First test results..few questions

[CarolinaPeach]

Today I went to the pool store to get water tested and the results are as follows:

Water - looks clear to me. Little dirt in deep end. will vacuum in morning
TC - 2
FC- 2
CYA 40
pH 7.8
TA - 105
Adj TA - 93
Salt 3500
Tot..Hardness - 155
Water temp 85 degrees

SWG was running 8 hrs per day at 60%.

Pool store recommends:
Add 1.3 pints MA
Sprinkling 3.5 lbs CYA slowly through skimmer.
add algae inhibitor 32 oz initial dose
Increase SWG to 12 hrs per day and 80%
2 bags smart shock weekly directly to pool
5 oz backup algecide

My questions are:
Do you think algae inhibitor is necessary if I attain proper chlorination?
He recommends testing pool pH Daily with test strips - seems like you guys prefer reagent testing via kit. Can I alternate ? I have a kit that PB gave me that looks like regular DPD kit at Leslie's. Planning to wait until august for TF100.

Thanks for help. I'm trying to avoid my hubby hiring pool service- so we can save money!

 

[techguy]

I am going to take stab at this...

Pool store recommends:
Add 1.3 pints MA I would aim for a 7.5, PC says 30 oz (3 cup and 3 oz)
Sprinkling 3.5 lbs CYA slowly through skimmer. Skip, I like your 40 CYA but I don't have a SWG
add algae inhibitor 32 oz initial dose SKIP the inhibitor but to get you FC to 7 to prevent algae, add one gallon 10% liquid chlorine or about 2 gallons of 6% bleach, like the stuff in your laundry room (Great Value or Chlorox is fine, do not use a scented, slashless or "outdoor" bleach)
Increase SWG to 12 hrs per day and 80% Not an SWG user
2 bags smart shock weekly directly to pool Test your pool daily, add the items needed and recommended at Pool Calculator.com
5 oz backup algecide SKIP! Liquid chlorine will kill the algae

My questions are:
Do you think algae inhibitor is necessary if I attain proper chlorination? Proper chlorination's goal is to prevent and kill any algae in the pool. Pool School (link above) will discuss this in detail and why.
He recommends testing pool pH Daily with test strips - seems like you guys prefer reagent testing via kit. Can I alternate ? I have a kit that PB gave me that looks like regular DPD kit at Leslie's. Planning to wait until august for TF100. Test strips are not accurate enough and the range is too small. Your goal FC level for a clear pool, with CYA=40, is 7 FC. The strips cannot measure this and you would need FC=15 if you have a cloudy pool. You already have the majority of the tools you need to avoid the pool store. I think all you would need to add to the DPD kit is the FAS-DPD powder based reagent test (powder/liquid reagents/vial/spoon. You could simply order the parts needed, they will not fit in the DPD box. Bout you don't need them everyday.

Thanks for help. I'm trying to avoid my hubby hiring pool service- so we can save money!

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, CarolinaPeach

Do you think algae inhibitor is necessary if I attain proper chlorination?

No, not necessary. If you maintain the proper levels of FC, then you won't need it.

He recommends testing pool pH Daily with test strips - seems like you guys prefer reagent testing via kit. Can I alternate ? I have a kit that PB gave me that looks like regular DPD kit at Leslie's. Planning to wait until august for TF100.

For daily testing, when the pool is algae free, any of the OTO chlorine and ph combination drop based testers that you can buy for a few bucks almost anywhere will be better than strips (and probably cheaper). The kit you already have may also have this capability. See this pool school article for a pool care schedule that includes what to test for daily: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/basic_pool_care_schedule

 

[CarolinaPeach]

Thanks for the input. Seems like TFP will be more helpful than pool store. I suspected algaecide was revenue stream for free pool testing. :-D Back to pool school I will go...