Starting to care for own pool... basic questions and chemistry

[swimboy24]

Hello all! After going through 3 different pool guys, none of which I really trusted after watching what they did and did not do, I decided if I wanted the job done right, I'd have to do it myself. I've been muddling through but then I stumbled upon this site and it looks PERFECT!! Thank you to all who respond and help out all of us who are learning!! I bought this house in Los Angeles a little over a year ago. It has a small plunge pool that's an infinity edge. By pool calculators it seems to be about 3500 gallons (I don't know how to account for water in the overflow section). In HS I used to manage a much bigger pool but that was a lot of years ago and they had a liquid bleach chlorinator. I've had quite a few questions come up over the last couple months of trying to muddle through, so here goes:

1) How long and how often to run the pump? Also, how fast? I realized early on that this DRAMATICALLY affects my electric bill. I currently have it at 2500 rpms from noon to 4pm every day. Is it better to run it for shorter amounts multiple times a day or one long stretch? Incidentally I also recently bought a pump powered pool vacuum which I love and seems to be working fine. But I know lowering the RPMs may make it less effective so I included it here.

2) How often to clean the filter? My pool guy said it is due end of this month. Leslie's said if pressure gets above 15. I did leslie's pool school and it seems like an easy enough project but anything to be aware of is also appreciated.

3) Chemical testing. I bought a taylor k-2006.
a) The CYA test seems difficult to know when the dot disappears honestly. I can watch it and it takes longer than if I look away. Which is better?
b) The FC test.... the color often goes away and then comes back when I swirl. I've been recording when it totally goes away and doesn't come back. I assume that's correct?

4) Adjusting chemicals. So.... This has been a learning curve. My last pool guy had me using Trichlor tablets. As I didn't know any better, I continued. Now I see the problem with them... the CYA gets WAY up there. I have concentrated liquid hypochlorite but will see here soon when it runs out and probably change to bleach. Long story short, my pH is stubbornly high (despite muriatic acid additions), my CYA was super high (150) but coming down (80 today)... trying to avoid draining pool in our drought area. That was still using the trichlor (which I still have tons of). And my FC I struggle to keep it up and it's nowhere near where the pool math app says it should be for my CYA. I don't have any algea that I see (so far) But here is the full set of labs I just measured today:

Free Chlorine: 1.5ppm
Combined Chlorine 0.5ppm (for total Cl of 2.0ppm)
pH 7.9
CYA 80
Alk 110
Calcium 625 ppm

A few questions here.... Since I'm not using the trichlor (one small bit remains), about how much liquid bleach would I need to add how often? I assume the Calcium will come down with stopping trichlor as well? And probably pH should be easier to control without the high CYA also. I put more muriatic acid in again today but probably will need to buy more of that.

Any other tips appreciated. I feel like I'm getting there but lots to understand still. Thank you!!

 

[PoolStored]

1) How long and how often to run the pump? Also, how fast? I realized early on that this DRAMATICALLY affects my electric bill. I currently have it at 2500 rpms from noon to 4pm every day. Is it better to run it for shorter amounts multiple times a day or one long stretch? Incidentally I also recently bought a pump powered pool vacuum which I love and seems to be working fine. But I know lowering the RPMs may make it less effective so I included it here.

You run your pump for a reason...skimming, filtering, heating, chlorinating, mixing chemicals etc. Set it up for your needs.

My example, I have a solar cover, and swcg and a heater. Because of the cover, I don't need to skim. SWCG goes off at 1100rpm, I add 200 for the fact the filter will get dirty. My heater needs 35GPM (220rpm) to work. Sooo...I run 1300rpm 24x7 when the temps are such I don't need the heater. When I do need the heater, I setup 8pm to 6am at 2200 and the rest of the day 1300 rpm.

List what you need to do Skim, filter, heat, chlorinate etc, then decide how long you need each and run the pump at an RPM that accomplishes the goals...

2) How often to clean the filter? My pool guy said it is due end of this month. Leslie's said if pressure gets above 15. I did leslie's pool school and it seems like an easy enough project but anything to be aware of is also appreciated.

You should clean the filter and note clean pressure. When the pressure rises 25%, then clean. You should check your filter pressure with the same rpm, and it should be high speed. I check mine at 3000 rpm.

3) Chemical testing. I bought a taylor k-2006.
a) The CYA test seems difficult to know when the dot disappears honestly. I can watch it and it takes longer than if I look away. Which is better?

Do it outdoors in bright sunlight, sun at your back, hold it waist level and GLANCE. See pics here:

CYA Testing - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

b) The FC test.... the color often goes away and then comes back when I swirl. I've been recording when it totally goes away and doesn't come back. I assume that's correct?

No, the moment it goes clear, you are done. If you wait a 10 seconds and pink comes back, ignore it.

4) Adjusting chemicals. So.... This has been a learning curve. My last pool guy had me using Trichlor tablets. As I didn't know any better, I continued. Now I see the problem with them... the CYA gets WAY up there. I have concentrated liquid hypochlorite but will see here soon when it runs out and probably change to bleach. Long story short, my pH is stubbornly high (despite muriatic acid additions), my CYA was super high (150) but coming down (80 today)... trying to avoid draining pool in our drought area. That was still using the trichlor (which I still have tons of). And my FC I struggle to keep it up and it's nowhere near where the pool math app says it should be for my CYA. I don't have any algea that I see (so far) But here is the full set of labs I just measured today:

You need to get liquid chlorine in that pool NOW! Suspend the use of the pucks. You should always follow this advice...Link-->FC/CYA Levels

You should do this test tonight to rule out algae even if you can't see it. Link--->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

Ignore TA and just keep your pH in the 7s and you will be fine. Use muriatic acid to lower pH.

 

[swimboy24]

You run your pump for a reason...skimming, filtering, heating, chlorinating, mixing chemicals etc. Set it up for your needs.

My example, I have a solar cover, and swcg and a heater. Because of the cover, I don't need to skim. SWCG goes off at 1100rpm, I add 200 for the fact the filter will get dirty. My heater needs 35GPM (220rpm) to work. Sooo...I run 1300rpm 24x7 when the temps are such I don't need the heater. When I do need the heater, I setup 8pm to 6am at 2200 and the rest of the day 1300 rpm.

List what you need to do Skim, filter, heat, chlorinate etc, then decide how long you need each and run the pump at an RPM that accomplishes the goals...

Thank you for all of this!! How do I know what I need to skim and filter? I don't need to heat (at least not now in the summer... I put a solar cover on for all of 3 days and haven't had it on since and it stays 80-86 24/7 bc it's in full sun). It's infinite edge so that's the skimmer.... and I adjust where it pulls from with valves so it always skims. Do I need to run it 24/7 in order to keep filtering?

I'll work on the overnight chlorine test. Unfortunately I won't be home until late so probably more likely tomorrow night. But I'm worried about the answer now after reading that article.

I feel like I'm going to be pouring bottles of bleach in at this rate. No? I need to buy more clearly.

 

[PoolStored]

Try filtering for 4 hours a week and see if you like the water quality. If not increase it.

Good luck on the OCLT.

 

[swimboy24]

Try filtering for 4 hours a week and see if you like the water quality. If not increase it.

Good luck on the OCLT.

I assume you mean 4 hours a day?

So, I don't think I even need to do the OCLT test to know that I need SLAM. But let me know if you disagree. This morning, I got up and just did a test strip test to test my theory (I know, I could do the FAS-DPD... but given this result, I don't think I need to waste the test). The free chlorine was basically 0.5ppm and the total chlorine went up to about 1.5ppm. (this was after I added a enough chlorine by pool math to where free Cl should have been about 6). Which means I need to slam. But it also measured the CYA at about 150, which is probably closer to correct based on how you told me to text with the taylor kit compared to how I tested.

So now I have a follow up question: Sounds like I need to get the CYA way down before I SLAM. I'd have to drain a good chunk of the pool to get that to happen right away. Versus allowing it to evaporate off and eventually that CYA should come down. But I don't know how long that would take. Which I assume during that time, just adding liquid chlorine would be somewhat futile since it would get consumed by the organics rather quickly. True? Or would be feasible to just keep adding chlorine and once CYA gets to reasonable level (which would be what... 50?) to SLAM, do it at that point.

I'm so mad at my pool guy for getting me to this point all while I was thinking everything was fine, I want to call him up and tell him he's an IDIOT!

 

[PoolStored]

I assume you mean 4 hours a day?

Ha Ha...yes.

I would do a no drain water exchange to reduce your CYA...here:

Draining - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Then I would SLAM.