Hi from Toledo, Ohio
- Thread starter Cltip
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 59,191
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Thank you! I’ve read it and it was so helpful. I’m going to read it again because I’m confused about calcium hardness based on what the pool store told me today.
- May 3, 2014
- 59,191
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
He CL and Welcome!!!
Like this one: step 1 to taking control of your pool is a reliable test kit. See Test Kits Compared. It's less than one trip to the pool store and it will save you DOZENS of overpriced trips to the pool store. The TF100 from tftestkits.net is the better value and lately its been about $100 cheaper too, so it's a double no-brainer.
Read and ask any/all questions here. Marty above has *forgotten* more about pool care than the pool store people ever knew. The same with many many of our experts. When you are at the pool store buying a new float, or stocking up on stronger bleach, be pleasant as always. Talk about the weather and not the pool.
It is ALOT to digest. There is no learning like reading AND doing. That will speed the learning process along, but reread as many times as you need. Ask away anytime and we'll fill in the blanks.
Like this one: step 1 to taking control of your pool is a reliable test kit. See Test Kits Compared. It's less than one trip to the pool store and it will save you DOZENS of overpriced trips to the pool store. The TF100 from tftestkits.net is the better value and lately its been about $100 cheaper too, so it's a double no-brainer.
I have a Taylor 2005 kit. I test 2x weekly as I’m getting the hang of things and have had to add chlorine for the first month while we waited for salt. Salt was added last week. I also dip strip every day I don’t Taylor test just to make sure things are fine. My pool builder told me to test for calcium hardness and CYA monthly. So, I test today and my CYA is 30 and CH is 230. I read that for a salt system CYA should be 50. For plaster my pool builder suggested 300. I go to the store today with all of my test numbers to buy stabilizer and calcium. The lady at the store tells me my calcium is too high. She said it should be 100 and I should drain and refill. Plaster was done 7/12. I think she is wrong, but I’m obviously new and confused! She also said I should raise my salt to 3600 (builder said 3200). I have Pentair equipment. Thoughts?
Here were my numbers today:
TC - 3
CC - 0
TA - 80
PH - 8 (I added acid after testing)
CH - 230
CYA - 30
Salt - 3150
TC - 3
CC - 0
TA - 80
PH - 8 (I added acid after testing)
CH - 230
CYA - 30
Salt - 3150
Great head start but you need to add the fas-dpd powder chlorine test to your kit. The drop test is not very accurate.
Plenty of time to let things get away from you. It's slightly better that you double check with strips in between, but you are testing for real without enough accuracy and then confirming on off days with a dart throw guess strip. Add the powder test and test daily until you know your pool. It literally takes a minute.
Years of real world folks fine tuning the original science has us reccomend 70 in your general region.
For vinyl, yes. Not for plaster. Aim for middle range if the Recommended Levels. You will increase the CH with fill water and then the rain will dillute it.
My IC60 worked awsome at 3k. The added bonus was thats where most people *start* to taste it, and we couldn't. But you need an accurate test for that as well. The Taylor K-1766 is accurate to +/- 200 ppm. The unit is +/-500 ppm. So it can be 3k and the unit may test 2500 or 3500 and you won't know. The strips are very off as well, so buy the drop kit. It was $27 last time I checked.
You never want to go anywhere near minimum. Especially as you learn. You will lose 2-4 ppm a day. With 3 FC you could be at 0 in hours due to a storm or swimming. Add with liquid chlorine anytime you need a now boost as the SWG will take a day or days to raise it on its own.
I don’t know how to reply to individual comments on here yet, but thank you for your help! I’ll check out getting a powder kit. Literally never heard of it until now. My pool store uses a Taylor kit too, so I figured I was doing the same as them.
I bought two gallons of stabilizer, so I’ll use the pool math app to figure out what to add.
I was so confused by the calcium issue at the store today. I left without buying anything, but it’s easy for me to stop back in and buy what I need. I’m not sure what she was thinking because she confirmed I had plaster. Oh well, I’m glad I’ve read enough not to blindly trust.
I can taste the salt at 3150. I could taste it just under 3000. I ordered a salinity meter on Amazon. It should arrive this Wednesday. It got great reviews. Do you recommend the drops over a meter?
My FC was 3, TC was 3 also. How do you raise FC without getting it too high? I keep liquid chlorine on hand (5 gallons currently) to boost if needed. I haven’t needed to add any yet. I’m running my SGW at 60%. We have a party planned for this weekend and plan to add extra liquid chlorine before and after rather than boost with the SWG.
Thank you again!
I bought two gallons of stabilizer, so I’ll use the pool math app to figure out what to add.
I was so confused by the calcium issue at the store today. I left without buying anything, but it’s easy for me to stop back in and buy what I need. I’m not sure what she was thinking because she confirmed I had plaster. Oh well, I’m glad I’ve read enough not to blindly trust.
I can taste the salt at 3150. I could taste it just under 3000. I ordered a salinity meter on Amazon. It should arrive this Wednesday. It got great reviews. Do you recommend the drops over a meter?
My FC was 3, TC was 3 also. How do you raise FC without getting it too high? I keep liquid chlorine on hand (5 gallons currently) to boost if needed. I haven’t needed to add any yet. I’m running my SGW at 60%. We have a party planned for this weekend and plan to add extra liquid chlorine before and after rather than boost with the SWG.
Thank you again!
- May 3, 2014
- 59,191
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
There are good probe testers out there. They are quite pricey. The low priced ones are not true salinity meters. The drop test is cheap and more accurate than any of them.
Be sure to use the FC/CYA Levels. It is safe to swim in a pool up to SLAM level FC. That is 40% of CYA level.
Make sure they are MIXED. The sludge at the bottom that doesn't want to mix is most of the CYA. And when using the full jug, rinse the snot out of it to get it all.
Great job. Come and ask ANYTHING. Someone will be available.
Always. Any reasonable priced for homeowners meter is finicky and needs to be calibrated and stored a certain way. They are great tools but not the most accurate for the price range you were looking in.
You can go all the way to SLAM level which is 40% of your CYA. At a 50, that is 20 FC. Now, you will be wasting chlorine at that level as the higher the level the more of it burns off, but 7-10 is not 'high' its slightly elevated for a safety net.
Either way. I was too lazy to add liquid so at dinnertime the night before I would hit the boost button. By the time the party happened I was higher and stayed producing through the party. 24 hours in it would revert back to its scheduled %.
On mobile, hold the sentence like you are going to copy/paste and 'quote/reply' comes up with the copy bar. Or at the bottom, of anyone's post is 'quote'. Press that then go down where you type and press 'insert quote'
Mixed the jugs of stabilizer and rinsed. Done. I’ll return the digital monitor and get a drop kit. I also ordered the other kit you recommended. I’ll get to the pool store tomorrow to remedy the calcium issue. Thank you again! Really appreciate your time and advice!
