How Important is Skimmer Basket Matter?

[asusundevil]

I do my best to empty my two skimmer baskets and the leaf grabber in my vacuum hose line but occasionally forget for a couple days. I wonder about the degree to which these areas of my pool's filtration cycle impact the chemical balance of my pool.

My pool is sparkling clear with the only issue some frustrating overnight FC loss and high PH I can't seem to lower. I've been dumping a 1 gallon jug of 10% Hasa liquid chlorine and some 31% Hasa muriatic acid every other night with 4 trichlor pucks in floaters. Pool is under no shade and the temperature here in AZ is averaging 104 degrees. No other organic matter is in the pool, aside from a plastic floating lounge chair we purchased 2 weeks ago and my golden retriever's occasional dip into the second step/lounge area.

FC 1.5
CC .5
PH 8.0
CYA 0
TA 100

Appreciate the feedback!

Thanks!

 

[y_not]

Surely and truly your cya is not ZERO?? What are you using to test your water and cya?

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[Casey]

How old is this pool? You have zero CYA? You're using pucks? How long? You may have something growing if you're losing FC at night. What test kit are you using?

 

[y_not]

I see your sig says you have a K2006. This is one of our recommended kits.
I believe you may be reading the CYA test incorrectly.

Please read and follow the extended test kit directions, here: http://www.troublefreepool.com/thre...Kit-Directions?p=203524&viewfull=1#post203524

Specifically step 9 for cya over 90ppm, then report your results.

EDIT: Also, please post your CH test results. See the link above, then scroll, for help with this test.

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[Richard320]

Odds are, you're topping off the pool with hard water, which pushes TA & pH up a little, and you're still trying to get them down to the sweet spot, so your pool has an unquenchable acid thirst. It should be slowing down some, though.

Since you recently refilled the pool, how much stabilizer did you add? While pucks will add CYA, they are slow to dissolve. It will take you months to build up to a decent level at the rate you're going.

 

[asusundevil]

Guys, I apologize for my novice water testing abilities. I'll try again tomorrow and post the results.

- - - Updated - - -

Richard,

I did not add stabilizer, as I assumed the pucks would be sufficient. What do you recommend?

Odds are, you're topping off the pool with hard water, which pushes TA & pH up a little, and you're still trying to get them down to the sweet spot, so your pool has an unquenchable acid thirst. It should be slowing down some, though.

Since you recently refilled the pool, how much stabilizer did you add? While pucks will add CYA, they are slow to dissolve. It will take you months to build up to a decent level at the rate you're going.

- - - Updated - - -

I used the k2006 kit and followed the directions pretty closely. Filled up the small bottle to the 7ml line with pool water, added the solution to the 14ml line, shook it for 30 seconds, and the water was barely cloudy. Poured it into the CYA vile to the top and the black dot never disappeared.

Surely and truly your cya is not ZERO?? What are you using to test your water and cya?

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[Richard320]

According to Effects of Adding Chemicals in poolmath, it's going to take 25 lbs of pucks (That's 50) to raise CYA to 60. How many do you add per week? That will tell you how long it will take.

I'd just buy some stabilizer. A couple 4 lb canisters will take your 28K pool up 35 CYA. http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/139-recommended-pool-chemicals will tell you someof the variety of names it goes by as well as how to add it.

 

[asusundevil]

Is it odd that I'm not registering a CYA reading?

 

[Richard320]

Is it odd that I'm not registering a CYA reading?

How many pounds of pucks have you added so far? With your little view tube, you won't be able to read anything below 30. And does the water get at all cloudy when you mix the reagent with the sample?

 

[mrcarcrazy]

Might test the pH of your fill water. My fill water pH is stupid high. So I've just accepted
that acid will be on my shopping list. You should be able to get it down though. I have to add 20-30oz every cpl of days. I also have a lot of aeration going on which doesn't help matters.

Have you tested after sun down and before sun up to see your overnight loss?
If your cya is zero you're going to go through a bunch of bleach to keep the fc up.
I'd strongly suggest getting it to at least 35-40

 

[timerguy]

Let's see, you totally refilled about 2.5 weeks ago. Have 4 pucks in a floater. I'd bet they aren't half dissolved yet. So, it's entirely possible your cya is still below 30, but I also doubt it's not 0. Like Richard said, go get some Stabilizer and add about half what it would take to get it up to 50. Your sun in AZ is a chlorine killer. Retest it after a week and top off the Stabilizer to get it up to 50.
Oh, to answer your original question: empty your skimmer baskets daily and your vacuum bag at least weekly-- more often if necessary.

 

[zea3]

The issue with not cleaning your skimmers and leaf catcher is eventually they will block flow to the filter and can cause the pump to run dry in extreme cases. If you don't get much tree debris then cleaning them out once a week should be fine. My neighbor has a bunch of crepe myrtle trees on our fence line and I swear they drop every single bloom in my pool. Sometimes I have to empty the skimmer 2-3 times a day to prevent it from getting choked by all the debris.

 

[duraleigh]

By far, the biggest issue I see in this thread is some basic gaps in the essential knowledge of Pool Water Chemistry.

read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. That will tell you what CYA is for, why you MUST have it, and how you get it in there and keep it there. Grasping those basic concepts of managing your pool water will take you a long way to managing your pool much easier and it'll be crystal clear without spending much time or money.