2nd season startup- looking for input on balancing.

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Poolboy2021

Active member
Dec 21, 2021
27
NY
29,000 gallon

Vinyl liner

Jandy DE filter

Autopilot Salt system



Hello all,



Newbie here looking for a little TFP input on balancing my pool.



Just opened for the 2nd season - done by pool company approx 72 hrs ago. Had a looploc mesh cover on all winter & pool opened pretty well ..overall clean tad cloudy..w/ minimal algae.



Pool company power vac’ to waste, shocked & algaecide’d. I have been running variable speed 3000/2700/2300/1900 24/7. Have salt water gen running at almost 100%. I re-brushed the entire pool down within 1 hr of shock & it looks very clear 3 days later, even full sun all day.



Went for water test at local pool store (results close in comparison to my strips)



Water temp 70

FC-0.26

TC-1.57

CC-1.33

Cya-5

TA-91

Ph-7.4

Salt 2600ppm



Pool company recommended 8lb fine stabilizer, 3lbs shock (Ca hypochlorite72%), 200lb salt



Ok, so I know I need chlorine, more importantly stabilizer so i can hold on to the chlorine.



So yes my CC is >0.5; however I am trying to understand the benefit of doing a slam over the pool stores recommendation? I don’t have algae, almost crystal clear. Once stabilized i plan on running pool 24/7 w a salt gen boost.



For purpose of liner health- what is less of a “fade risk” - slamming or this quick chlorine boost via a shock ?


Attached pic of water for reference.

Any input of how you’d move forward if it was your pool?

Thanks in advance! :)
 

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Welcome! I'll cut right to it 2021:
- The pool store and pool service are doing you no favors; time to cut them loose.
- Test your water with your own TF-100 (link in my signature) or Taylor K-2006C test kit.
- Add nothing else to the water except 3-5 ppm of liquid chlorine each day until you get one of those kits.
- Start reading the SLAM Process. That's what you will use to kill and remove algae.

Our Pool Care Basics also has a lot of very good info. Let us know if you have any questions.
 
Poolboy2021 said:
Any input of how you’d move forward if it was your pool?
Click to expand...
I'd get my own test kit. The pool store machine is for the birds. It's been proven here time and time and time again. Search until you believe me. :) Maybe today's the day that *your store* got it right. We don't care, It'll likely be wrong tomorrow or the next day.

Their advice is like playing blind darts, except each throw costs $150.

SLAM on the other hand is precision dosed, based on science and reliable testing.
 
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Thanks for these quick replies

Yes- totally understand its time to break free from the store. Will be ordering tf test kit. But for current situation- reasonable to raise fc with liquid bleach and stabilzer then?

If I don’t require a 4 day slam ..rather not.
 
Poolboy2021 said:
break free from the store
Click to expand...
Join the club...post up...

I knew I was Pool Stored when...

With the influx of springtime new members rolling in, oddly, I found myself astounded at the number of members that have been Pool Stored. I don't know why it struck me this year, after helping so many that have been pool stored in the past, and even having the username PoolStored, but...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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Poolboy2021 said:
Thanks for these quick replies

Yes- totally understand its time to break free from the store. Will be ordering tf test kit. But for current situation- reasonable to raise fc with liquid bleach and stabilzer then?

If I don’t require a 4 day slam ..rather not.
Click to expand...
The stabilizer is what the store gets wrong most often. If you add a bunch thinking it’s low and then end up overdosing because it really wasn’t low, then you’re stuck draining water out to reduce it back to normal. The advice around here is to do nothing based on their advice. The only safe thing to add is 3-5ppm of liquid chlorine.
 
So If I confirm a very low CYA level with a TF100 kit …I guess my question is with a clear pool is it safe to sanitize with either liquid bleach or shock and get into acceptable range FC and CYA and see how i do?

Pools clear. Just don’t want to get cya up to SWG range only to find out i do have a +OCLT then what….drain so I can slam?
 
Poolboy2021 said:
So If I confirm a very low CYA level with a TF100 kit …I guess my question is with a clear pool is it safe to sanitize with either liquid bleach or shock and get into acceptable range FC and CYA and see how i do?

Pools clear. Just don’t want to get cya up to SWG range only to find out i do have a +OCLT then what….drain so I can slam?
Click to expand...
Using shock to get to acceptable CYA will take too long. It is best to add CYA using the sock method. Without CYA in the water, you will lose FC very quickly...

For now, add 5ppm liquid chlorine per day until you get your test kit.

After testing,
Add enough CYA to get to 30, and keep your FC according to this chart -->FC/CYA Levels

Then you can you OCLT!
 
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Thanks guys

Ordered TF-100 which is coming Monday(y)

Followed pool math- & So far been adding 10% liquid chlorine for goal 3-5ppm (little over 1 gallon daily) , which at first didn’t help bring up FC until i added additional gallon last night which got me to FC between 5-10ppm on some generic test strips i had left over from the evil pool store lol.

This morning all FC was gone. Was nervous maybe ammonia so waited I until the sunset this evening… added an additional gallon chlorine which got me back to 5-10ppm. Now I’m at 4 hours and FC seems to be holding. If I'm still good by the am then can I assume no ammonia?

Once i get TF100 Monday, ill post results. Is goal to get 30-ish cya (careful not to overshoot just incase I need a slam), then get fc to correlating cya value then perform a OCLT?

Also should i shut salt cell off until im all fixed up? Shes working pretty hard 92% range and I've been running pump 24/7. Pool looks crystal clear, robots been running don’t see algae or its dead remains.

Thanks!!
 

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Poolboy2021 said:
Once i get TF100 Monday, ill post results. Is goal to get 30-ish cya (careful not to overshoot just incase I need a slam), then get fc to correlating cya value then perform a OCLT?
Click to expand...
Yep. Add 5ppm of liquid chlorine daily over the weekend.

Maybe post up your pool store experience...

I knew I was Pool Stored when...

With the influx of springtime new members rolling in, oddly, I found myself astounded at the number of members that have been Pool Stored. I don't know why it struck me this year, after helping so many that have been pool stored in the past, and even having the username PoolStored, but...
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 

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i guess make sure to replenish for next few nights and just relax during day since its going to fade out quick anyway in NY?

Attached is 5 hr test after toping off chlorine

Top FC , 2nd value TC
Safe to say CC may be hovering near 0.5?
 

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Poolboy2021 said:
Followed pool math- & So far been adding 10% liquid chlorine for goal 3-5ppm (little over 1 gallon daily) , which at first didn’t help bring up
Click to expand...
Be sure you are checking the numbers correctly. I have an 18K pool and one gallon of 10% liquid chlorine increases my FC by about slightly over 5 ppm. In your 28K pool one gallon should only be about 3.5 ppm.

Also, I can see you signature. If you are on a cell phone, you may not see it unless you turn it sideways.
 
Thanks- i see it now.

I’ve been putting 1 gal and another 24oz
Tf100 comes monday
I did nothing store recommended. Just 2lbs of cya via the sock (taking it easy not to raise it too much) and of course 3-5ppm LC daily.

but I was curious so took sample back to store today to see where I was at.

Clearcare water test
FC-3.99
TC-4.29
CC-0.3
Ph-7.5
TA-87
Cya-19
 
Ok guys.

Pools crystal clear adding about 1 gallon 10% LC daily (also had swg running)

Tf-100 results
PH 7.8
FC 7.5
CC 0
TA 90
CYA -0 ? im assuming since i could still see black dot w cylinder full

I want to do OCLT. However these values were done at 10pm. Sun rises 6:30am i can check….8.5hrs enough?

Do you guys recommend that the pump stays on during oclt or turn it off?

And does anybody know how to turn off an auto pilot swg? I guess i can dial it to 0% but sometimes it self adjusts.

In the past i’ve unplugged the 2 prong cable from the cell
 
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