Test levels - beginner

[MCF50]

Called Pentair..there was something wrong in the configuration. So now I have pump/spa pump to run at 30gpm twice for 4 hours each time. See how that goes. PH looks good today. FC a little high but thats ok with me.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Can you not run your pump at a lower speed than 30gpm? Seems like if you cannot, that would be a problem and takes away a lot of the cost savings associated with getting a variable speed pump.

My brain works better with RPMs, but I look a peek at my GPMs and I'm running 1500 RPMs/14 GPMs 24/7 then it kicks up to 2400 RPMs for a few hours each day to bump up the skimming.

 

[Newdude]

FC a little high but thats ok with me.

I too always ran on the high side. You only ‘waste’ the initial dose to get it a bit high. After that it’s the same ~4ppm per day that you would have had to add anyway, except you have lots of wiggle room if need be.

 

[MCF50]

Can you not run your pump at a lower speed than 30gpm? Seems like if you cannot, that would be a problem and takes away a lot of the cost savings associated with getting a variable speed pump.

My brain works better with RPMs, but I look a peek at my GPMs and I'm running 1500 RPMs/14 GPMs 24/7 then it kicks up to 2400 RPMs for a few hours each day to bump up the skimming.

At 30gpm I am at 1700 rpm. I can run it down to 20gpm but that seems pretty low - won't even turn over pool in 8 hours.
Now I would like to be able to run the pump at low speed for a scheduled period of time and a higher speed for another scheduled period of time and I am sure there is a way, but I have no idea how. Make another feature circuit?

 

[jseyfert3]

Shared now!

FYI your logs are not actually shared on here. What Leebo outlined was how to save the test results. If you then want them shared so anyone here on the forum can see them you need to select the gear in the upper-right when the pool is selected on your phone. This pulls up Pool Setup. Scroll all the way down to the bottom and under Sharing select the option to "Link from TroubleFreePool.com user profile." That should let anyone here click on your profile name and see your logs.


Note that this setting is pool specific, so if you ever have more than one pool in the future the logs won't automatically be linked for the other pool unless you share it for that pool.

 

[MCF50]

Thanks! I now have my logs shared and I will create one this evening. So I have figured out how to link a pumps to a feature circuit. So now I have the following pump run times:
6am -10am: 25gpm
12:30pm - 1:30pm: 50gpm (this is for skimmers)
4pm - 8pm: 25gpm

This gives me 15,000 gallon turnover in 9 hours and minimizes spillover 'turbulence' from hot tub to pool. Any thoughts/suggestions? OCD engineer taking over so trying to get it exact...lol.

 

[MCF50]

My test results are available:
Temp - 57F
PH - 8.2 - this seems to go up very quickly. Having to add 1-2 cups of acid seems like every other day. Is this normal?
TA - 70 - should I increase this to stabilize PH so I don't have to add acid all the time?
CH - 210
CYA - 40
FC - 1.5 (bumped SWG up from 10% to 12%).
Salt - 3400 ppm. Two weeks ago I got it to close to 4000ppm. I guess all the rain and overflow and autofill can explain the drop??
CSI - -0.06

 

[setsailsoon]

I had to add acid that frequently when my pool was new. Lowering TA to 50 helped quite a bit but still too many acid additions so I added borates. This really improved pH control along with running higher in the range. I think time was also a big factor. It took way more than a year for me, more like 3-4 years. Now approaching 8 years I only add acid every 2-3 weeks. Still have salt and borates run 30-40 ppm.

Your chlorinator won't put out as much FC in cold weather. But also algae doesn't grow below 60. If it were me I'd keep 5 ppm with liquid chlorine if I were going to use the pool through winter as many do in Houston. I live in S Florida now and let my CYA drift down to min of 40 during winter then raise it up to 80 in spring. I get more sun than you in winter so I would expect this will work for Houston as well.

I hope this helps.

Chris

 

[MCF50]

Thanks. I haven't even breached the subject of borates. Also, I guess I am a little confused on TA and PH. I have read that alkality is to PH what CYA is to chlorine, yet everyone says to lower alkalinity to lower PH. I would have thought a higher alkalinity would stabilize PH. Please correct me. With regards to FC, if it gets any lower, I will creep open chlorine feeder but as of now the SWCG has done a good job keeping it between 3-5. Thanks!!

 

[setsailsoon]

PS It's amazing how much salt drops from the massive downpours we get here just like you get in Houston. After learning about this I now top off to max salt level (4000 ppm for my Circupool) when I add and check salt after 4 downpours instead of a time schedule.

 

[MCF50]

PS It's amazing how much salt drops from the massive downpours we get here just like you get in Houston. After learning about this I now top off to max salt level (4000 ppm for my Circupool) when I add and check salt after 4 downpours instead of a time schedule.

Thanks! We have had some pretty significant rain in Houston the last 2 weeks. We have also went swimming a couple times with lots of jumping and splashing resulting in some freshwater autofill.

 

[setsailsoon]

Thanks. I haven't even breached the subject of borates. Also, I guess I am a little confused on TA and PH. I have read that alkality is to PH what CYA is to chlorine, yet everyone says to lower alkalinity to lower PH. I would have thought a higher alkalinity would stabilize PH. Please correct me. With regards to FC, if it gets any lower, I will creep open chlorine feeder but as of now the SWCG has done a good job keeping it between 3-5. Thanks!!

Your most welcome. No, lower TA helps to keep pH from climbing. I've had mine at 50 for years. Adding FC is fine from a feeder but if your feeder is a tablet feeder keep an eye on CYA. At your level you can let it rise some from tablet FC supplement but it can get away from you quickly since CYA dissipates very slowly compared to FC (months vs days) and the tablets are about 50% CYA.

Chris

 

[MCF50]

Well, I have done some brief reading and borates seem like an option to keep PH stable....I have read to drop PH to around 7.2 using acid...then add borate to get level to 30-50ppm. Then after adding check PH and add acid to get it back to recommended range. Thoughts?

 

[MCF50]

Your most welcome. No, lower TA helps to keep pH from climbing. I've had mine at 50 for years. Adding FC is fine from a feeder but if your feeder is a tablet feeder keep an eye on CYA. At your level you can let it rise some from tablet FC supplement but it can get away from you quickly since CYA dissipates very slowly compared to FC (months vs days) and the tablets are about 50% CYA.

Chris

Understood! Thanks! I will continue to just use SWCG (I am starting to get a good feel as what % increase will get me ppm FC I want).

 

[mknauss]

I have done some brief reading and borates

Borates in pool - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

We highly recommend managing your pool water chemistry for a full year prior to using borates. It allows you to learn about your pool and most areas see the pH rise issues subside, especially as yours is driven by the new plaster.

 

[MCF50]

Sounds good. Thanks! I prefer to limit chemicals as much as possible.

 

[HermanTX]

It is possible the idiot that built my home tied our water softener into the outside lines as well.

Most water softeners are tied to your external hose faucets as well as your house. It is just how the plumbing is set up at the origin. It is not connected to your sprinkler system.
I have found this on several homes in the Houston area. Test your water on each external facet as well as your house.

Your water softener should have a faucet on the inlet. Test that and it should be the standard city water (with calcium).
So if you want calcium added to your pool then fill with that faucet.
If you normally fill just using your external hose faucets or your fill line is connected to your external hose faucet then you are not adding calcium to your pool with fill water.

 

[MCF50]

Adding 1-2 cups of muratic acid every 3-4 days seems to be keeping things pretty stable. Haven't added anything else in a while except tweaking SWCG output...todays numbers:
Salt - 3500
PH 7.4
TA 60
CH 210
CYA 40
FC 4.5

Thoughts

 

[MCF50]

Should I increase CH to 250 or just leave it at 210?

 

[MCF50]

And CSI is at -0.93....concern?