So, my adventure with the TFT-100 and TFP forums continues!
I have a few questions if anyone can help -- denoted in BOLD
Let's start with the basics...
FC: 2-3
CC: 0
AL: 130
PH: 7.5
CH: 1250 (ya, i know)
CYA: 110-120 (ya, I know)
(I just added a tad of acid today, so the AL and PH should drop slightly to within target)
So, looking at my numbers, I know I have to drain my pool to lower the CH and CYA, although I'm hopeful with the cessation of Trichlor it may naturally drop on its own. I was going to drain it last week, but have held off for now because it's just not a good time for me to do it. (work and other chores, plus I'd like to re-plaster: so I'm holding off) -- Also, I have a July 4th party coming up and going to just live with the levels. I've stopped the use of the Trichloro Tabs and Cal-Hypo and have found a ready supply of relatively cheap 12.5% liquid chlorine. So I feel good I'm on the right path...So here are a couple questions I have regarding the information so far I've learned from TFP....
According to this chart, to maintain a pool free of algae and having properly sanitized with my current results, i need to maintain FC level around 9-13ppm.
here's what still doesn't set right...
My pool's water is visibly clear, blue and inviting, it has no algae and I constantly maintain a FC @ 2-3ppm -- how or why is it that I don't have algae or cloudy, murky, or just plain ugly water?
I really don't have much debris in my pool at all, no dead critters (outside of some bees); it gets full sun all day, and i don't heat it. (temperature currently is 75-80 degrees naturally) - it's in Southern CA, so not much rain at all.
As a theory, thinking that some of the stains on the bottom of my pool were actually algae of some type, (as mentioned in this post), I slammed my pool to 25-30ppm as an experiment to see if I saw any difference in clarity; essentially dumped the remaining Cal-Hypo i had. I don't think i technically "slammed" it correctly because i think i needed to get the CL up even higher, but all i got from this was swimmer complaining the CL was a bit too much. I will admit that maybe the stains looked a little better, but maybe just wishful thinking. (and when I asked my wife to compare from before and after, she couldn't tell the difference visually)
So...
Are my tests off or is it that the water may be clear, but is still "UN-sanitized" or deceptively still dirty? (Or perhaps not safe to swim in?)
Other than some Calcium scale on the sides of the pool, (which doesn't' seem to bother me since I just take a pumice once in a while to clean it up) - is there any other risk to leaving the CA level at 1250 for another season?
Another question regarding levels and adjustments...
So, when I use the Pool Math calculator for a rectangle pool that's 16x30 @ 8.5ft deep end, it calculates my total water volume @ 30K gallons. So the other day I went into Leslie's pool supply, (I was bored and had time to kill and wanted to tout my newly found chemistry knowledge and call them on their bullcrap), I asked them to calculate the size of my pool using their calculator. They came up with 21,000 gallons. I used the same measurements, but they also asked for the depth of my shallow end. Is there any other way to calculate the # of gallons? (outside of a full drain) - or does anyone know of another online tool that can double check my numbers?
One last question so I'm sure i have this right...
If your TC is 10, and your FC is 8, then your CC must be 2. This means that there is some bacteria in the pool that the Chlorine is fighting (they turn into Chloramines to fight bacteria), correct?
Also, CYA simply bonds to the Chlorine molecule protecting it from ultra-violet light and protects it from dissipating -- Is there is no risk to swimming in a pool with a 120+ CYA level? from this link at Taylor, it was states that the ANSI/APSP guidelines max CYA @ 100. (and a number of municipalities across the country that set that even lower) -- why is there such a regulation? Is there some risk associated with a high CYA level that I should know about?
Thanks in for reading!
I have a few questions if anyone can help -- denoted in BOLD
Let's start with the basics...
FC: 2-3
CC: 0
AL: 130
PH: 7.5
CH: 1250 (ya, i know)
CYA: 110-120 (ya, I know)
(I just added a tad of acid today, so the AL and PH should drop slightly to within target)
So, looking at my numbers, I know I have to drain my pool to lower the CH and CYA, although I'm hopeful with the cessation of Trichlor it may naturally drop on its own. I was going to drain it last week, but have held off for now because it's just not a good time for me to do it. (work and other chores, plus I'd like to re-plaster: so I'm holding off) -- Also, I have a July 4th party coming up and going to just live with the levels. I've stopped the use of the Trichloro Tabs and Cal-Hypo and have found a ready supply of relatively cheap 12.5% liquid chlorine. So I feel good I'm on the right path...So here are a couple questions I have regarding the information so far I've learned from TFP....
According to this chart, to maintain a pool free of algae and having properly sanitized with my current results, i need to maintain FC level around 9-13ppm.
here's what still doesn't set right...
My pool's water is visibly clear, blue and inviting, it has no algae and I constantly maintain a FC @ 2-3ppm -- how or why is it that I don't have algae or cloudy, murky, or just plain ugly water?
I really don't have much debris in my pool at all, no dead critters (outside of some bees); it gets full sun all day, and i don't heat it. (temperature currently is 75-80 degrees naturally) - it's in Southern CA, so not much rain at all.
As a theory, thinking that some of the stains on the bottom of my pool were actually algae of some type, (as mentioned in this post), I slammed my pool to 25-30ppm as an experiment to see if I saw any difference in clarity; essentially dumped the remaining Cal-Hypo i had. I don't think i technically "slammed" it correctly because i think i needed to get the CL up even higher, but all i got from this was swimmer complaining the CL was a bit too much. I will admit that maybe the stains looked a little better, but maybe just wishful thinking. (and when I asked my wife to compare from before and after, she couldn't tell the difference visually)
So...
Are my tests off or is it that the water may be clear, but is still "UN-sanitized" or deceptively still dirty? (Or perhaps not safe to swim in?)
Other than some Calcium scale on the sides of the pool, (which doesn't' seem to bother me since I just take a pumice once in a while to clean it up) - is there any other risk to leaving the CA level at 1250 for another season?
Another question regarding levels and adjustments...
So, when I use the Pool Math calculator for a rectangle pool that's 16x30 @ 8.5ft deep end, it calculates my total water volume @ 30K gallons. So the other day I went into Leslie's pool supply, (I was bored and had time to kill and wanted to tout my newly found chemistry knowledge and call them on their bullcrap), I asked them to calculate the size of my pool using their calculator. They came up with 21,000 gallons. I used the same measurements, but they also asked for the depth of my shallow end. Is there any other way to calculate the # of gallons? (outside of a full drain) - or does anyone know of another online tool that can double check my numbers?
One last question so I'm sure i have this right...
If your TC is 10, and your FC is 8, then your CC must be 2. This means that there is some bacteria in the pool that the Chlorine is fighting (they turn into Chloramines to fight bacteria), correct?
Also, CYA simply bonds to the Chlorine molecule protecting it from ultra-violet light and protects it from dissipating -- Is there is no risk to swimming in a pool with a 120+ CYA level? from this link at Taylor, it was states that the ANSI/APSP guidelines max CYA @ 100. (and a number of municipalities across the country that set that even lower) -- why is there such a regulation? Is there some risk associated with a high CYA level that I should know about?
Thanks in for reading!