First timer advice/thoughts for AGP

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So after 1.5 days circulating the last whack of stabilizer, CYA was unchanged, still 30 (tube was full for black dot to go). But 30 is as low as the tube goes so it may have been less than 30 last couple days. So I just added more stabilizer. Would it help to turn my pump to high speed for a few hours?
Fc this morning was back to 3.3, but CYA probably negated a bit of that. So I'd like to add more chlorine tonite, but without the stabilizer being fully absorbed to test, I can't add the right amount, but can I assume the latest stabilizer will lower FC, so I could at least add some chlorine tonite. Your thoughts.
 
Adding chlorine at night is always a great idea, the chlorine being used is from whatever is in the water and not the sun.

I only had one time that I had issues getting the CYA up and that was on a pool opening, I had 0 CYA and had to shock the pool for a while to kill whatever was eating it up.

Are you using pool math to figure out how much you need? I also wonder if there's bad CYA out there? I guess I'll find out in a few weeks!
 
Yes, been using pol math. My CYA was at 5.0 after pool fill, then up to 30 after the test. I wouldn't think I need to shock, being water is fresh.
I won't have a proper chlorine amount to add tonite, as stabilizer may not be well circulated by then. Pool math should estimate my CYA rise based on how much I added today, and I'll use that to base a conservative chlorine add tonite. Then get accurate test readings in the morning.
 
raysaint said:
Yes, been using pol math. My CYA was at 5.0 after pool fill, then up to 30 after the test. I wouldn't think I need to shock, being water is fresh.
I won't have a proper chlorine amount to add tonite, as stabilizer may not be well circulated by then. Pool math should estimate my CYA rise based on how much I added today, and I'll use that to base a conservative chlorine add tonite. Then get accurate test readings in the morning.
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It is safe to swim & for your equipment for fc to be anywhere between minimum & slam level for your cya so trying to dose to minimum for your cya level is silly. Going over target 🎯 on the FC/CYA Levels doesn’t hurt anything.
 
Mdragger88 said:
It is safe to swim & for your equipment for fc to be anywhere between minimum & slam level for your cya so trying to dose to minimum for your cya level is silly. Going over target 🎯 on the FC/CYA Levels doesn’t hurt anything.
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My CYA I'm shooting for midrange. But not knowing if I'll reach that by tonite, I was dosing chlorine based on my hopes of how much CYA will rise. So I'll be less than conservative with my chlorine tonite, as you suggest.
 
raysaint said:
My CYA I'm shooting for midrange. But not knowing if I'll reach that by tonite, I was dosing chlorine based on my hopes of how much CYA will rise. So I'll be less than conservative with my chlorine tonite, as you suggest.
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The main theme here is never fall below minimum for your cya- if u dose assuming the higher cya amount u will always be covered on that front. More fc doesn’t hurt & just provides a buffer, but fc too low invites nasties for a swim 🤢.
 
Finally some progress. This morning, FC was 5.5, CYA was slightly over 45. So I believe I should still raise FC a bit. I'll do that tonite.
Now that these 2 are getting balanced, anything else I should be testing, that may have changed from a few days ago? You said my TA (93), PH (7.4) etc was all Ok for now.
 
raysaint said:
Finally some progress. This morning, FC was 5.5, CYA was slightly over 45. So I believe I should still raise FC a bit. I'll do that tonite.
Now that these 2 are getting balanced, anything else I should be testing, that may have changed from a few days ago? You said my TA (93), PH (7.4) etc was all Ok for now.
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A measurement of 45 counts as 50 so chlorinate accordingly (always round up if inbetween on the cya test)
Just stay on top of the fc
& keep ph in the 7’s 👍🏻
You don’t need to wait until the evening to add fc. Add fc when it’s needed in such a way that u ensure u don’t fall below minimum before your next dose.
The average pool loses 2-4 ppm fc/day - if u lose 2 ppm today u will be below the 4ppm minimum. —> not cool.
 
This morning FC was 9.4 (I may have added a couple extra drops of 0871 reagant, bad light in my kitchen to see color change). So just above the max for a CYA of 45-50. So I can let it ride for a couple days maybe, test it Saturday morn (getting low on 0871 already, order comes in next week.)
I'll test CYA, FC, and PH Sat. morn. We've had no rain, so PH should be mostly unchanged?
 
Your cya counts as 50, always round up if inbetween. So minimum is 4
- max is slam level (20ppm)
Cya won’t change much - it should be tested every couple of weeks in the heat of the summer & at least monthly otherwise unless u are making changes to it /replacing water.

Testing fc daily at first is a good idea & recommended, as this will help u see what your average daily loss is in reference to the season/use so u can learn your pool & not get caught in a low fc situation due to high uv/ heavy bather loads etc.

Testing ph daily at first is also recommended for the same reason - so u can learn how quickly/ slowly your ph rises
Fyi- Aeration also increases ph,
examples: swimmers, return jets rippling the water, fountains, etc.
The ph rise in a vinyl pool, no water features & TA in the 90’s probably won’t be super rapid but every pool is different.
My ph stays the same all the time. I still check it once a week though.
 

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Thursday FC was 9, this morning (Saturday) it was 2.2, wow. Is that possible?
PH seemed about no more than 7.8, I'll bring it down to 7.4. How do I add muriatic? Jug says not thru the skimmer. Lots of different suggestions, which is correct? Other sites say never into the skimmer, but some say in front of the return (which goes right into the skimmer.) Same here.
Plastic watering can seems like a good idea. Allows dilution of 10:1 ratio acid to water (acid needed is 14 oz.), and you can pour slowly. Just where to pour is my question.
 
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raysaint said:
Thursday FC was 9, this morning (Saturday) it was 2.2, wow. Is that possible?
PH seemed about no more than 7.8, I'll bring it down to 7.4. How do I add muriatic? Jug says not thru the skimmer. Lots of different suggestions, which is correct?
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Pools consume fc daily whether u use them or not - looks like yours is right around 3ppm/day, slap in the middle of the average 2-4ppm/day. Get some liquid chlorine in there to target 🎯 or above ASAP.
To add Muriatic acid you just pour it slowly infront of a running return & brush the area after. I use a measuring cup for smaller amounts (less than a quart) holding both over the pool incase of spillage. Goes like this —> get measuring cup & ma jug on the top rail, hold jug over the water & open, pour desired amount in cup, slowly pour that into the pool & rinse the cup, put the cap back on the ma bottle & rinse it with the cup. Remove everything from the pool, brush the area. Some people make marks on the ma jug so they can just pour straight from the jug but for small amounts it can be hard to do this.
Be sure u are upwind of the MA - I always hold my breath too.
This explains how to add each chem 👇
www.troublefreepool.com

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
raysaint said:
What do you mean, brush the area? And with no dilution, doesn't the ma sink to the bottom?
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Pour the MA over the return in a pencil thin stream. Use your brush as a big mixer to brush around the area where you poured it in, this will help mix the MA. The MA will sink to some degree, but using the brush will quickly dilute it and allow it to mix in the pool water.
 
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So I just realized my circulation terms may be mixed up. When it says pour chemicals in front of the return, I am pouring them in front of the skimmer opening. To me that's where the water returns to the system. I've done that with all my chlorine, hoping it hasn't done any damage.
Should chemicals be poured in front of the eyeball jet, that shoots water outwards??
 
raysaint said:
Oh, so brushing is more or less stirring. But if I dilute it first, then no brush required I gather.
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If u dilute the acid u are handling it twice & therefore creating more opportunities for spilling, splashing, inhaling.
Adding 20 or so oz slowly infront of a running return will dilute itself fairly quickly anyway.
You will be able to see it.
P.S.A.-
ALWAYS add acid to water, NEVER add water to acid.
 
Return is the jets - where water returns to the pool from the pump & filter system
(also referred to as pressure side)
Skimmer is the intake where water is “taken in” to the pump & filter system
(also referred to as suction side)
No chems in the skimmer 🚫 they get pulled directly into your equipment in high concentration & can affect the seals, get trapped in your filter media, etc.
Adding things in front of a running return jet distributes/dilutes them into the whole body of water.
 
A return is where the water from pump/filter returns to the pool…intake is where it goes into the pump/filter. Brushing diluted it by helping to mix it up and spread it out.
 
So yesterday morning my FC was 2.2, I added right away what pool math told me to get it to 8, this morning it was only 3.2. If my pool uses 3 ppm a day, I'm confused. Seems like it should have been higher this morning. (also added muriatic last nite)
And based on my Fc readings so far, will I be adding chlorine almost every day, or do you take FC higher than recommended to make it last?
All the people who take water to the store once a week, their FC must be low most of the time unless they add a regular amount all the time.
 

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