***This is just a story of my learning experience - If you are new to maintaining your own pool, like I am, make sure you retest ALL of your chemical levels after periods of heavy rains.***
Before the pool build was completed, I had used my TFTest kit to figure out my fill water (tap). I read a lot in the pool school section and received solid advice from the group here - I started maintaining the pool on my own in May and quickly put that advise to good use and began understanding the effects of chemicals and how my particular pool responds. I know how much MA to add to adjust (.x) pH - how long to run the pump at (x)% output from the SWCG to get the desired chlorine and I know the effects of running the sun shelf fountain airation of the water) on pH. I've tested and added salt and CYA after the rain...realizing that these things do not exist in rain water...but I failed to re-test the Calcium Hardness.
I had just added salt and CYA prior to going on a month long work trip.
We had ~14" of rain while I was away.
Upon returning, I ran the regular tests and needed to add salt (was down to 2700 from 3600) and CYA (was down to 40 from 80). These were significantly higher drops in levels than I expected in just 30 days...
This time I measured the CH and it was at 180 (15 drops to turn blue). The last time I tested CH it was in June and it was at 408 (34 drops). Confused, I retested the next day...this time I got 168 (14 drops to turn blue). I ran the test again and 14 drops was confirmed...I think the day before I was adding drops more quickly not expecting it to turn blue so quickly so that 15th drop was just 'extra'.
Pool math said I needed 23lbs of Calcium Chloride to adjust to 350 (my minumum level). I bought a 25lb box and slowly added about half the box over 2 days and then retested...CH 240. I added the rest of the box, some Saturday and some Sunday.
It's been an unusually wet summer here in Tampa, FL - even with record high temperatures I have never needed to add water to the pool. The automatic overflow has kept the pool from flooding the pool deck.
Before the pool build was completed, I had used my TFTest kit to figure out my fill water (tap). I read a lot in the pool school section and received solid advice from the group here - I started maintaining the pool on my own in May and quickly put that advise to good use and began understanding the effects of chemicals and how my particular pool responds. I know how much MA to add to adjust (.x) pH - how long to run the pump at (x)% output from the SWCG to get the desired chlorine and I know the effects of running the sun shelf fountain airation of the water) on pH. I've tested and added salt and CYA after the rain...realizing that these things do not exist in rain water...but I failed to re-test the Calcium Hardness.
I had just added salt and CYA prior to going on a month long work trip.
We had ~14" of rain while I was away.
Upon returning, I ran the regular tests and needed to add salt (was down to 2700 from 3600) and CYA (was down to 40 from 80). These were significantly higher drops in levels than I expected in just 30 days...
This time I measured the CH and it was at 180 (15 drops to turn blue). The last time I tested CH it was in June and it was at 408 (34 drops). Confused, I retested the next day...this time I got 168 (14 drops to turn blue). I ran the test again and 14 drops was confirmed...I think the day before I was adding drops more quickly not expecting it to turn blue so quickly so that 15th drop was just 'extra'.
Pool math said I needed 23lbs of Calcium Chloride to adjust to 350 (my minumum level). I bought a 25lb box and slowly added about half the box over 2 days and then retested...CH 240. I added the rest of the box, some Saturday and some Sunday.
It's been an unusually wet summer here in Tampa, FL - even with record high temperatures I have never needed to add water to the pool. The automatic overflow has kept the pool from flooding the pool deck.
