Need Advice On Taylor Reagents

[Spanky]

I currently have a Taylor K-2106 test kit which is used to maintain my bromine hot tub.

Just when I thought everything was under control, my wife came home, after a shopping trip with my step-daughter, and announced they had bought a 12' x 24' x 52" Intex Ultra Frame swimmimg pool!! The excuse was, it's for my 9yr. old granddaughter (who's name just happens to be Taylor)

Well now I have to get "up to speed" on chlorine and need to order some additional components for my test kit.

Before I place an order with Apollo, I'd like to make sure I have the right components.

Here's my "shopping list"

9191 CYA mixing bottle

R0013

R0003

R0871

Let me know if I'm missing anything because in a few days a Sears truck will be dropping this monster off.

[PaulR]

Looks right to me. You'll already have the R-0870 powder, so the 0871 and 0003 will take care of the FC/CC tests.

Sometimes with small pools like this, the spa dichlor/bleach method works out pretty well. If I got the numbers right, you'd use dichlor until you've run through about 4 lb, then switch to bleach.

Happy pooling!

[Spanky]

Thanks PaulR

I'm placing my order with Apollo and yes I'm absolutely going to use the dichlor/bleach method. I have lots of Chlorox on hand. I buy 5.3L jugs at the local Metro for $4.35 ea. Just need some dichlor. Should be no problem, there's a pool supply store 5 mins away.

The "little one" will be out of school soon and spending a good chunk of the summer at our house, so I better get my butt in gear and get "Her" pool up and running. She's only allowed in the hot tub for 10min at a time but I know she'll "live" in the pool. At times I swear she's part fish.

[waterbear]

Dichlor is more expensive than CYA so if you have to buy the chemical then CYA is going to cost less, It takes longer to dissolve but that is really not that big an issue . Just put it in a sock in front of the return and don't even test for a week after putting it in.. Also, a pool needs a higher CYA level than a spa. You want to start at about 40 ppm and see how much loss to sunlight you have (1-2 ppm per day is normal. If you are losing more then raise the CYA a bit.).

Assuming 4 feet of water in the pool (normal for a 52" pool) you pool is 8600 US gallons. 4 lbs of dichlor will not even get you to 30 ppm CYA. You will need about 6 lbs total to get at about 40 ppm or you will need 3 lbs of CYA to achieve the same. The Dichlor will cost more and yo really cannot add more than about 10 ppm FC at a time with the dichlor so you really cannot add more than a pound to a pound and a half at a time.

[PaulR]

The pool calculator says 4lb dichlor in 8600 gallons gets you 28ppm CYA, close enough to 30. But it's true I'm used to thinking about a covered pool, an uncovered pool would benefit from being up more towards 40.

[waterbear]

40 as a minimum. Pools that get a lot of sun acutually do well at 70 to 100 ppm CYA, as long as the FC is adjusted to compensate. As a rule of thump you want to run the FC at about 10% of the CYA i.e. if you run your CYA at 50 ppm run the FC at 5 ppm or higher

This chart by Ben Powell of Pool Solutions and Poolforum should be helpful.

[Spanky]

UPDATE: Based on Waterbear's advice, I went to my local Pool Supply store and bought 5lbs. of CYA.

I'm glad I made the trip because I also found out they sell "Bulk" chlorine. I got 20L of 12% for $10.99!!! (Guess they had a sale for the start of the pool season) That's half the cost of 6% Chlorox at the grocery store!! Even after paying $18.00 for a reusable container I'm still ahead.

[waterbear]

Liquid chlorine in refillable carboys is usually the best deal. Some localities don't sell it so the people there are stuck using bleach.Same chemical, just half the strength.