What Works For Me

[billy0952]

I have a 20', 52" Intex pool. My CYA is 40. Down here in the SW Georgia sunshine it appears I will lose roughly 2.5 ppm chlorine during the day. The chart on this site says I should maintain a FC level between 3 and 5 ppm. It appears I will need to add 32 oz of 8.25% bleach each day to keep from dropping below 3 ppm.

Here's my summer plan:

Daily - Test FC (late afternoon.) Add chlorine as necessary to boost FC to 6 ppm. Run my 1,600 GPH sand filter 2 hrs in the morning (so I can skim off the bugs that settled during the night) and another 2 hrs in the late afternoon. I will run longer if water is not sparkling...

Weekly or after significant rain - Test cc, ph and TA. Adjust as necessary.

Monthly - Check CYA. Try to maintain roughly 40

What I'm hoping to achieve:

Only have to test once per day (assuming I never drop below 3 ppm FC.
Never have to shock the pool.
My pool will consume two jugs of chlorine per week and will need no other chemicals.
Adding the chlorine in late afternoon will allow it to work all night without loss due to sunlight.

If my daily FC test shows a drop below 3 ppm I will investigate further to see if I have an algae problem.
If my water gets cloudy I will also investigate.

I know there will be variables and I will deal with them as they arise but it really does appear this simple to me. Am I missing something?

 

[TomBorg]

Your plan looks spot on. Yes, it really is that simple!

If I were to make one suggestion: Maybe for the first week or two, move the pH test to the 'daily' column, or 'every two or three days'. Once you are comfortable with how much your pH changes over time, then start doing it weekly. Hopefully you'll find your pool's sweet spot where TA and pH are in balance, and the pH never changes.

(With my commercial pool, I also have to keep daily logs of filter pressure, flow rate, and spa temperature. Out in the real world, this isn't necessary.)

 

[billy0952]

Thanks for the suggestions Tom. Will pH change after a rain?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Don't forget to brush the pool at least once a week. It helps disrupt any biofilm or algae that may be hiding and get it into circulation so that the chlorine can get to it better.
Sounds like you're doing just fine

 

[Patrick_B]

It's not a bad plan, but I encourage you not to run on the ragged low edge as a rule. Occasional bumps of FC a couple of PPM can be very helpful. Better to run on the higher end more often, than doing the opposite.

 

[billy0952]

That's pretty much part of my plan. As my CYA level shows I should run FC level from 3 - 5, I will adjust to 6 or more each evening (to ensure it does not drop below 3 during the day.) I also plan to boost that a few PPM if I start seeing any dead algae on the bottom in the mornings.

It's not a bad plan, but I encourage you not to run on the ragged low edge as a rule. Occasional bumps of FC a couple of PPM can be very helpful. Better to run on the higher end more often, than doing the opposite.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for the tip. I hadn't thought of that. I will brush per your recommendation in case there is any buildup of film on the bottom or sides that might not be visible.

Don't forget to brush the pool at least once a week. It helps disrupt any biofilm or algae that may be hiding and get it into circulation so that the chlorine can get to it better.
Sounds like you're doing just fine

 

[Pauls234]

Will pH change after a rain?

My ph levels are incredibly stable (TA is around 100). I've occasionally had to adjust it up, particularly after adding the season opening dose of CYA, but once it gets around 7.4 it stays there with minimal drift, regardless of weather.

 

[wjr75]

I have a CYA around 40-45 and like to keep my FC at 7 to 8. I had it drop down once to 3.5 because I forgot to test it one day and it started to get cloudy in a short period of time. I had the pool heated to 86deg for a party and it burned more chlorine than usual. Slammed it and all good now but wasted a couple of gallons of chlorine instead of the quarter bottle if I had checked it the day before.

 

[billy0952]

In keeping your FC around 7 to 8, do you check it multiple times during the day so as to ensure it doesn't drop below 7 or am I misunderstanding what you posted?

I have a CYA around 40-45 and like to keep my FC at 7 to 8. I had it drop down once to 3.5 because I forgot to test it one day and it started to get cloudy in a short period of time. I had the pool heated to 86deg for a party and it burned more chlorine than usual. Slammed it and all good now but wasted a couple of gallons of chlorine instead of the quarter bottle if I had checked it the day before.

 

[pabeader]

Na. The idea is if you target the high side of the range or a little more then you have a cushion so even if you drift down you're still good. The big thing is that you never want to get below the low number. So you still just check it once a day and know your going to be okay.

 

[wjr75]

What pabeader said^^^ don't want to drop below 4ppm even for a short period of time.

 

[whataboy]

Hey Billy, I do the same thing and I have a sparkling clear pool. Little 8.25% bleach at sundown daily and little MA every other day or so. So easy once you get things balanced out at the start.

 

[domct203]

I have an Intex 18' X 48" with the CYA at 40. I check my FC every day when I get home from work (around 4:30pm) and it usually at 6.0ppm. Every night after dinner (about 7-7:30pm) I bump the FC to 8-9ppm. This routine has worked very well so far, and seems to repeat daily. Twice a week I check FC before I leave for work (4:30-5am) looking for overnight drops. It's never been more than 0.5-1ppm lower than my evening check.

Pool looks wonderful.

Dom

 

[billy0952]

What's MA?

Hey Billy, I do the same thing and I have a sparkling clear pool. Little 8.25% bleach at sundown daily and little MA every other day or so. So easy once you get things balanced out at the start.

 

[chem geek]

Muriatic Acid

 

[billy0952]

Thanks.

 

[DaneCE]

This thread is a good example of the normal procedures and just how easy it really is.

I have my last timer event for my pump to run from 7:45 PM to 8:30 PM as my test & add time. At 7:55 my phone alarm reminds me. I usually only test pH twice per week at this point and FC every other.

 

[billy0952]

Looks like I will lose 2.5 ppm FC during a very bright, hot day and only 1 ppm during a cloudy/rainy day. My pH and TA seem to be pretty stable. I feel I can "ballpark" the daily addition of chlorine (on the safe side) without having to test daily now, probably just like DaneCE posted above.

This process really is easy using the knowledge gained on this forum. Many thanks to all the pool experts here.