Pretty good, but that FC needs to come up pronto, or you will be in trouble for sure.
Wanting to switch to TFPC method, but very apprehensive
- Thread starter BigRobRN
- Start date
I think you should read this a few times, I did and it makes more and more sense each time I read it.
Your pool is about to have multiple problems but the only thing that is hiding them at the moment is the copper in the water. You can do a series of drains to replace most of the water and your current problems will go away. If you choose to stay with your system you will need to drain the water every couple of years and that is doable if water is not a problem for your area.
If you switch methods you still need to drain and replace most of the current water, but it will not need to be drained every couple of years.
I would do a partial drain & refill if only to get the copper & iton numbers down. That is unless you fill water is from a well that will just bring back the iron. An added benefit would be to bring down the CYA.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm trying to decide what to do. I just know what I'm doing isn't best for my pool. I was sold on this EZ pool by my builder and my local pool store carries it.
Some of my posts sound like I don't like taking care of my pool. I do. I really do. I enjoy a clear pool and take pride in keeping it clean for my kids and friends and family to enjoy. I just know I need to do my own water testing and do it routinely. If I have to add bleach or liquid chlorine to my pool daily or every other day, I will do so. I will get my wife on board and with the pool water testing for the times when I'm away with my 2 jobs.
It looks like I need to shut off the chlorinator completely and empty it and begin using bleach as my sanitizer. I just have to find a place to store that much bleach. I imagine I can purchase some 5 gallon food grade buckets from Lowes and empty the gallon jugs into there, and dip out what I need with a measuring cup.
I want to take more of a hands on approach to managing my pool.
I want to feel confident my water testing skills are on target.
Regarding the k-2006, what are the 2 strips of soft paper in there for? One side is brown, one side is white. Like an absorbent pad of some nature.
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Some of my posts sound like I don't like taking care of my pool. I do. I really do. I enjoy a clear pool and take pride in keeping it clean for my kids and friends and family to enjoy. I just know I need to do my own water testing and do it routinely. If I have to add bleach or liquid chlorine to my pool daily or every other day, I will do so. I will get my wife on board and with the pool water testing for the times when I'm away with my 2 jobs.
It looks like I need to shut off the chlorinator completely and empty it and begin using bleach as my sanitizer. I just have to find a place to store that much bleach. I imagine I can purchase some 5 gallon food grade buckets from Lowes and empty the gallon jugs into there, and dip out what I need with a measuring cup.
I want to take more of a hands on approach to managing my pool.
I want to feel confident my water testing skills are on target.
Regarding the k-2006, what are the 2 strips of soft paper in there for? One side is brown, one side is white. Like an absorbent pad of some nature.
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I am on city water and it is very good water.
- Jul 3, 2013
- 9,028
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-40
no need to change containers or dip out bleach, just have a 2 qt measuring device and use that, after awhile you will know what your pool needs.. if its close to a gal, or half gal just pour directly in front of a return
Roger that, thank you.no need to change containers or dip out bleach, just have a 2 qt measuring device and use that, after awhile you will know what your pool needs.. if its close to a gal, or half gal just pour directly in front of a return
This is what she looks like currently, and most of the time, given a ton of rain and leaves, pine needles, from the 20 acres of woods behind me aren't blown in from the wind.
Skitch
0
No sir, that is a horse pal fly trap. They are a serious problem when you live around as many acres of woods as we do. This ain't no city pool, this is a country pool. LOL.
Costco sells 3x1 gallon bottles of bleach in one box, for about $9.00. I'm sure Sam'sClub does too. I'd just buy those boxes and use the bottles individually as needed and not go to any additional bother of transferring the bleach to a larger container. Just store out of direct heat. Don't stock up on an entire season's worth as bleach does degrade over time. Just a couple to get started and learn how much your pool takes.
Thank you, I have a business membership to Sam's and Costco. Will investigate.
I think something for you to consider given what Dave (duraleigh) wrote is the amount of summer and winter rain overflow/dilution you get. According to this link it looks like you get rain all year long including 5"-6" per month during the summer. If that rain is just making up for evaporation, then there is no change in the CYA concentration, but if that rain is enough to overflow the water in the pool or that you drain the excess out, then you may be getting some ongoing rain dilution to keep the CYA at least somewhat in check. This map shows roughly 65" per year for evaporation and this link indicates around 7" per month in the summer so it seems that you have a small net loss for water, not a net gain, so probably don't get rain overflow dilution in the summer though over the winter from November to March you may.
The fact that you have a vinyl pool is good for your EZ-Pool system that uses copper since that is less likely to stain vinyl, though it could show up in other places as others noted such as the white fiberglass steps. The difficulty with using a copper system is that you need to keep both the copper level and the pH from getting too high since it is the combination that causes staining. You might also have water lower in phosphates that also helps to keep algae from growing.
Probably given your not being able to take care of the pool every day consistently, you may only want to switch to TFPC if you use automation of some sort as others have suggested -- saltwater chlorine generator, peristaltic pump, or The Liquidator. Or you can stick with what you've got since it's been working for you. You just have risk of getting copper staining, but since you don't have a plaster pool the consequences of that are not dire in your pool. Also, if you don't have anyone with blond hair swimming, then you won't notice the greenish hair effect that can occur from copper. Finally, at least with a good test kit you can see how the CYA level changes over time because if it gets really high than the pool can get dull/cloudy even with algaecide because the active chlorine level will get so low that the pool won't be cleared of bather waste and other organics fast enough.
The fact that you have a vinyl pool is good for your EZ-Pool system that uses copper since that is less likely to stain vinyl, though it could show up in other places as others noted such as the white fiberglass steps. The difficulty with using a copper system is that you need to keep both the copper level and the pH from getting too high since it is the combination that causes staining. You might also have water lower in phosphates that also helps to keep algae from growing.
Probably given your not being able to take care of the pool every day consistently, you may only want to switch to TFPC if you use automation of some sort as others have suggested -- saltwater chlorine generator, peristaltic pump, or The Liquidator. Or you can stick with what you've got since it's been working for you. You just have risk of getting copper staining, but since you don't have a plaster pool the consequences of that are not dire in your pool. Also, if you don't have anyone with blond hair swimming, then you won't notice the greenish hair effect that can occur from copper. Finally, at least with a good test kit you can see how the CYA level changes over time because if it gets really high than the pool can get dull/cloudy even with algaecide because the active chlorine level will get so low that the pool won't be cleared of bather waste and other organics fast enough.
Thank you sir.
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Note:
My local pool store carries liquid chlorine in a 10% concentration for $6.99/gallon.
I don't think that's cost effective over my local walmart's price of great value bleach at 8.25% for $2.94 121oz.
Am I incorrect here?
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Note:
My local pool store carries liquid chlorine in a 10% concentration for $6.99/gallon.
I don't think that's cost effective over my local walmart's price of great value bleach at 8.25% for $2.94 121oz.
Am I incorrect here?
You are correct. The simple way to compare is the price per % so 6.99/10 = 0.699 is much higher than 2.94*(128/121)/8.25 = 0.377. Technically when comparing chlorinating liquid measured in Trade % to bleach measured in % weight of sodium hypochlorite, one should use 8.64 instead of 8.25, but that would be 2.94*(128/121)/8.64 = 0.360 so a lot less expensive than that 10% chlorinating liquid.
You might let your pool store know about this rather large difference. If they reuse the bottles, then that's an ecological advantage so they could realistically charge somewhat more, but not nearly double! My 12.5% chlorinating liquid is around $4/gallon and they reuse the bottles (i.e. I take a case of 4 back and get a new case of 4).
You might let your pool store know about this rather large difference. If they reuse the bottles, then that's an ecological advantage so they could realistically charge somewhat more, but not nearly double! My 12.5% chlorinating liquid is around $4/gallon and they reuse the bottles (i.e. I take a case of 4 back and get a new case of 4).
Do you have a specialty store near you that carries that, or a big box store that I may have local to me?
It looks like you've got a Walmart in Baton Rouge about 10 miles away. It looks like you have a Dollar General store in town and they may have Clorox concentrated regular unscented bleach and maybe a store-brand that competes with it. I don't know if Oakpoint Market in your town carries bleach. As for big-box stores in Baton Rouge (in addition to Walmart), you've got Home Depot, Orchard Supply Hardware, ACE Hardware, and Lowes that may carry chlorinating liquid (for example, Lowes and Home Depot usually carry Kem-Tek 10% chlorinating liquid).
I get my chlorine (11%) at my local ACE Hardward. I have 4 of their jugs that I reuse after paying a deposit on them that I will get back if I return the jugs for good. I pay $1.91 a gal. for my chlorine!
Kim
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YOu can also check with your pool store if they have jugs you can "rent".
Kim
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YOu can also check with your pool store if they have jugs you can "rent".
Holy Benoli, Big Rob. Do they get deer flies? If so, they just made a sale. I apologize for hijacking your thread, but had to ask.
Bob, your best bet is to shop around and price the chlorine. I get mine from my pool builder's store. I put a $7 deposit down on three of their 5 gallon containers. They fill each 5 gallon container for $14.50. So I typically go get 15 gallons of 12.5% and it costs me about $45. That 15 gallons lasts me about a month and a half under normal chlorine use. Less obviously if I had a problem and needed to SLAM, but haven't had to do that since my pool was first filled and opened in the spring of 2014.
NO apologies necessary sir. Yes, they trap horseflies, greenheads, deerflies, and one other type of biting fly. I almost built my own, but researched the company and saw that they are fully assembled here in the USA by disabled veterans.
It is VERY effective. They are attracted to the swinging black ball thinking it is something they can get blood out of. Then they realize it isn't and fly up into the trap.
No, it doesn't catch them all, but it has greatly minimized those nuisance little critters.
They aren't cheap either. But I had to do something.
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I need to call around and ask if any pool stores in a 20 mile radius around me does that. That is a GREAT idea. I just haven't heard of any that do that.