MODS - if I posted in the wrong area please move. Thanks.

My pool has been incredibly easy to maintain. My regimen was to check the Chlorine and pH with a 2-way kit. I never knew there was more to it (until I started reading the posts on this site).

I'd shock every 2-weeks with calcium hyperchlorite and keep a 3" puck (trichlor) in a floating dispenser...replace as needed. Vacuum about once a week.

My pH never really moved, I have 3 year old tubs of pH plus, pH minus and alkalinity increaser in my pool box.

The water was always clear and is today.

I always put it down to my awesome filter...naive, I know

So, I get on the forum start checking more that just TC and pH and now I have a HUGE problem.

TC = 5
FC = 2.5 (guessed from a strip 'cause my kit doesn't measure this).
pH = 7.5
TA = 250
CH = 270 (actually my kit didn't measure this but TH was 410 so I used the 2/3 approximation.)
CYA = 40

This morning I added some dry acid (pH Minus) and brought the pH down to 7.1 - aerated all day and brought the TA down to 240 and the pH back up to close to 7.5

So then I ask myself...do I REALLY need to be messing with this...on the face of it I don't have a problem.

So I came to the gurus...do I REALLY need to be messing with this?

I have a plastic liner. I replace about 25% of the water every year when starting up in the spring with well water.

Is there a "time-bomb" waiting to go off here if I just ignore the high TA and just keep going with my normal, naive approach to pool maintenance?

If you read all the way to the end you deserve a medal!

Hi, Peter,

Yours is a great post!! I am a huge proponent of "If it ain't broke......"

I would leave your pool right where it is. You and your pool have found a routine that works well for you and both are happy with it. Best of all, you maintain sparkling clear water with that regimen.

The high Alk should only be addressed if your pH is difficult to control....yours isn't (the pucks are helping keep it down)

Because you replace so much of your water annually, the CYA that would normally build from the pucks is not a problem.

The same thing is happening with the Cal Hypo. Normally you would be increasing your calcium to uncomfortable levels but because you refill with what must be very low calium water, it stays in check.

In short, your pool is self balancing. That you understand the parameters and know what to do about them if they get too far out of whack makes you a BBB'r......indeed, a very fortunate BBB'r who has the right combination of a lot of factors to have a pool that's about as easy to balance as any I've seen on the forum.

I suggest you test the parameters every now and then to make sure things are staying where they need to be but, other than that, I would simply swim and enjoy it!!

PS - many of us are very jealous!

Dave - thank you.

I feel a lot better and I am going to swim and enjoy my luck.

Just a side note. Growing up in South Africa, we always had an in gound pool. My Dad maintained the pool (always gunnited and painted) with pretty much the same regimen. He was always so proud of how clean and sparkling the water was. I guess we are both lucky.

Thanks again.

You know the old adage "I'll take lucky over good any day".
I just want to echo what Dave said. You shouldn't try and fix what isn't broke. The best thing about you reading this forum is that if it ever does break, you know what to do to fix it!

Dave J....you're right about this forum. There is so much great info. Right now my biggest interest is in some of the mechanical issues I've had and what others have experienced. But reading through the individual posts makes one question if everything is the way it should be. Right now I'm going to just enjoy the pool and my good luck...and when I need help I'll be searching and questioning. Thanks.

Glad to stumble across this post. I read pool school and have researched all over the web. This is the best forum I've come across and already learned a lot...With that said, I don't have time to take the measurements or add bleach daily like many do. I do plan on buying a more advanced test kit for next year just to make sure everything is in check but it seems that my pool is similar to yours in that it self balances and is beautifully clear all the time!

I believe that each pool has it's own "sweet spot", and if you can manage within it and not fight it, you will have a very easily maintained pool.

. . . But you might consider ordering a TF-100 so you are ready should you need more accurate testing down the road so if things stat to deteriorate you can quickly react.