Just overwhelmed

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proavia said:
CYA test
  • Mix the pool water and R-0013 as directed in the instructions
  • Outside on a sunny day (near noon if possible)
  • Back to the sun
  • Mix the testing bottle again
  • Fill vial to a line on the test vial - say 70
  • Lower vial to waist level in the shadow of your body
  • GLANCE and look away
  • See the dot? Fill vial to next line
  • Rinse, repeat until you don't see the dot
  • If you see the dot at 50 but don't see it at 40, your CYA is somewhere between 40 and 50 - so it gets rounded up to 50
Remember, GLANCE to see the dot - do NOT stare.

You can put the test solution back into the mixing bottle numerous times and do the test again.
Some do the CYA test this way three times to better determine the result during that testing cycle.

You may not have taken the CH and TA test to their true end result. See the recommendation for these two test in post #24 above.
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This is the way I test CYA. Once I learned that I don’t actually have to pour it while watching for the dot to go away, the test got a lot easier. I just keep putting it at different lines (levels) until I’m comfortable that I’m getting a good number.

Regarding the PH - I hold my vial up to the clear blue sky and also down at some concrete (almost white) when I do the test. Remember, PH has a pretty large acceptable range. You’re basically trying to keep it in the 7’s. Yes, you want to be in the high sevens, but if you’re struggling to determine if it’s 7.6 or 7.8, you can just pick one and move on. Next time you do the test, ask yourself - can I easily tell that I’m over 7.4 and under 8? If so, you’re good to go.

Same thing with CYA. There’s not a lot of difference in how you’ll operate if your CYA is between 50 and 70. You’re just trying to make sure you have a good amount of stabilizer in your pool. It might help to be more precise if you are SLAMing your pool (a process to get rid of algea), but in day to day operation, precision doesn’t matter so much. As you get more comfortable with what you’re doing, you’ll understand the cya/chlorine balance and be able to relax a bit. For example, my cya is around 60. Recommended chlorine level is 4-9. SLAM level at that cya is 24. It’s safe to swim up to the SLAM level. So keeping my chlorine on the high end of the range or a bit higher is all good. I run my VSP pump 24 hours and my SWG is at 20%. That keeps my chlorine around 12. Close enough and the pool is clear and no one has ever had any issues with my water. No chlorine smell, no burning eyes, no complaints. All thanks to TFP.
 
Squatting Hen said:
With my pool being smaller 10 -12k gallons, should I buy the 14% in the future? Seems that might be a little safer to handle as well and less likely to put too little or too much in at once.
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Using the 14% is perfectly fine.
 
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Either 31.45% or 14% muriatic acid is fine.
Usually the 14% costs close to the same as the 31.45% - so you're getting 1/2 strength for the same price as full strength.

If you use PoolMath correctly, the chance of adding too much or too little is a mute point.
And a bit too much or too little isn't the end of the world either.

The 14% is usually "low odor".

I use 31.45% in my 12k pool without issue.
 
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I am “feeling” more comfortable after the past week or so, so I appreciate everyone here.

I am about to call and cancel my service. However, with the cooler months coming up, is that easier or harder to take care of the pool? I know my salt generator stops producing when it gets below 50 degrees, so I will need help with what I should be doing about that.

My other issue is in my VSP pump, if I have the speed set anywhere below 2500, I do get decent size air pockets/bubbles in the lid/pump. With that, I do see some bubbles (doesn’t seem like a lot) coming out of 1-2 return jets. I covered the 3 way valve, exposed piping on the valve, and the pump lid area with shaving cream, but didn’t see anything get sucked in or any movement. Hopefully there isn’t a leak somewhere. I no longer run it 24/7 and I have checked in the morning before it kicks on and it is full of water. (I have three stages, stage 3 kicks on for 2/3 hours at 2800 and the air pockets go away)
 
Squatting Hen said:
However, with the cooler months coming up, is that easier or harder to take care of the pool?
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Same exact time thing with less daily UV loss. The daily dose lasts days, then a week, then maybe even more.
Squatting Hen said:
I know my salt generator stops producing when it gets below 50 degrees, so I will need help with what I should be doing about that.
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We will happily help teach you liquid chlorine (LC). Basically you are the SWG and need to produce FC in the backyard, then add it.

The 'producing' part will give you a newfound love for the SWG. 😁

But again, it's not so bad with cool temps. The UV demand will be a fraction of what it was. Plus it's Texas so it's only for 3 weeks then it'll be 103 again.


Squatting Hen said:
stage 3 kicks on for 2/3 hours at 2800 and the air pockets go away)
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Most pumps need a couple minutes to clear the air bubbles in the basket. Does it get larger than the lid ? My lid is half air at all times and it never gets worse.
 

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Newdude said:
Same exact time thing with less daily UV loss. The daily dose lasts days, then a week, then maybe even more.

We will happily help teach you liquid chlorine (LC). Basically you are the SWG and need to produce FC in the backyard, then add it.

The 'producing' part will give you a newfound love for the SWG. 😁

But again, it's not so bad with cool temps. The UV demand will be a fraction of what it was. Plus it's Texas so it's only for 3 weeks then it'll be 103 again.



Most pumps need a couple minutes to clear the air bubbles in the basket. Does it get larger than the lid ? My lid is half air at all times and it never gets worse.
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Here is a current photo the pump lid area. It has been at 2300 for a while now, but goes to 2800 at the end of my full run.

Probably really hard to tell there, but there are 6 quadrants, and a middle circle, and the top two in the photo have no air bubbles, but the others all do.

When it primes, there are no air bubbles in the lid. But once it drops to a lower speed, they start to appear.
 

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Squatting Hen said:
Here is a current photo the pump lid area. It has been at 2300 for a while now, but goes to 2800 at the end of my full run.

Probably really hard to tell there, but there are 6 quadrants, and a middle circle, and the top two in the photo have no air bubbles, but the others all do.

When it primes, there are no air bubbles in the lid. But once it drops to a lower speed, they start to appear.
Click to expand...
Air bubbles in the lid are totally normal when running at less than full speed.
It doesn't necessarily mean you have a suction side air leak.

You may be able to run the pump at a lower RPM and still have the SWG produce.
  • Start with a clean filter
  • Lower the pump RPM until the SWG no-flow light comes on
  • Increase pump speed until the SWG no-flow light goes off
  • At about 200 RPM to that RPM to account for the filter getting dirty
This is now the minimum RPM you can run the pump and still have the SWG produce.
See if that is sufficient to slowly skim the pool. If it is, you're done. If not, increase the pump speed 100 RPM at a time until you get decent skimming.

Once the pool water cools off to the point the SWG isn't producing, you will add liquid chlorine to chlorinate the pool. Luckily, the lower temps and lower sun angle will allow the FC to last a while. I usually dose my pool once a week or every other week in the dead of winter in AZ.
 
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In addition to what Gene said....
Bubble will grow faster with a dirty filter.
Run high for a short period a day to clear the bubble.
Anyway, air in the pump basket on low speed is usually caused by one of two issues.

1) Pump lid leak. Sometimes pump basket lids will seal better at higher RPM than lower RPM because the pressure in the pump basket is lower at higher RPM.

2) Outgassing. The pressure in the pump basket is lower than atmospheric so dissolved gasses in the water can come out of solution. The lower the pressure, the more outgassing that will occur. However, at higher RPM/flow rates, any dissolved air that comes out of solution will quickly get taken out of the pump basket because of the higher flow rate. If the RPM is low enough so the flow rate is lower than the rate at which air rises in the pump basket, the air will remain in the pump basket.

There is nothing you can do about #2 but for #1, lubing the pump lid seals and drain plug gaskets can sometimes improve the problem.
 
proavia said:
Air bubbles in the lid are totally normal when running at less than full speed.
It doesn't necessarily mean you have a suction side air leak.

You may be able to run the pump at a lower RPM and still have the SWG produce.
  • Start with a clean filter
  • Lower the pump RPM until the SWG no-flow light comes on
  • Increase pump speed until the SWG no-flow light goes off
  • At about 200 RPM to that RPM to account for the filter getting dirty
This is now the minimum RPM you can run the pump and still have the SWG produce.
See if that is sufficient to slowly skim the pool. If it is, you're done. If not, increase the pump speed 100 RPM at a time until you get decent skimming.

Once the pool water cools off to the point the SWG isn't producing, you will add liquid chlorine to chlorinate the pool. Luckily, the lower temps and lower sun angle will allow the FC to last a while. I usually dose my pool once a week or every other week in the dead of winter in AZ.
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Thanks. I tried lowering my VSP, but even at higher speeds, my skimmers just don’t seem to pull as much as I would like in. Lower speeds, I know it is pulling because I can put my hand on the suction and feel it, but they would be empty and leaves wouldn’t pull in at all. Even higher speeds, the leaves float right past.
 
PoolStored said:
In addition to what Gene said....
Bubble will grow faster with a dirty filter.
Run high for a short period a day to clear the bubble.
Anyway, air in the pump basket on low speed is usually caused by one of two issues.

1) Pump lid leak. Sometimes pump basket lids will seal better at higher RPM than lower RPM because the pressure in the pump basket is lower at higher RPM.

2) Outgassing. The pressure in the pump basket is lower than atmospheric so dissolved gasses in the water can come out of solution. The lower the pressure, the more outgassing that will occur. However, at higher RPM/flow rates, any dissolved air that comes out of solution will quickly get taken out of the pump basket because of the higher flow rate. If the RPM is low enough so the flow rate is lower than the rate at which air rises in the pump basket, the air will remain in the pump basket.

There is nothing you can do about #2 but for #1, lubing the pump lid seals and drain plug gaskets can sometimes improve the problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Pump is pretty new, maybe a year. I did lube the lid o ring, but that didn’t help.

Hopefully it’s not an issue. Just concerning (because I don’t know what is concerned normal) to see that and the air bubbles coming out of the return jets sometimes.
 
Squatting Hen said:
Thanks. I tried lowering my VSP, but even at higher speeds, my skimmers just don’t seem to pull as much as I would like in. Lower speeds, I know it is pulling because I can put my hand on the suction and feel it, but they would be empty and leaves wouldn’t pull in at all. Even higher speeds, the leaves float right past.
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If you watch to see if stuff gets pulled in, you will stand there for hours and nothing will go in the skimmer.
If you set a lower speed and walk away for most of the day you should see stuff actually did wind up in the skimmer.

Do you have more than one skimmer? If so, does one tend to have more debris in it than the other?
 
I have two skimmers. One did have more in it, but recently it switched to the other one.

Now….a few months ago I change the return jets from the slits to the 3/8 eyes. Wonder if that caused some issues with the bubbles or skimmers. The slits just looked pretty bad since they’re original ones.
 
Squatting Hen said:
I have two skimmers. One did have more in it, but recently it switched to the other one.

Now….a few months ago I change the return jets from the slits to the 3/8 eyes. Wonder if that caused some issues with the bubbles or skimmers. The slits just looked pretty bad since they’re original ones.
Click to expand...
If the skimmer valve positions haven't changed, it's probably that the wind direction changed. The downwind skimmer will pick up more stuff.
You also may have changed the water flow in the pool when you replaced the return eyes.
 

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