Just a follow up question but are there any effective filters you can attach to a garden hose to filter calcium out of water as you're adding it to the pool? I've seen a few things as I've searched around but just wondering if these are effective.
Just a follow up question but are there any effective filters you can attach to a garden hose to filter calcium out of water as you're adding it to the pool? I've seen a few things as I've searched around but just wondering if these are effective.
I've been working on keeping the CSI in check and it's going well, but one complicating factor is the fact that we have the spa and we have been using it most nights lately as it's been cool but nice out. So my water temps are around 47-50 normally through the day but then I heat up the spa to 98. So, if my CSI is good for 48 degree water, it's usually a little out of balance for 98 degree water. Should I worry about this? I assume since only a small amount of water 98 degrees for an hour or two and the much larger body of water is 48 degrees all of the time, that I should balance for the 48 degree pool and just not worry so much about the spa. But just wondering if that's the correct approach. Am I leaving myself open to more scaling in the heater or something with the 98 degree water?Have you dabbled with CSI yet? That's the number you want to keep an eye on. You can get away with an elevated CH by reducing some other factor to keep your CSI in check. Typically that is pH. Do you have the Pool Math app? Have you played with the calculators? There is one for CSI. You can enter your levels to get your CSI number. Ideally it should be 0 for a non-SWG pool, but anywhere between -0.3 and +0.3 is fine. If you play with the calculator, you can see what lowering you pH does to your CSI with a CH of 575. Give it a go. You'll also see a big difference when you play with the temperature (which, of course, is not something you can manipulate, but you'll get an idea of what CSI will do in the summer vs winter).
Yep, if your CSI is already close to either threshold, then you're not really keeping it in check. Shoot for 0.0 and then anything close is fine. That's why I use -0.3 to +0.3 as a target, so that any inadvertent events that throw it off won't push it outside the -0.6 to 0.6 range.+0.52 even at 50°F.
Yeah, I've been keeping the pH higher because with the colder water temps the CSI was out of whack at lower pH. My TA just went to 90 on the last test (was holding at 80 before) and that has made a bit of difference. I lowered pH a couple of days ago to 7.7 and CSI is right at zero when around 50 degrees which is where things stand right now, except in the spa when I heat it up.Well, according to your PoolMath logs, CSI gets pretty high when pH hits the top, +0.52 even at 50°F. At 90°F that turns into nearly +0.9. That's very high, and once summer sets in, high CSI will become the norm. You should be thoughtful about your pH management, and maybe get TA a bit lower.
Yes, I've been using this as well. I guess the gist of my question was just how to factor the temporarily elevated spa temperatures into my planning, which I think we've answered as -- the most important thing is the main pool in its normal state, but if it's possible to align it to keep the CSI at least in range when spa is elevated temporarily then might as well do that too.I think I mentioned previously: Pool Math has a CSI calculator, with which you can play with the various parameters that affect CSI. You can use this calculator to see the effects of raising and lowering pH and temperature and CH, etc, to see how they each affect your CSI. I use this calculator to strategize pH and CH levels throughout the year (throughout temperature changes), and when to exchange water.
Do you have a speed stir?I did all my tests again last night and my CH was down by about 50 PPM from a couple of weeks ago
More likely than not, testing error. When you test make sure bottle is straight up and down. Sloooooooowly squeeze so drops fully form and drop on their own. Doing those two thing may make results more consistent.
That's likely. Other test procedure tips that can help accuracy and consistency:More likely than not, testing error. When you test make sure bottle is straight up and down. Sloooooooowly squeeze so drops fully form and drop on their own. Doing those two thing may make results more consistent.
Except for CYA test which should be done outdoors.(not outside).
While performing the CH test, as I approach the expected number of drops, I slow way down on the interval between drops to allow the color to fully form. It seems to me it doesn't do so as fast as some of the other tests do.
This is part of the often-cited TFP instruction set for testing CYA. I just don't happen to agree with it. I only point that out to say that my statement was meant to include the CYA test, I didn't inadvertently include it.Except for CYA test which should be done outdoors.
Because this. Very roughly speaking, direct overhead sunlight is around 100,000 lux, strong indirect light (i.e. shaded from the sun) is around 10,000 lux, an overcast sky is around 1000-5000 lux but varies on how overcast (which is why a bright white cloud overcast is still OK), indoors is usually < 1000 even in a bright kitchen (more typically 500 lux). The CYA test, being a turbidity test is VERY dependent on lighting.IMO, you cannot test CYA consistently by doing so outdoors, because both the ambient and direct light on the testing vial plays such a huge part in reading the result, Really, more so than any other Taylor test. When outdoors, there are different lighting conditions virtually every hour of every day, and some days those conditions vary wildly. And who can test at the same time every time? Frankly, I don't understand why TFP keeps pushing this MO.