- Apr 5, 2010
- 32
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Hi everyone
I am relatively familiar with TFP and have been using the recommended chemicals and levels on this site to maintain my current pool and things have been great.
However, we just purchased a new home and am inheriting a pool from the previous owner. Unfortunately the owner was not follower of TFP and using pucks to maintain the pool. Here are my test results - I wanted some advice on how best to proceed. The pool is pretty new - roughly ~4 yrs old.
Test Results
FC - 12
PH 8.2
TA 280 (Assume he never tested and this is from the pucks?_
TH 500-1000 (we have high TH in fill water in AZ)
CYA - Higher than 100 (I can't see the dot around halfway between bottom of tube and the 100 line!!)
Salt - 2200 (assume this is from fill water, unless owner added salt to improve water feel)
Additionally I see some staining of the grout in the tile below the water line - any idea what could be causing this?
There is also the standard calcium ring on the tile from the high Calcium
How to drain/refill safely in Phoenix summer to lower TH and CYA?
Since the only way to lower TH and CYA is to replace water, I was planning on draining and refilling the pool.
However - it is ~120 degrees in Phoenix right now and probably not going to get under 100 for a few months!
I read that it is risky to drain pools in the summer here, since it can lead to cracking and sun damage on the pool surface.
Is this a valid concern? Can this be done safely.. or do I need to find the name of a Pool RO company and see if they can help me with initial startup without draining?
Other Questions
Assume I can figure out a way to safely lower TH and CYA (by drain refill or RO), I will just need to retest the water and start over then.
I am also interested in adding Borates - I have them in my current pool and I don't have empirical evidence but my water has been very clear
Are there other things you recommend I check or test (water balance or others) - with a pool inherited from an owner who may have been suspect (or clueless) on maintenance?
Chlorination recommendation
I also wanted to ask for recommendations on how to handle chlorination going forward (perhaps this is better as a separate thread?
I definitely want to avoid pucks, and don't think adding bleach daily will be manageable with our busy lifestyle.
The two options I am considering are a (1) some sort of liquid chlorinator (b) adding a SWG to this pool
Any pro's/con's to these approached in Arizona? I have been generally happy with my SWG, but have had to spend ~1000 on a replacement PCB and cell in the 7 yrs of ownership. Also ended up having to drain/refill the pool twice to lower salt levels (I think this was a combination of salt in fill water and adding unnecessary salt due to blindly trusting the salt level read by the SWG)
I am keen on trying a liquid chlorinator, but want to make sure they can handle the Arizona weather - heat, UV, and chlorine loads before I spend on this options.
Thanks!
I am relatively familiar with TFP and have been using the recommended chemicals and levels on this site to maintain my current pool and things have been great.
However, we just purchased a new home and am inheriting a pool from the previous owner. Unfortunately the owner was not follower of TFP and using pucks to maintain the pool. Here are my test results - I wanted some advice on how best to proceed. The pool is pretty new - roughly ~4 yrs old.
Test Results
FC - 12
PH 8.2
TA 280 (Assume he never tested and this is from the pucks?_
TH 500-1000 (we have high TH in fill water in AZ)
CYA - Higher than 100 (I can't see the dot around halfway between bottom of tube and the 100 line!!)
Salt - 2200 (assume this is from fill water, unless owner added salt to improve water feel)
Additionally I see some staining of the grout in the tile below the water line - any idea what could be causing this?
There is also the standard calcium ring on the tile from the high Calcium
How to drain/refill safely in Phoenix summer to lower TH and CYA?
Since the only way to lower TH and CYA is to replace water, I was planning on draining and refilling the pool.
However - it is ~120 degrees in Phoenix right now and probably not going to get under 100 for a few months!
I read that it is risky to drain pools in the summer here, since it can lead to cracking and sun damage on the pool surface.
Is this a valid concern? Can this be done safely.. or do I need to find the name of a Pool RO company and see if they can help me with initial startup without draining?
Other Questions
Assume I can figure out a way to safely lower TH and CYA (by drain refill or RO), I will just need to retest the water and start over then.
I am also interested in adding Borates - I have them in my current pool and I don't have empirical evidence but my water has been very clear
Are there other things you recommend I check or test (water balance or others) - with a pool inherited from an owner who may have been suspect (or clueless) on maintenance?
Chlorination recommendation
I also wanted to ask for recommendations on how to handle chlorination going forward (perhaps this is better as a separate thread?
I definitely want to avoid pucks, and don't think adding bleach daily will be manageable with our busy lifestyle.
The two options I am considering are a (1) some sort of liquid chlorinator (b) adding a SWG to this pool
Any pro's/con's to these approached in Arizona? I have been generally happy with my SWG, but have had to spend ~1000 on a replacement PCB and cell in the 7 yrs of ownership. Also ended up having to drain/refill the pool twice to lower salt levels (I think this was a combination of salt in fill water and adding unnecessary salt due to blindly trusting the salt level read by the SWG)
I am keen on trying a liquid chlorinator, but want to make sure they can handle the Arizona weather - heat, UV, and chlorine loads before I spend on this options.
Thanks!