Test levels - beginner

[JJ_Tex]

If you choose to share your logs, it is automatically shared in your profile. Just click on someone's name and then you can see a button to go to their pool math logs.

That is helpful when you are trying to help someone, so you do not have to ask them to post their results. When I got my pool last year, I also used it to compare my numbers against a few people with similar pools just to make sure I was doing everything right.
On a related note, we have the same sized salt water pools, in a similar climate. Feel free to check out my logs.

 

[MCF50]

When you’re entering your data, are you saving the results by checking the “check mark” on the upper right hand corner? The assumed “path” for users is to,

1. Click New Log
2. Click Log Test Results
3. Enter their test results as they test (or directly after they’ve tested)
4. Click the check mark in the upper right corner

Once these are done you’ll see your results are all saved and then go to individual tiles if you need to calculate how to get from point A to point B.

Thanks!! I did not know this!!!

 

[MCF50]

Shared now!

 

[MCF50]

So a couple weeks ago I had synthetic turf put in all around my decking....highly recommend Wakasa. Did a great job. Well, as part of they infill they used a limestone urine neutralizer (for pets even though we don't have one). Well, urine is slight acidic and limestone is slightly basic. I was sure some of the infill got in the pool but would eventually be filtered out. Well today I decided to clean out the robot filter. I run it every other day for 2 hours. The filter was about 10-15% full of the limestone infill. So I was basically putting limetone into the pool for 2-3 hours every other day. Does this make any sense??

 

[mknauss]

Limestone is essentially calcium carbonate. So it will raise the CH of your pool water. It will very slightly effect the pH.

 

[MCF50]

Thanks...then still don't understand why ph keep creeping up to around 8.2. Alkalinty is 80. Hate adding muriatic acid every several days to get PH back into 7's....

 

[mknauss]

As your TA comes down the pH rise should lessen. This a new pool so it can months to as much as a year for the plaster to fully cure. The fill water in Houston is also high in TA. So if you add any water to the pool, that will push pH up. If you are still running your spa spillover all the time, that pushes the pH up also.

 

[MCF50]

Thanks....spa spillover is on whenever pumps run. Which I like. I don't want water sitting stagnant. Like it moving. So I should just keep adding a cup of muriatic acid everyday. They need to come up with an automatic muriatic acid dosing system to add every day. I have autofill on...it takes care of about 1/4" of evaporation a day.

 

[mknauss]

You can add a container with dosing pump for acid. It will add what you tell it each day. Search for Stenner pump in the forum.
If you have an automation system it would be wise to schedule the spillover for 30 minutes or so once or twice a day to keep the spa water chlorinated. By running it all the time you will enhance the pH rise.

 

[MCF50]

I can't turn the spillover off....when the pump is on all the pool and spa returns have water going thru them.

 

[MCF50]

It if helps, the spillover is a not a 'waterfall'. The water gently rolls down a wall from the elevated spa into the pool. Very little areation. When the pool is running, the pump is only at 50gpm.

 

[MCF50]

Well, maybe it is possible via a control valve. Not 100% sure of all the valving...I believe the control valve coming out of the SWCG is for pool or hottub? Right now partially open to allow water to both pool and hot tub. Maybe if closed it would send all water to pool? The blue valves down stream of the chlorine feeder is for the bubblers. Not sure where the other line goes that goes opposite the bubblers goes. So I have a control valve I guess I could program downstream of the SWCG and one downstream of the feeder (but that one is to turn on and off bubblers). It would be nice if I could have one circuit "Pool Only" and one Circuit "Pool and Spa". That way I could run the spa much less and reduce ph increase due to overflow. Thanks!

 

[mknauss]

Since you have an Intellivalve I would assume you have Pentair automation of some type. You do not say in your signature.
To set up a Spillover, you adjust the Return automated valve so it is either 100% pool or 100% spa. Then use your automation to schedule a Spillover function for 30 minutes a couple times per day.
What RPM are you running your pump?

 

[MCF50]

Interesting..right now the valve is set to have both pool and spa when in pool mode. When I select pool mode the valve allows water to go to both the spa and pool. Then when I switch to spa mode 100% of water goes to spa. So I could have valve 100% to only pool when in pool mode. Only problem with this is my wife like's the gentle overflow of water in the morning. Only way to get overflow sound would be to turn spa on which bumps flow to 75gpm and overflow is more than 'gentle'.

 

[MCF50]

And that won't work....when it's 100% spa mode, you get no overflow as water is just circulating in the spa....zero overflow. Only way to get overflow is to have pool and spa running.

 

[MCF50]

Pool and spa running = 50gpm. Spa only running = 75gpm.

 

[mknauss]

You use Spillover for suction from Pool and return to Spa.

I suspect you are running your pump too fast. But up to you.

 

[MCF50]

Correct. Suction from pool goes to both pool and spa returns. Not sure if your asking me a question or making a statement about suction from pool and return to spa.

Not sure I understand your comment about running pump too fast - 50gpm. What does that have to do with returnsto pool and/or spa and spillover from spa to pool?

I know some don't think turnover is important, but I like to have my water moving and filtered at least 1-2 tiimes a day. So as of now I have it running for 3 hours twice a day for a 18,000 gallons.

I can always turn the pump down (as long as SWCG gets enough flow) and run for longer, but whats the difference when it comes to spillover and affect on PH.

 

[Newdude]

I know some don't think turnover is important, but I like to have my water moving and filtered at least 1-2 tiimes a day.

We will never fault somebody for going above and beyond what is actually needed. You won’t hurt anything by filtering more than you need besides some electric cost. I ran my pool at low RPM 24/7 because we liked the ambiance and it only cost around $20 a month with the VSP. The key is that I knew that I didn’t have to run as long as I did, I just chose to.

 

[MCF50]

Well I have tried to reduce pump speed to 30gpm and run it from 6-10 and 4-8. Of course for some reason the pump wont go below 48-50rpm. I have checked min flow and min rpm and they are set at 25/450rpm so 30 should be no problem. Now when I turn bubblers on I can drop flow all the way down to 25gpm. NOTHING ever works the way it should with this stupid pool.