How often do you do each of the tests?

[Nikilyn]

I don’t do all of them each time I test but I’m wondering if I should be doing some of them more often. I don’t remember seeing that in Pool School but I could have missed it.

 

[Wobblerlorri]

When I first open, I run a full panel of

FC
CC
PH
CYA
TA
CH

Then I test FC and CC every day until I get the pool dialled in and know how much it loses per day. Then I back off to testing FC and CC once a week.

I do a full panel once a week.

 

[drsipe]

Daily: PH & Chlorine
Weekly: Alkalinity & Calcium Hardness
Monthly: CYA & Salt

Basic Pool Care Schedule

This basic pool care schedule can guide you in creating your own pool care routine. Regular pool maintenance will keep your water sparkling!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Newdude]

While it will never hurt to test more often, your salt, CYA and CH won’t change much week over week so monthly is fine.

TA can be weekly or bi-weekly until you see it settle to where it wants to be and no longer change, then that can go monthly too.

FC is daily until you get the SWG dialed in, then every other day until you trust it, then most go weekly.

PH is so stupid easy to do that you can just do it on a whim whenever it’s convenient every few days.

 

[chiefwej]

My general rule:
DAILY
chlorine (OTO)
pH

WEEKLY (add)
Free Chlorine (DPD)
Combined Chlorine
Total Alkalinity

MONTHLY (add)
Calcium Hardness
CYA
Salt
Borates

The last two are specific to my pool because it’s SWG and I run 50ppm borates (due to the fill water and high evaporation). I use Pool Math to log my tests and always check the CSI after any test. During the off season (and to be honest sometimes during the season) I get less rigorous about the testing schedule, but at least that is the plan.

 

[iadams]

My general rule:
DAILY
chlorine (OTO)
pH

WEEKLY (add)
Free Chlorine (DPD)
Combined Chlorine
Total Alkalinity

MONTHLY (add)
Calcium Hardness
CYA
Salt
Borates

The last two are specific to my pool because it’s SWG and I run 50ppm borates (due to the fill water and high evaporation). I use Pool Math to log my tests and always check the CSI after any test. During the off season (and to be honest sometimes during the season) I get less rigorous about the testing schedule, but at least that is the plan.

Question: How much does pH change in a day? That seems really often.

 

[chiefwej]

OTO and ph test can both be done in 30 seconds. With my pool the pH will stay stable for many days then suddenly drop, needing lots of MA to correct. I don’t want to miss that drop. Besides, the 30 seconds I spend on the OTO and pH tests are my ONLY daily pool maintenance! I think I can afford that much time.

 

[iadams]

OTO and ph test can be done in 30 seconds. With my pool the pH will stay stable for many days then suddenly drop, needing lots of MA to correct. I don’t want to miss that drop. Besides the 30 seconds I spend on the OTO and pH tests are my ONLY daily pool maintenance! I think I can afford that time.

Cool _ was just curious. Wonder what causes the drop? I can go a month with very little change and just barely nudge it back (generally downward, my pH creeps up)

 

[HeyEng]

Once I have gotten the SWCG dialed in, I check the FC and PH every couple or 3 days. I run all the tests about once every couple of weeks. If it rains a significant amount, I will also run them all.

After a while your pool will give you "clues" when things are askew. I can tell by the clarity (or lack thereof) when my PH is starting to creep up.

 

[chiefwej]

SWG, combined with extreme desert evaporation rate and my fill water, causes constant pH rise. The Borax makes the MA additions less frequent, but then it then requires more to change the pH. I measure MA additions by a half gallon at a time. Mine is not the typical situation, but not uncommon here in a desert climate.

 

[Nikilyn]

My general rule:
DAILY
chlorine (OTO)
pH

WEEKLY (add)
Free Chlorine (DPD)
Combined Chlorine
Total Alkalinity

MONTHLY (add)
Calcium Hardness
CYA
Salt
Borates

The last two are specific to my pool because it’s SWG and I run 50ppm borates (due to the fill water and high evaporation). I use Pool Math to log my tests and always check the CSI after any test. During the off season (and to be honest sometimes during the season) I get less rigorous about the testing schedule, but at least that is the plan.

What is OTO?

 

[chiefwej]

What is OTO?

There are two different types of chlorine tests. The quick little color matching block (OTO) and the more accurate (DPD). I do the OTO daily and DPD weekly.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I do just about the same as @HeyEng . I can see from my kitchen window if my pH is off...a certain dullness in the sparkle.

10yrs without algae....so something works!

Maddie

 

[Nikilyn]

There are two different types of chlorine tests. The quick little color matching block (OTO) and the more accurate (DPD). I do the OTO daily and DPD weekly.

Oh, OK. That little block thing send way off to me. I did both once and they weren't even close to the same. The block showed bright yellow, so above the highest number. My drop test was super low, like 2, so not close at all.

 

[Nikilyn]

I do just about the same as @HeyEng . I can see from my kitchen window if my pH is off...a certain dullness in the sparkle.

10yrs without algae....so something works!

Maddie

Wow! That's impressive to be able to eye that.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Wow! That's impressive to be able to eye that.

You'll get there

 

[clambert1273]

I don’t do all of them each time I test but I’m wondering if I should be doing some of them more often. I don’t remember seeing that in Pool School but I could have missed it.

I do TA weekly Fc & ph daily until I get everything running The rest I do monthly