Another Pool Build in Cypress, TX

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I wish I had your memory!! Yes, I thought he would be home two days ago. Then it was moved to today. Then it was to be this coming Friday. We talked again this evening, and now maybe next Tuesday or Wednesday.

This is my wild child. Thirty-one going on maybe twenty. I'm a little disappointed, but by now I know to just roll with it. Different things keep coming up, and I know he wants to get home to at least see the pool. He's driving from Portland, Oregon. It's a long drive - he will get here when he can.

We were laughing tonight about so many things. I told him that he's given me more gray hairs than I deserve, and at the same time, no one makes me laugh more or harder than he does. Children!! Aughhhhh!

Thanks for asking!
Suz.
 
Divin Dave, I hope you see this post eventually. I have a question about my pump run time and Percent settings for the salt cell. I may not have all the numbers you want yet. So your answer may have to come after I get the CYA and CH numbers.

Because my FC has been in the 8-9 range fairly consistently, I'm wondering if I can shorten my pump run time. The last few days, the pool guy had me program the pump to run for 10 hours a day. The first and last hour on high speed. He said he likes to do that so the skimmers can collect more stuff after the pump has been off all night and then again before the pump is going to be off. Sounded reasonable to me, but I haven't come across anything about that on here. The other 8 hours, the pump is running on low speed.

This morning's numbers:

water temp: 85 degrees
FC: 9.5
CC: 0
pH: 7.8

I added MA with a goal of 7.6 and retested 50 minutes later. The level was 7.6. When I get the time, I plan to do the other test for figuring pool volume. But for now, 24K seems to be working - I think.

In Pool Math, I also put in the last numbers I had (taken on Monday of this week) for TA, CH, and CYA and put in targets for each.

TA: 80 (set the goal at 80)
CH: 175 (set the goal at 300) (Tuesday I added Calcium increaser, but was waiting til Sunday to retest)
CYA: 50 (set the goal at 60) (Monday I started the sock of CYA; finished dissolving this morning; waiting til Sunday to retest)

With these numbers which not all are current, the CSI at the current levels is: -0.21
and if everything were to meet the targets, the CSI would be: -0.2

For brief moments, I think I might be understanding this stuff. But most of the time, I'm confused.

Thoughts?
And can I reduce my pump run time?

Thanks!
Suz.

P.S. The pool was switched over to the SWG system 1 week ago today. If that makes a difference....
 
If your water remains clear, you can reduce your pump run time down to as low as a few hours so long as you can keep your FC up with your SWCG, which would be at a high percentage as a result. To state what may be obvious, 3 hours run time at 100% is the same as 10 hours run time at 30% as far as chlorine production. That would reduce your electricity usage by 70 percent assuming running on low the whole time.

The 'high' at the beginning and end theory is reasonable if you actually have stuff on the surface to skim. My pool this time of year has almost no flotsam or jetsam. High uses 4 times the electricity as low but only moves twice the amount of water.
 

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Suz, I just noticed your decorative skimmer basket cover. Sorry if I missed you talking about it, but could you tell me where you got it? Our PB hand mixed concrete and poured it on a cover for us because I wanted it to match the concrete decking, but it doesn't really. I think a pretty decorative cover like yours would be awesome in its place.
Thanks,
Julie
 
I ordered them from Amazon, and it looks like they now have the same for less. I do like them. They are a nice weight, but mine don't fit perfectly. But the base color for my skimmer matches the decorative skimmer, so it doesn't show. It's a tad too small, so it slips around a little. I'm the only one who would know that, and so far it hasn't caused any issues.

Make sure you measure yours first.

Even though it's not a perfect fit, I still like it better than what came with my PB skimmer set.

Amazon.com : CASA NEWPORT 10-01024PP9.1 Palomino Plastic Skimmer Lid, 9.1-Inch : Patio, Lawn Garden

Glad you asked about it!
Take care,
Suz.

- - - Updated - - -

I just double checked. It looks like it's the darker color that is a little less. I don't know what color you need.
 
Today's numbers:

FC: 11.5
CC: 0.5
pH: 7.7


So changed my pump run times:
From 8am to 6pm on low speed with the first and last hour on high speed

To 9am to 12-pm and 4pm to 6pm

I'll see what happens with this schedule regarding the FC and pH and if the skimmers continue to do a good job of collecting stuff.

Thanks!
Suz.
 
hi Suzy, I've just been busy, working around the house; gutting a fiberglass shower and putting in a new tile one, flower beds,trees, and landscaping, I'm in Florida right now epoxy painting the garage floor and installing an under the counter ice maker, it has been a busy summer.
 
Hi Suz,
Sorry so late in replying. Somehow I missed your post. Sorry about that.

So since CYA is hanging in a sock with a goal of 60, lets consider it to be 60. No harm in doing that.
Your minimum FC is 3-4 ppm. So, your FC if 9.5 while not harmful, much of it is being wasted due to burn off by UV.
SO, the question is: To descrease pump run time? Or decrease SWG output. The answer is 'it depends'.

Your pump run time nees to be at least, long enough to keep your pool skimmed. If you get lots of leaves during the day, grass and whatever else may blow in, then you may want a longer run time and less output for the SWG.

If you dont need to run your pump all day and only long enough to get a good circulation and some skimming of what few floaties may get into your pool, (TFP recommends 4 hrs),
then you can decrease the pump run time and perhaps even also the SWG output.

Me personally, I want my water as clean and as clear as possible and with my VS pump, I can run it a lot of hours every day, for pretty cheap. I also like to see water in the pool moving. The currents in the water are soothing to me.

Lets talk about SWG and FC levels.
The reason you can keep a lower FC level, is because you can continually add a little chlorine whenever your pump is running. With the continual addition of chlorine, you dont need the 'headroom' to let FC drift down over the course of a day. Right? (bleachers add a lot all at once, and so there is a spike in FC and then a gradual decrease over the day).

WIth a swg, there isnt intended to be a spike and long drift down of FC. Its add.....add.....add.....add.... etc (hope this is making sense.).

So, back to run time, and lets use 4 hrs as an example.
If you run the pump 4 hrs continuous with SWG, then you need to produce enough FC to drift down over the rest of the day... not quite the spike as adding bleach, but still similar in priciple. In this case, you will want to use "Pool with Bleach recommended levels.. because there is no add....add.....add... throughout the whole day.

Or you can for example run the pump and SWG in 1 hour increments 4 times a day and maintain just a little lower FC and output of your swg.

I hope this sort of makes sense in determining the run time vs swg output and FC for SWG's.
You will need to play around with the output over the next couple of weeks by testing daily, and adjuting the output until you have it tuned up and providing the right amount of chlorine to maintain at least the minimum FC .

You do indeed need to raise the CH. 250- 300 is great number.
Your TA is good too ans is the pH and the CSI isnt as quite as important as some of the geeks on TFP make it out to be. If stay inside the range listed in pool math, you're good!

Judging by what Im seeing so far Suz, you're starting to get the hang of it!!
Wello done!! :)


SuzfromTexas said:
Divin Dave, I hope you see this post eventually. I have a question about my pump run time and Percent settings for the salt cell. I may not have all the numbers you want yet. So your answer may have to come after I get the CYA and CH numbers.

Because my FC has been in the 8-9 range fairly consistently, I'm wondering if I can shorten my pump run time. The last few days, the pool guy had me program the pump to run for 10 hours a day. The first and last hour on high speed. He said he likes to do that so the skimmers can collect more stuff after the pump has been off all night and then again before the pump is going to be off. Sounded reasonable to me, but I haven't come across anything about that on here. The other 8 hours, the pump is running on low speed.

This morning's numbers:

water temp: 85 degrees
FC: 9.5
CC: 0
pH: 7.8

I added MA with a goal of 7.6 and retested 50 minutes later. The level was 7.6. When I get the time, I plan to do the other test for figuring pool volume. But for now, 24K seems to be working - I think.

In Pool Math, I also put in the last numbers I had (taken on Monday of this week) for TA, CH, and CYA and put in targets for each.

TA: 80 (set the goal at 80)
CH: 175 (set the goal at 300) (Tuesday I added Calcium increaser, but was waiting til Sunday to retest)
CYA: 50 (set the goal at 60) (Monday I started the sock of CYA; finished dissolving this morning; waiting til Sunday to retest)

With these numbers which not all are current, the CSI at the current levels is: -0.21
and if everything were to meet the targets, the CSI would be: -0.2

For brief moments, I think I might be understanding this stuff. But most of the time, I'm confused.

Thoughts?
And can I reduce my pump run time?

Thanks!
Suz.

P.S. The pool was switched over to the SWG system 1 week ago today. If that makes a difference....
Click to expand...

- - - Updated - - -

This sounds like a good plan Suz.

SuzfromTexas said:
Today's numbers:

FC: 11.5
CC: 0.5
pH: 7.7


So changed my pump run times:
From 8am to 6pm on low speed with the first and last hour on high speed

To 9am to 12-pm and 4pm to 6pm

I'll see what happens with this schedule regarding the FC and pH and if the skimmers continue to do a good job of collecting stuff.

Thanks!
Suz.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks SO much for going over everything for me. You explained everything really well. I've read what you wrote several times, and each time it clicks a bit more. It seems like for some of this, I can use common sense as long as I play within the numbers.

Adding common sense to the science makes me feel more comfortable. Tweaking things to keep the levels in balance and with results you like. I feel the same way about wanting the pool well-skimmed, and I also like a current when I'm playing in the pool. That's how this morning I came up with the pump run times - the times I'm in the pool most often.

So now I test and see where things are, adjust if needed, test, see where things are, and so on. I can do that! Until a curve ball comes at me.

Thanks a million!
Suz.
 
SUZ! You are doing it! You have a wonderful handle on your pool now! It is so neat to see it all clicking as you use it.

Your pool is so far over what mine is that I have not felt that I can help you with the stuff you have been learning. I am SO glad the others have been able to help you with all of this.

Here is hoping you never have a curve ball BUT if you do you know where to come and who to ask!

HUGS!

Kim
 

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