How often should I check FC in a day?

[gazelledrp]

Hello all,

Current chemistry as of today:
0722 2100
FC: 7.5 FC:2
CC: 0 CC: 0
pH: 7.5
TA:100
CYA:40

I just finished SLAMing yesterday, hence the FC of 7.5 this morning. I know that we should be checking FC at least once daily, but here is my concern and question. We get good sunlight on our pool from about 9:30 - 17:00 here in KC. With the FC being 7.5ppm this morning and then it being 2ppm tonight my concern is the decrease in FC throughout the day. By adding the amount, here in a moment, that POOLMATH gives me to get the FC up to 5ppm it will only maintain that for a few hours tomorrow according to what happened today. So do I check it multiple times through out the day and live with the fact of adding chlorine throughout the day? Or, do I go with adding an amount for a higher level of FC, keeping below SLAM level for my CYA, so that I don't have to add chlorine multiple times through out the day? I would think I could probably do either one, just want to see and hear what others may be doing.

I hope this makes sense if not please let me know. My concern is I will be adding chlorine non stop and ultimately could see it leading into it costing me just as much as purchase junk from the pool store. If I have to spend hundreds of dollars on bleach then I would rather do that instead of a stupid chlorinator or floater in my pool.

Thanks for the help and God Bless.

 

[tim5055]

The idea is to slowly figure out how much you need to add each day so that at the end of the day you are still above your minimum. For a few day yo may need to test morning and afternoon as you dial in how much to add each day. After you think you have it, cut it back to once each afternoon to make sure you are still above the minimum at the end of the sun time on the pool. Once that settles into a pattern many just add that amount of bleach each day and do a FAS/DPD test every other day and filling in with an OTO test (the blue box test in the TF-100) on the off days just to see that chlorine is present..

 

[drywall guy]

I test almost every evening....have only skipped testing 3 times or so this season. Thats only because the pool wasn't used and cover was on all day. Like tim5055 said....you will get your pool figured out on what it needs/ wants each day. I will say the days i skipped was early in the season and weather was cool. Now that were in a heat wave here in pa ive been real cautious on all the readings. In early spring i set my target fc at 4 and have been bumping that up as the weather and swim load has been increasing. .im now running my target at 6ppm with a cya of 30 ppm. I have added clorine / bleach part way through the day if people are in the pool most of the day or bump it up 1ppm before the heavy swim load.