usually they are swimming 2 or 3 hours
I don't know if it is true or not, but my wife swears this is new since I got on the TFP methods. Previously, I just had a Taylor K-1004 DPD high range test kit and only monitored FC and pH regularly. I relied on the pool store for CH, TA and CYA testing. I have a Frog that was slowly adding trichlor (and copper and stuff from the mineral cartridge and CYA from the trichlor) and I supplemented with 12% liquid. Basically, the Frog put in enough to maintain the FC when the pool was not in use, and I added liquid pretty regularly when it was being used. I was keeping my CYA around 30 to 40 and maintaining the FC from 2 to 5 or so (I don't really know how high I was since I could only test to 5, but I know there were times that I was higher).
Earlier this summer, I had a big algae bloom and ammonia that I could not kill with the pool store's advice. And they helped me make it worse by telling me to add granular which drove my CYA way up and my pH way down. So I found TFP (thankfully), got things back under control, performed a SLAM and got the pool back looking really nice. When that was done, I had a green tint to the water which I believe was either copper from the heater core due to low pH during the bloom, copper accumulated from the frog or iron accumulated from my well water. At any rate, I used a sequestering agent (Sequa Sol which I believe uses HEDP), and the green tint went away.
Since then the pool has been looking good and staying clear. I am targeting 5 to 7 FC based on the CYA of 40. There has been one occasion where the FC dropped to about 2 after a really big pool party, but I got it right back up. Other than that, I have stayed between 5 and 10 FC. I have been cycling the pH between 7.2 and 7.7 by alternatively adding MA and aerating to work my TA down. Other than that, just adding 12% liquid a gallon or two when needed based on use and testing. The Frog is still in service just so I have a way to keep up the slow continuous addition rather than add liquid every day. But I am watching my CYA so it does not creep up, and I am refilling with soft water as needed to top off after filter flushes to keep the CH from going any higher and hopefully minimize the iron coming from the well water, and that seems to be keeping the CYA from getting higher. I plan to switch to a liquid pump next season. And although I know that the Frog is still adding copper, I just figure I will add sequestering agent again if needed.
So my only issue right now is the complaints from the wife about the slight odor and the kids complaining about their eyes burning.
So far, I have heard the following possibilities.
1) kids peeing in the pool making chloramines
2) kids are swimming a long time and that is just to be expected
3) add salt to increase the salinity to irritate their eyes less
4) high CC
5) high or low pH
and I have the following questions related to those possibilities
1) can I test for chloramines? would an ammonia test confirm this? how do I get rid of them?
4) I normally see 0.5 CC, some times 1.0 - is that too high or high enough to irritate eyes? is that CC level an indication of a need to SLAM? if they are indeed peeing in the pool, does that CC level still call for a SLAM?
5) would a pH between 7.1 and 7,7 be an issue for eye irritation?
thanks for all of the input - sorry for the long story - I just thought it would be good to ensure you know the history of the pool chemistry recently