Pool Care Recommendations

[92foxgt]

So, I finally got a chance to test my pool with my K-2006 kit. The previous owner has an auto chlorinator inline and I've been using tabs as a patch until I could get testing. We have had 10 inches of rain in the past month, so I'm sure some of these values are lower than typical. Here are my test results:

FC: 5.5 ppm
CC: 0 ppm
pH: 7.6
TA: 80
CH: 200 ppm
CYA: 35 ppm

I believe these are all pretty good values for now. I have removed the chlorine tabs and plan on doing full tests daily to learn how it reacts. From what I've read, the tabs tend to introduce too much stabilizer over time and shouldn't be used long term correct?

 

[tim5055]

So, I finally got a chance to test my pool with my K-2006 kit. The previous owner has an auto chlorinator inline and I've been using tabs as a patch until I could get testing. We have had 10 inches of rain in the past month, so I'm sure some of these values are lower than typical. Here are my test results:

FC: 5.5 ppm
CC: 0 ppm
pH: 7.6
TA: 80
CH: 200 ppm
CYA: 35 ppm

I believe these are all pretty good values for now. I have removed the chlorine tabs and plan on doing full tests daily to learn how it reacts. From what I've read, the tabs tend to introduce too much stabilizer over time and shouldn't be used long term correct?

You are cheating by reading before you ask a question....

Yes, you are correct on all counts.

The only think I see is to bring your CH up a little.

I'm just surprised that teh CYA is so low if the previous owner depended on a tab feeder.

 

[92foxgt]

I know that they used a pool service right until I bought the property(he came by trying to sell me on weekly maintenance),my guess is they installed the chlorinator in the past and stopped using it and started using a pool service.

On a side note, I just moved from West Columbia down here haha.

 

[tim5055]

I know that they used a pool service right until I bought the property(he came by trying to sell me on weekly maintenance),my guess is they installed the chlorinator in the past and stopped using it and started using a pool service.

On a side note, I just moved from West Columbia down here haha.

Usually the pool services like floaters & tab chlorinators, but you are lucky you level is low.

On your side not, I stared in FLA and moved north!

 

[Shirker]

I'm relatively new here... But your numbers look pretty good me. How does the water look?

Yes, you are correct. Don't use tabs/pucks of any sort. They all raise stabilizer (CYA) and lower PH. Most powdered "shocks" do the same. If you have low calcium in your fill water, you can use something like Cal-Hypo as your chlorine source as it will add calcium (which you need for a plaster pool) but it might cause cloudiness. Just make sure your CH numbers do not get too high. Your best bet will likely be to use straight bleach. 8.25% is the common "concentrated" form.

 

[92foxgt]

The pool water is nice and clear. I had to vacuum and clean it multiple times to get all the sediment off the bottom and sides. The funny thing is the pool guy that came by said he had been doing the weekly maintenance on the pool including vacuuming and brushing and asked if I was going to continue. I thought the pool had been neglected due to the amount of garbage in it.

I am going to try to bring up the CH to 250 using the pool calc. I have a laminated table that I'm recording all the test values on while I test. So I should be able to track changes easily.

 

[Shirker]

When I first started, I had a little notebook that I logged everything in. Later I created a web form so that I could walk around the pool and log everything using my tablet with results going to a spread sheet.

At first I logged chlorine (the simple one, not the drop test), PH, surface/bottom debris, and pump pressure daily. Then each Saturday I would do a full round of tests (FC, CC, CH, TA, CYA, PH) and log temp, water level, recent weather, swimmer load and any actions preformed such as back washing.

Then as I started to "get it" I backed down on the testing. Now I test chlorine and PH about every two days or so. I still do my weekend full tests except I only do TA, CH, and CYA once a month unless I have replaced a lot of water since the last test.

 

[bdex]

If there are tabs around probably will not hurt anything for a bit if your CYA is 35. And yes, bring it up just a bit unless you are planning on going SWG as your main sanitation method. Then between 70-80.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chiefwej]

Keeping the CYA a bit on the low side allows you to switch to pucks in case you are going to be away for a while. It's nice to keep that as an "ace in the hole".

Welcome to TFP. We usually tell new people to get a good test kit and study Pool School, but it sounds like you have already done a bit of reading.