Seeking assistance on how to get started maintaining my pool

[Mag1c]

Hello everyone, we've had our pool about 8 months now and I've decided to tackle maintaining the pool myself from now own.

I've included my information in my signature, although I'm a little confused with the poolmath app. My pump (intelliflo VSF) but I don't see it in the list for the "24 hour SWG chlorine output" section in the app pool settings, what am I missing?

My main questions are what are my first steps? It looks like I need to get a test kit from what I was reading on TFP but is there one that's better than another? Anything additional I need at this time or is that all until I test my water and enter the readings in the app and it will tell me what to do next?

edit: one thing I forgot to mention is my pool is concrete with a pebble tec finish, is that "plaster" in the app pool settings?
Thanks so much!

 

[Newdude]

Hey Magic and Welcome !!!

I've decided to tackle maintaining the pool myself from now on.

We will happily guide you every step of the way on the cheap and easy.

For free.

It's a pretty sweet deal if I do say so.

It looks like I need to get a test kit from what I was reading on TFP but is there one that's better than another?

TLDR : TFpro salt + slam option from tftestkits.net.

Full version :

Ditching pool guy for DIY

Hello, I am getting rid of my pool maintenance guy because they really do not do much and the cost can’t be justified. I am looking for the best water testing kit for a Fiberglass pool spa combo that is saltwater. I am color blind and was hoping to find an app driven test kit that will tell me...

www.troublefreepool.com

Anything additional I need at this time or is that all until I test my water and enter the readings in the app and it will tell me what to do next?

Add 2 ppm of liquid chlorine each day per the app until the test kit comes. It's the dead of the winter and you're not losing much FC per day, but you'll still need to replace some.

I'm a little confused with the poolmath app. My pump (intelliflo VSF) but I don't see it in the list for the "24 hour SWG chlorine output"

You look for the output of your SWG model there, not the pump. Then if your unit makes 2 lbs of chlorone per 24 hours (etc), you add 2.0 to that field and poolmath does the calculations to translate it to 9(?) FC per 24 hours.

my pool is concrete with a pebble tec finish, is that "plaster" in the app pool settings?

Yes.

 

[duraleigh]

A really good read is found in Pool Care Basics Archives

It explains a lot.

 

[Mag1c]

Hey Magic and Welcome !!!


We will happily guide you every step of the way on the cheap and easy.

For free.

It's a pretty sweet deal if I do say so.


TLDR : TFpro salt + slam option from tftestkits.net.

Full version :

Ditching pool guy for DIY

Hello, I am getting rid of my pool maintenance guy because they really do not do much and the cost can’t be justified. I am looking for the best water testing kit for a Fiberglass pool spa combo that is saltwater. I am color blind and was hoping to find an app driven test kit that will tell me...

www.troublefreepool.com

Add 2 ppm of liquid chlorine each day per the app until the test kit comes. It's the dead of the winter and you're not losing much FC per day, but you'll still need to replace some.

You look for the output of your SWG model there, not the pump. Then if your unit makes 2 lbs of chlorone per 24 hours (etc), you add 2.0 to that field and poolmath does the calculations to translate it to 9(?) FC per 24 hours.


Yes.

thank you very much for the thorough response, that answers it all! I do have one silly follow up question.

I see you said the TFpro salt + slam option, AFAIK I don't have a "saltwater" pool but I do have the Salt cell for the SWG, is there a difference or do I actually have a saltwater pool? This was always a little confusing to me lol

 

[Newdude]

I see you said the TFpro salt + slam option, AFAIK I don't have a "saltwater" pool but I do have the Salt cell for the SWG, is there a difference or do I actually have a saltwater pool? This was always a little confusing to me lol

So this can still go a 2 ways. If you have an active SWG, then it's a 'salt pool' and you need a salt test kit (Taylor k1766) that comes bundled in the TF100 salt, TFpro salt or Taylor 2006C salt.

If you have an old SWG that doesn't work anymore and have switched to liquid chlorine/ pucks, then you don't need the salt version of the test kits.

The SLAM option is great for newbs and those with swamps as both will be testing frequently at first and may run out of the standard issue supplies.

 

[Mag1c]

So this can still go a 2 ways. If you have an active SWG, then it's a 'salt pool' and you need a salt test kit (Taylor k1766) that comes bundled in the TF100 salt, TFpro salt or Taylor 2006C salt.

If you have an old SWG that doesn't work anymore and have switched to liquid chlorine/ pucks, then you don't need the salt version of the test kits.

The SLAM option is great for newbs and those with swamps as both will be testing frequently at first and may run out of the standard issue supplies.

Perfect, its definitely an active SWG as we just got it and the pool installed last year. I will get the TFpro salt + SLAM and some liquid chlorine from walmart in the meantime until it arrives, thanks so much!

 

[Mag1c]

Okay so I just did my first tests and need some help.

Here are my results (it's been two weeks since they last serviced my pool and we just got a bunch of rain overnight so I expected my results to be not terrific)

FC - 4.0
pH - 8.2
TA - 130
CH - 450
CYA - 20? (It wasn't cloudy/murky at all I could see the black dot the entire time)

I'm a little confused on if I need to do the saltwater test, as I have the kit for it but didn't see it in the poolmath app as an option for sodium chloride. Which might because in my settings I put SWG but didn't put an output, I'm not sure what the output is of my SWG/pump. I looked in the manual but I'm sure I am just missing it...User Guide: IntelliFlo3 and IntelliPro3 VSF Pool Pump (pentair.com)

Otherwise, do I just follow what the app says to take care of my pH, TA and CYA?

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[Newdude]

CYA - 20?

20 and below are sketchy at best to read. Add 15 ppm of granuals to a sock. Hang it carrot on a stick like in front of a working return. Some time later, or even tomorrow, it will be mush and easily squeeze out.

Give it a couple days to appear on the test. Repeat if necessary.

but didn't see it in the poolmath app as an option for sodium chloride.

Go to the settings wheel in the upper right corner. Click 'track salt' and it will appear as a main parameter.

I'm not sure what the output is of my SWG/pump. I looked in the manual but I'm sure I am just missing it...User Guide: IntelliFlo3 and IntelliPro3 VSF Pool Pump (pentair.com)

That is the pump. A SWG is entirely it's own device. Pentair's versions are the IC15 or 30 which is mostly round and the IC20, 40 or 60 which are rectangular.

pH - 8.2

Use muriatic acid to lower the PH into the 7s. Any high or low reading looks the same and may be really high/low. Add from 6.8 or 8.2, mix well, and retest to see if it's a 7. Repeat if necessary.

TA - 130

This will come down on its own while managing the PH.

 

[Mag1c]

20 and below are sketchy at best to read. Add 15 ppm of granuals to a sock. Hang it carrot on a stick like in front of a working return. Some time later, or even tomorrow, it will be mush and easily squeeze out.

Give it a couple days to appear on the test. Repeat if necessary.



Go to the settings wheel in the upper right corner. Click 'track salt' and it will appear as a main parameter.

That is the pump. A SWG is entirely it's own device. Pentair's versions are the IC15 or 30 which is mostly round and the IC20, 40 or 60 which are rectangular.

Use muriatic acid to lower the PH into the 7s. Any high or low reading looks the same and may be really high/low. Add from 6.8 or 8.2, mix well, and retest to see if it's a 7. Repeat if necessary.

This will come down on its own while managing the PH.

Many thanks! Silly me, so I have the ichlor30 and just put that in the app it outputs 1lbs/day, for the track salt option what parameters do I put in? It says min - target - max.

 

[Newdude]

Silly me, so I have the ichlor30 and just put that in the app it outputs 1lbs/day

SWEET. As you see then it's about 20 FC per 24 hours or .8 an hour. Use that as your guide. If you're losing 1 to 2 ppm per day now in the shortest days part of the season, then 2 to 3 hours at 100% ( 6 hours at 50%, 12 hours at 25% or any equivalent math to make '3') will be plenty to keep the FC well above min.




As the season ramps up with longer days and a higher sun angle, add SWG time to match it. You may lose 4 or even 5 ppm FC per day in the peak season. Then, mid season the daily loss will decrease a tiny bit each day until it's low again like now.

for the track salt option what parameters do I put in? It says min - target - max.

Meh. It's just for the app suggestion and kinda for show. I put 3000, 3200, 3600 in for mine. In reality you'll only need salt a couple times a season and will just plug the test #s in at those times.

 

[Mag1c]

SWEET. As you see then it's about 20 FC per 24 hours or .8 an hour. Use that as your guide. If you're losing 1 to 2 ppm per day now in the shortest days part of the season, then 2 to 3 hours at 100% ( 6 hours at 50%, 12 hours at 25% or any equivalent math to make '3') will be plenty to keep the FC well above min.

View attachment 548695


As the season ramps up with longer days and a higher sun angle, add SWG time to match it. You may lose 4 or even 5 ppm FC per day in the peak season. Then, mid season the daily loss will decrease a tiny bit each day until it's low again like now.

Meh. It's just for the app suggestion and kinda for show. I put 3000, 3200, 3600 in for mine. In reality you'll only need salt a couple times a season and will just plug the test #s in at those times.

Awesome, that chart is definitely handy. So my SWG only runs when I run my pump which right now is about 8 hours overnight (12-8am) I assume I can take that to mean it's only generating 1/3rd it's output since it's only running 8hrs? Is there anything I need to do to counteract that or just simply run my pump for longer but at lower speeds?

 

[Newdude]

There should be a % setting for the SWG, which makes it run 20/40/60/80/100 % of the time the pump runs. Of the hours the pump is running, you produce that % of .8 FC per hour.

If it's on 100% for 8 hours, you should be making about 6.4 FC per day which is alot for the off season. (.8 FC per hour X 8 hours × 100%).

If the unit is running 13 hours at 20%, the math is .8 (fc per hour) X 13(hours) X .2 (20% of the time) = 2ppm.

Or just mess with the hours and % in poolmath and see how it.shakes out.

You will eventually want to raise the CYA when it warms up, or starts to warm up. Never significantly raise the CYA without passing an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test first. The slam target for a liquid chlorine pool (30 cya) is 12. The slam target for a swg pool (70 CYA) is 28. You'd sooooooo much rather slam at 12 than 28. So remove the sun from the equation and test FC at bed and just before sunrise. If you lose FC with no UV, then somethings brewing and you slam with a lower target. If you pass the overnight test, then add the CYA because you are algae free.

 

[Mag1c]

There should be a % setting for the SWG, which makes it run 20/40/60/80/100 % of the time the pump runs. Of the hours the pump is running, you produce that % of .8 FC per hour.

If it's on 100% for 8 hours, you should be making about 6.4 FC per day which is alot for the off season. (.8 FC per hour X 8 hours × 100%).

If the unit is running 13 hours at 20%, the math is .8 (fc per hour) X 13(hours) X .2 (20% of the time) = 2ppm.

Or just mess with the hours and % in poolmath and see how it.shakes out.

You will eventually want to raise the CYA when it warms up, or starts to warm up. Never significantly raise the CYA without passing an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test first. The slam target for a liquid chlorine pool (30 cya) is 12. The slam target for a swg pool (70 CYA) is 28. You'd sooooooo much rather slam at 12 than 28. So remove the sun from the equation and test FC at bed and just before sunrise. If you lose FC with no UV, then somethings brewing and you slam with a lower target. If you pass the overnight test, then add the CYA because you are algae free.

Man that is very helpful information, they didn't tell me any of this when we had the pool installed lol. I just checked and the
"Good
Add
Low", light was blinking red-ish and the status light was lit up for Flow not Cell, but the Output is at 80. Sounds like it might be overkill for the offseason but I will get my values under control and then re-evaluate at needed.

Thank you very much for all the assistance and information!