitation depends on the current cyanuric acid (stabilizer) level in the water.

  11. On 10/12/2023 at 7:53 PM, Wiffleguy said:

    Each week I seem to have to add alkalinity and PH decreaser and that seems to be keeping my PH in a good range,

    Read these to understand why your pH is rising and how to stop it. You should not have to add alkalinity increaser (baking soda) weekly! Your alkalinity should be in the 50 to 70 ppm range. If you want to save some money IF you need alkalinity increaser in the future it's nothing more than baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate--different names for the same chemical (same stuff you can buy at the grocery store for a LOT less money).

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/28846-lowering-total-alkalinity-howto/

    https://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/52522-some-truths-about-ph-and-ta/

    As far as calcium hardness, you want it around 130 ppm or higher to help prevent foaming (very soft water will foam). If your calcium hardness is lower than this then you should add hardness increaser. If you calcium hardness is above about 400 ppm you need to keep close tabs on pH and make sure it does not rise above 8.0 to help prevent scale deposits in the tub. Ideally, keep the pH around 7.6 and the TA around 50-70 ppm for the best pH stability. Hot tubs will have a rising pH because of the aeration from the jets that cause CO2 go gas off. This loss of CO2 is the main cause of pH rise in hot tubs and spas and the higher the TA the faster the pH rise. Likewise, the lower the pH the faster the pH rise. The links I posted above explain why. Read them.

    On 10/12/2023 at 7:53 PM, Wiffleguy said:

    I also have a Frog Ease system in my tub as well

    The Frog@ease system uses a proprietary chlorine source they call SmartChlor that WILL test as total chlorine. This is normal for this system. The addition of dichlor is not recommeded by the manufacturer of this system and they also recommend using THEIR test strips becuse of their non standard chlorine source.

     

     

  12. 11 hours ago, Clarence S said:

    I'm guessing no Borax!?

    You can use borax but it will raise the pH so you will also need to add acid with it which complicates the process. I used to use borax decahydrate from from the grocery store and muriatic acid but using boric acid is much easier since you don't really need to compensate for the pH as long as your starting pH is not below about 7.4. Only drawback it it's a bit more expensive than borax and acid but it's still WAY less expensive than the commercial products (which are basically a mixture of boric acid and borax pentahydrate to create a pH neutral product. The pH lowering effect from boric acid is negligible but the pH rise from straight borax, either pentahydrate or decahydrate is quite a bit. The only difference between the pentahydrate and decahydrate forms of borax is one had 5 water molecues attaches andt the other 10 so the pentahydrate needs less by weight to achieve the same level of borate in the water. The first commercial borate products such as Proteam Supreme and BIoguard Optimizer for pools and spas was just the pentadydrate form and required the addition of acid. Newer formulation (Supreme Plus, Optimizer Plus) are pH neutral because they contain both the pentahydrate form of borax and boric acid.

    If you still want to use borax let me know and I will calculate dosing.

  13. 12 hours ago, Clarence S said:

    his tub does have a Frog mineral cartridge.

    which you neglected to say. In that case you are not doing 3 step bromine. You are using a silver/bromine system and I would recommend following the instructions for the Frog or stop using the mineral cartridge and use 3 step bromine (my suggestion). I am not a fan of mineral cartridges since the low sanitizer levels that are often recommended can lead to water problems.

    12 hours ago, Clarence S said:

    the fill water has a PH of 8.4

     

    On 9/26/2023 at 2:21 AM, Clarence S said:

    I have to add water due to evaporation every few days.  Then the PH jumps high

    You have answered your own initial question. Your fill water has a high pH and, depending how much you are adding, will raise the pH. My suggestion is to lower the pH after adding fill water and keep your TA around 60 ppm and add 50 ppm borate to create a secondary boric acid/borate buffer system (get some LaMotte borate test strips or  Industrial Test Systems  Poolcheck Borate test strips for testing borate. Stay away from Hach, Taylor, and AquaCheck, their color changes are very difficult to read and very close together.) Don't lower your pH below 7.6 and don't worry about lowering it until it climbs above 8.0. Sweet spot for pH when using borate is 7.8 to 7.9.

    Borate is compatible with mineral cartridges. There are commercial borate products such as Proteam Gentle Spa, Phoenix Serena Spa Borate Plus, Proteam Supreme Plus (for pools but can be used in spas) , or Bioguard Optimizer Plus (for pools but can be used in spas) , or you can use granular boric acid from online retailers as Amazon, DudaDielel, or the Chemistry Store. You want to maintain a 30 t0 50 ppm range. It is lost by splash out so you will need to test and add more when you add new fill water. One advantage to using boric acid is that when you add more to compensate for the fill water it will slightly lower the pH,. You still might need to add some acid to get the pH in line.

    4 oz. of boric acid per 100 gallons will get you to 50 ppm (3.8's  oz by weight or 4.1 oz by volume if you want to get exact but it's not necessary, 4 oz either way is close enough. That's half a cup.) 1.5 tablespoons per 100 gallons will raise the borate level approx. 10 ppm for when you need to bump it up after refilling the splash out. If you are losing water from evaporation you should not need to add more since it's not lost by evaporation.

    As I said early, you want to maintain the borate level between 30-50 ppm so you don't need to add more until it drops to 30 ppm then add enough to bring it back to around 50 ppm.

    If you decide to use a commercial borate product for pool or spas follow the directions.

     

     

  14. 12 hours ago, Clarence S said:

    Can I switch to MPS without draining the tub?

    Yes but I would not r recommend it. You could use both MPS and chlorine at the same time if you wanted to. MPS is a known sensitizer and will add sulfate to your water. it is also more expensive. IMHO, the only reasons to use MPS is with a chlorine tub or indoor pool that has persistent CC over 1 ppm or with a sliver nitrate cartridge such as Nature2 in a hot tub (silver ions and MPS become an EPA sanitizer in hot water). There is no known advantage to using MPS to activate bromine.

  15. 1 hour ago, Clarence S said:

    I use Taylor to test

    which kit?

    1 hour ago, Clarence S said:

    I do not know the PH of my tap water.

    test it. it might be the culprit.

    1 hour ago, Clarence S said:

    I did raise the TA to 80

    This can caused the pH to rise more rapidly.

    When you add fill water do you add any other chemicals to the tub or shock the the tub? If you are testing bromine with DPD (comparator with shades of red) and not FAS-DPD (drop counting testing with color change from red to colorless) or OTO (comparator with shades of yellow) it is possible that your test is bleaching out because of high sanitizer and reading much lower than it actually is. High sanitizer will cause pH to read high when it's actually low because the high sanitizer converts the phenol red pH indicator into bromophenol red (which has the same color changes but for a much lower pH range(. This is why I asked which Taylor kit you are using since they sell kits with all 3 methods of testing sanitizer.

  16. 13 hours ago, Reynbob said:

    It is my understanding that ammonia will bind with chlorine very quickly.

    yes but you will still test as combined chlorine (monochloriamine) which is actually a good algaecide. In fact, there are products on the market to kill algae that are nothing more than an ammonium salt to form monochloramine and in the old days ammonia was often used as a chlorine 'stabilizer' before the common use of cyanuric acid and stabilized chlorine sources. There would also be a very strong "chlorine" smell from the monochloramine. (Think busy public pool at the end of the day when everyone's eyes are starting to burn and the smell is very strong.) As far as bromine, i would not recommend it for an outdoor pool since it cannot be stabilzied against decomposition from sunlight. It's fine for an indoor pool or a spa that is covered when not in use but not a good choice for an outdoor pool.

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