Average "good water" testing results

[TheOne]

My Pentair Intellichlor user manual gives the numbers below for optimum readings for pool water tests.

Do these numbers look right for all you experienced pool owners and water testers?

FC - 2 to 3 PPM
CC - 0 PPM
TA - 80 to 120 PPM
PH - 7.2 to 7.8 PPM (manual says Intellichlor pools will gravitate to 7.8)
CYA - 50 to 75 PPM
Ca - 150 to 400 PPM

I am having my first "Pool School" meeting tomorrow and will probably test my pool water for the first time. I have one of the Taylor "K" kits and will read over the guide that comes with the kit as well.

 

[chem geek]

With the higher CYA level, you probably want to stay closer to the 3 ppm FC target. This is still below the normal minimum FC level that is recommended for non-SWG pools, but the SWG pools tend to be able to run with lower FC targets due to the superchlorination in the SWG cell. For comparison, in non-SWG pools, the minimum recommended FC level at 50 ppm CYA is 3.7 ppm FC while at 75 ppm CYA it is 5.5 ppm FC. Anyway, most people with SWG pools do fine with 3 ppm FC (one user found regular algae at this level with 70-80 ppm CYA while another found mustard/yellow algae).

The tendency of the pH to rise (or "gravitate to 7.8") can be significantly reduced if you keep the TA lower at around 80 ppm (for CYA at 75 ppm; TA at 70 ppm if CYA is at 50 ppm) and have your target pH be 7.6. It will be very hard to have a pH target much below 7.5. The range of TA that they recommend is historical when using other sources of chlorine such as acidic Trichlor tabs/pucks.

The Calcium Hardness should be around 300 ppm or a little higher, assuming you have a plaster/gunite pool.

 

[medvampire]

Just my opinion.
I would drop the CYA and/or raise the FC a little..l run my CYA around 30 and my FC around 4 to 6. I run my pH 7.2 to 7.6 and my ALK around 90 to 120. CC should always be 0. I have a CH problem so it runs around 350 but I have a AGP so its not a problem unless I allow the pH above 7.6.
They are very close.
BTW dont let them sell you things at pool school get your info here. The folks here will help you keep a great pool at very reduced cost.
Steve

 

[TheOne]

I forgot to add salt to my list. The IC manual says 3000 - 3500 PPM. Is there any benefit of keeping the salinity lower or higher in that range?

 

[medvampire]

I have no experance with SWG but waterbear would have a better answer for you there. I do run salt in my pool but not to the level needed for a SWG.
Steve

 

[Guest]

Just my opinion.
I would drop the CYA and/or raise the FC a little..l run my CYA around 30 and my FC around 4 to 6. I run my pH 7.2 to 7.6 and my ALK around 90 to 120. CC should always be 0. I have a CH problem so it runs around 350 but I have a AGP so its not a problem unless I allow the pH above 7.6.
They are very close.
BTW dont let them sell you things at pool school get your info here. The folks here will help you keep a great pool at very reduced cost.
Steve

These numbers are fine for a manually chlorinated pool but NOT one with a SWG.
Run the CYA in the manufacturer's recommended range and toward the higher end of it.
Run the FC no lower than about 3 ppm up to about 5 ppm
Run the pH at 7.6 PERIOD! (If you try and run it lower you wil have more of an acid demand to maintain the pH. If you run it higher you run the risk of creating scaling conditions and lowering your generators output.
Run your TA between 70-90 ppm for best pH stability and lowest acid demand.
Run the Calcium Harness around 300 for a plaster pool. For fiberglass you can run it a bit lower (maybe 200-250). for vinyl you can go as low as 150 ppm but some 'experts' seem to feel that higher calcium levels can help with pH stability.
Keep your salt to the higher end of the recommended range. This will increase the useful life of your salt cell.

Finally, I would recommend running a 30-50 ppm borate level. This will help increase pH stability, decrease sanitizer demand (and therefore lengthen the effective life of your salt cell), have algaestatic properties, and make the water 'softer'. You can do this with such products as "Supreme", "Optimizer", or "Endure" which are all just expensive borax (sodium tetraborate) or you can use the 20 mule team stuff in the green box from the laundry aisle in the grocery store which is also sodium tetraborate! (Just like you can buy expensive "total alkalinity increaser which is sodium bicarbonate (aka sodium hydrogen carbonate) or you can use baking soda which is also sodium bicarbonate!)
Finally, you DON"T NEED SPECIAL POOL SALT OR PROPRIETARY "MINERAL MIXES" FOR YOUR SWG! You can use plain (no additives) solar salt or water softener pellets that are at least 99.5% pure and will cost half the price or less!

Combined chlorine in ANY pool should be 0 ppm (under .5 ppm is acceptable). In a pool with a properly set up SWG you will rairely encounter CC!

Hope this is helpful.

 

[TheOne]

Thanks for all the replies..

Waterbear regarding the borate level, would a new pool have an existing level of borate?

So far cya, calcium, and chlorine and some acid has been added to the pool.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the replies..

Waterbear regarding the borate level, would a new pool have an existing level of borate?

not unless you add it!

 

[TheOne]

not unless you add it!

Great thanks, I was not sure if it was similar to checking for existing salinity levels prior to adding salt to get to 3500 ppm. thanks.