how quickly will FC decrease after a SLAM and shouldn't you keep the CYA on lower end to not have to use as much chlorine?

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proavia said:
Think of the minimum FC for a given CYA as falling off a cliff. Nothing most of us would choose to do. If you fall, chances are algae and another SLAM.
Maintain FC at or slightly above target
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I had it in my head above zero and ideally 1-3. I also realize I skim a lot and didn't read all the directions well of the CYA/Chlorine chart and never realized until you told me your levels that I had to click on SWG to get the SWG chart. Very helpful!
proavia said:
Given our super hot and mostly dry summers, evaporation and FC usage is great. Sometimes we use more FC in a day than other days (lots of swimmers, debris, etc.)
If you find your FC is getting close to minimum for your CYA, you need to dose to a higher FC daily so you don't go below minimum of the heavy swim days.
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so, if some kids come over and use the pool or we have a monsoon, would I try to get into the habit of turning up the salt cell percentage immediately, check the FC/CC right after...? Or I look at what I had the last time I checked FC (that day or the prior day) and if I'm close to the minimum I'd NEED to test FC instead of superchlorinate or turn up percentage?
proavia said:
While not exactly taught or listed in the FC/CYA Levels - I tend to ALWAYS run with FC a little hot. While the SWG may get used up a little faster, I don't really have to worry about my FC dropping below minimum.
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U mean your FC is always on the higher side? or what do u mean by "hot?"
proavia said:
Remember, it is safe to swim with FC anywhere between minimum and SLAM level... For CYA 70 and a SWG pool, that is FC 3 to FC 28.
As I recall, you have always been a bit apprehensive of "higher" FC levels. And that apprehension is still continuing to get you in trouble.
It's time to go all in and swim in the TFP Pool-Aid. Follow the sage advice provided to you for all these years over 7 years now. It will make your busy life a lot simpler.
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Yep, yep, yep, yep, and yep. U r right about all of that. I hope I can get over the aprehension. It's ridiculous, really. It goes back to the mindset of thinking chlorine can cause cancer. I know it's been talked about on here that that's not true but that one's hard to shake for me. Before building my pool I was going to build a pond, or a large aquaponi system but with a small track home it wouldn't have made sense to be one of the first to try out the theory. If I had a lot of land I could see having a pond to swim in, and the kids didn't like the idea of swimming with the fish. So, I built a traditional pool and went SWG hoping it'd be less "stuff/chemicals" in the pool. I'll have to get it now. Too many SLAMs been too much money, time,and frustraton, and I won't really swim when I'm SLAMing.

1 last question, and I know we've talked about this before, but the repair guy changed the times Irun the pool to eve and early morning, saying it's better to create chlorine at night and early day so I have it in the pool for throughout the day. I will have to check how long it's on for. I also have a less $ rate if we don't use electric 3-6pm so I used to work around that schedule.

Do you have suggestions for how long to run the pool and what time of day? I also realize I don't like to change the times so I run it the same length always but probably should set a reminder to set it less x in winterand more time in the summer. Same with salt percentage-I got comfortable with the setting (30%) then didn't turn it up when it got hotter. thx!
 
mgtfp said:
^^^ this

You'll get the hang of it. Once your SWG is dialled in following this philosophy, SLAMs should just be a story to tell the grandkids.

Pay particular attention at the beginning of each season when days are still getting longer. That's when the SWG needs cranking up. And backwards again at the end of the season, but then the only risk is to overshoot which is not really critical - remember: you can safely swim up to SLAM-FC.
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yes, thanku. that all sounds good/right. :)
 
Bperry said:
are you using a speedstir? It’s always been pretty instantaneous for me. It’ll start to turn red but as it swirls it’ll turn back to the original color. Then on the next drop, bam! it switches to red. There should be no ambiguity on when that happens. Unless you’ve accidentally filled the tube to 25ml instead of 10ml? That gets a lot of people cause the instructions kinda fool you.
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Good point and good to know it's pretty instantaneious for you. I'll have to double check. I know I have "10 ml" circled on my instructions as I must've made that mistake before. I can't recall what I did this time. thx!
 
outdoorsgal said:
so, if some kids come over and use the pool or we have a monsoon, would I try to get into the habit of turning up the salt cell percentage immediately, check the FC/CC right after...? Or I look at what I had the last time I checked FC (that day or the prior day) and if I'm close to the minimum I'd NEED to test FC instead of superchlorinate or turn up percentage?
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No, upping the SWCG will not do it fast enough the only way around it with liquid chlorine. Running the chlorine hot means the high side of target plus 2ppm or there about so the extra buffer is in place automatically.
 
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If you have kids coming over, dump 1/2 gallon of liquid chlorine in - with pump running - about 30 minutes prior to them swimming. Then test the FC after they all leave and add more liquid chlorine as needed. Always dose for the high end of the target range. Don't adjust the percentage of your SWG to make up for high losses. A SWG is great for maintaining FC levels under normal conditions as long as you test frequently. It's not good at increasing the FD levels rapidly - like after having a bunch of kids swimming and leaving behind a lot of bodily fluids.

If your FC falls below minimum, you are already at risk of an algae bloom.

We have been down this road every year with you about the toxicity of chlorine. You have a choice, either continue in your false beliefs and allow swimmers to swim in an unsanitary pool or let go of your false beliefs and have a sanitary trouble free pool when you follow the TFP method. There are 10's and 10's of thousands of TFP members that follow the TFP method - and none of us have any issues with chlorine.

"Run hot" refers to keeping the FC a bit above target level for a given CYA based on the FC/CYA Levels.

Time for an indepth review of:
Pool Care Basics
FC/CYA Levels
PoolMath
Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
SLAM Process

Have a look thru some of the videos on TFP TV.

Review the TFP extended test kit instructions - click on the picture of each test to see the extended instructions (as @Leebo still hasn't fixed the clickable link words :poke: )

Extended Test Kit Directions Archives

www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com

Here is some inspiration for you:
How Clear is TFP Clear?
 
Think of this. There’s a bit of chlorine in the air as Cl2, you breathe it. The chloride ion is in salt, you need a certain amount of it. The form in your pool is hypochlorite, -OCl. It doesn’t cause cancer. If you’re on public water, there’s hypo in there. I wouldn’t drink a lot of pool water, but to swim in it, it’s fine. If you’re an algae cell, well, then not so much.🙂
 
Not really. You need to run the pump long enough for the SWG to make the chlorine needed. Running the pump/SWG during the day will add a little chlorine during daylight.

Don't forget to manually add liquid chlorine BEFORE and AFTER any big swimming event. Kids leave all kind of "stuff" behind which uses up the chlorine fast.

Every time you test, use PoolMath to log your results (don't forget to save them). Do a FULL set of tests and post them NOW. Then, daily, just log the tests you do that day. You haven't logged anything to PoolMath in over 3 years. Time to get serious about your pool and make the time for testing and doing it right - your family's well being depends on it.
 
arvil said:
Think of this. There’s a bit of chlorine in the air as Cl2, you breathe it. The chloride ion is in salt, you need a certain amount of it. The form in your pool is hypochlorite, -OCl. It doesn’t cause cancer. If you’re on public water, there’s hypo in there. I wouldn’t drink a lot of pool water, but to swim in it, it’s fine. If you’re an algae cell, well, then not so much.🙂
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haha, good points. thx!
 

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Use the app from your phone to automatically post them to your profile - as you are already sharing your PoolMath logs.

If using the old PoolMath page on the website, you must post them manually - which is more of a hassle and takes more time. The less time it takes, the more likely you will actually do it.

The app is easy to use once you use it a few times.
 
arvil said:
Think of this. There’s a bit of chlorine in the air as Cl2, you breathe it. The chloride ion is in salt, you need a certain amount of it. The form in your pool is hypochlorite, -OCl. It doesn’t cause cancer. If you’re on public water, there’s hypo in there. I wouldn’t drink a lot of pool water, but to swim in it, it’s fine. If you’re an algae cell, well, then not so much.🙂
Click to expand...

While I agree with the conclusion that the disinfecting form of chlorine HOCl and also the less powerfull (in terms of killing nasties) OCl- - both of these are what FC is without CYA in the water - are nothing to get worried about at the TFP recommended FC levels, I don't like these comparisons.

Chloride - salt - is very different to chlorine. Even though they share the same nucleus (i.e. the same configuration of protons and neutrons), the chemical properties are determined by the electron configuration. And that extra electron in chloride makes it a completely different substance.

Chlorine gas is not a natural constituent of air. There might be traces due to industrial pollution. Concentrations should be very, very low, certainly well below 0.1ppm, which is the threshold from which it can be smelled.

The point is that at TFP levels, the HOCl/OCl- (remember, the sum of these are FC when there is no CYA present) concentration is well below anything that any legislation around the world considers acceptable.

FC 6ppm with 80ppm of CYA is in terms of HOCl/OCl- concentrations equivalent to about 0.07ppm FC without CYA - the remaining 5.93ppm are chlorinated cyanurates that due to how the FC-test works show up as part of FC, but are not directly reacting with bathers, nasties, swim gear or pool equipment.

Even TFP's SLAM-FC (e.g. 31ppm at 80ppm CYA) is equivalent to only FC 0.64ppm with no CYA.

Most legislations consider up to about FC 4 or 5ppm to be safe, independent of CYA levels. Some even up to 10ppm.

That means that in a public indoor pool without CYA in the water you may be exposed for example to 4ppm of FC - in a TFP SWG-pool with 80ppm of CYA this would be equivalent to an FC of about 64ppm.

This is the perspective one needs to understand why TFP levels are safe, even though FC on its own (without considering CYA) might look higher than other sources recommend.

FC is meaningless without mentioning the CYA level.
 
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Thanks everyone for everything and yes, I'm using a speedstir. I think I've mostly got it going good enough for now. My engine in my Subaru fried and that's taking precedent. :( I'm just keeping my FC around 9-10 and watching it daily or skipping no more than a day at a time. I think consistency and with that I can't go wrong for now. I'll get back to all of this later, more reading, and perhaps trying to do the app. I'm juggling too much and now I'm looking at a $5k fee for a used engine or trashing my vehicle. Pool looks good though. :cool: Pool's gonna have to wait. I'm adding acid often, making sure FC is high, doing basic brushing and skimming, backwash... and I'm hoping with this I'm gonna be good for now. thx!
 
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