New first time pool owner-1st ?

[JohnInDayton]

I am going to order a TF-100 kit next week. New pool installed 11/2015, epoxied last 2 weeks, filled 4 days ago, pool company turned on equipment and shocked Friday, added 15 bags salt. He is coming tomorrow to check chemistry and adjust. SWG set on 60% and 3 HP VS pump on low setting continuously which is 1750rpm, about 410 watts. Pool company owner suggests running pump 24/7 on that low setting, increasing as needed for heating or pool parties. He comes in 9 days to do my training and give me cleaning equipment, so that's when I will get to ask all my questions. I am going to read up on some of the equipment before then, so I know more to ask. We are going to use a solar cover when it arrives next week for saving heat/water/chemicals. My pump may be programmable to run even lower, but I don't know yet until I read up.

First question, should I run the pump 24/7 since it can run low enough already? Once chemistry is set properly per the levels on this site, should I drop the hours I use pump and up the SWG % and recheck FC every 1-2 days until I get the balance I need, or run the pump low and around the clock with lowest SWG % to keep FC level around 3-4 with CYA 70? I do want to minimize pump electricity use and maximize pump and SWG longevity, as I'm sure most would, but having great pool chemistry levels is job #1 since it is going to take a while to figure all this out with work and 5 kids.

Thanks in advance. I have read most all the pool school threads and a dozen beginner and pool opening threads too to jump start my education. This is a great site, which reflects on the moderators and community overall. Maybe in a few years I'll be able to give a little advice to some other newbie.

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello John and welcome to TFP. You'll find that in most cases, a pump doesn't need to be ran 24/7 solely to maintain chemicals. Once some basic mixing is accomplished, it's then raised for vacuuming or water surface skimming and removal. Same principle for the SWG - finding that right % and/or run time length to ensure you have adequate FC production for your pool. Here are a few links you might find valuable:
Pool School - Determine Pump Run Time
Pool School - Salt Water Chlorine Generators
Pool School - Water Balance for SWGs

Great to have you with us!

 

[lefty51]

Welcome John

+1 on what TS told you. Once you find the sweet spot for your SWG you'll find you can run shorter pump times or at least lower speeds. I now run my pump 6 hours a day and everything holds fine and keeps pool clean.

As others may tell you on a new build, go with what your PB says for warranty and once he hands you the keys, then you can go TFP totally and set everything for what works best for you and your pool. Happy Swimming

 

[JohnInDayton]

Thanks Pat. I did read those links you posted. I understand the generalities more than the fine tuning I guess. Here in Ohio I will be heating a lot starting in about 10 days with Pentair heat pump. I don't know yet if that means I will be running the heater and pump round the clock or daytime. Still gets in 50-60 range at night so not very efficient heating then, but apparently heater should work down to 50 degree range albeit less efficiently. I am sure some combination of runtime and pump speed will allow me to heat and clorinate for 8-12 hours a day, but I don't know yet if it isn't more efficiient to pump longer with lower output and actually save energy and get a more constant generation of chlorine and therefore more stable levels in the range of FC I should have. Any ideas? I had planned to get a robot in the next month to save energy and labor and save filter cleaning. Robot cost might not save $ overall, but saving hours of labor is equally important since I only have so much daylight left with my job.

 

[JohnInDayton]

Thanks lefty51. What time of day do you run your pump 6 hours? Our pool gets direct sun from maybe 11am to 6pm, so I assume I should include those hours in my run time based on what pool school suggested for using SWG. Then I can check chemistry around 8pm each night once I get a TF-100 kit. Do you find it necessary to check chemistry every night once you get all balanced or less often since you use a SWG? I plan to do it religiously this year but wondering if that is forever since I am using the SWG.

 

[lefty51]

Right now it runs from 9 am till 3 pm. Yes I like it to run during peak sunlight. LOL, you will probably be like me. I started here last year after 19 years of pool store disasters. Once I got my TF-100 and speed stir I checked it everyday until I realized I was getting the same numbers everytime. But it was fun to play with, plus Dave will sell us all the reagents we want

Seriously though, once you get the hang of testing and are confident of your results you won't need to unless you want to. One thing you might want to explore on here is adding borates to your pool. It's not at all necessary to do, but once I did my PH stayed rock solid and with SWG dialed in I only tested once a week. (don't tell them that though ) It got to the point that I spent most of the time just brushing and netting surface debris.

That being said, I have a vinyl inground, so yours may require monitoring things I don't. I usually check in the late afternoon while I have sunlight for CYA test.

P.S- when we were in the pool after 3pm I ran the pump, to keep things mixed up and to feed water slide. Hope that helps

 

[JohnInDayton]

Right now it runs from 9 am till 3 pm. Yes I like it to run during peak sunlight. LOL, you will probably be like me. I started here last year after 19 years of pool store disasters. Once I got my TF-100 and speed stir I checked it everyday until I realized I was getting the same numbers everytime. But it was fun to play with, plus Dave will sell us all the reagents we want

Seriously though, once you get the hang of testing and are confident of your results you won't need to unless you want to. One thing you might want to explore on here is adding borates to your pool. It's not at all necessary to do, but once I did my PH stayed rock solid and with SWG dialed in I only tested once a week. (don't tell them that though ) It got to the point that I spent most of the time just brushing and netting surface debris.

That being said, I have a vinyl inground, so yours may require monitoring things I don't. I usually check in the late afternoon while I have sunlight for CYA test.

P.S- when we were in the pool after 3pm I ran the pump, to keep things mixed up and to feed water slide. Hope that helps

Exactly the tidbits I was looking for. Who is this Dave who sells reagents? I'll go for the borates once I get a handle on the rest for a month or so.

 

[lefty51]

Exactly the tidbits I was looking for. Who is this Dave who sells reagents? I'll go for the borates once I get a handle on the rest for a month or so.[/QUOTE

Who is this Dave you speak of. LOL Dave goes by the screen name of Duraleigh. He is a multi talented man with a heart of gold. (that should earn me some goody points) Dave is the owner of http://tftestkits.net/splash-page.html and sells all the stuff you need to test your pool. He sells at great prices and stands behind his products. He also is the proud owner of this fabulous website.

Seriously, TFTESTKITS always have fresh reagents and test kits and often run specials. With Dave you no longer need the pool store for testing ingredients and its really tailored to the TFP method. Plus he has the speedstir, I love that thing

 

[kimkats]

John any way you can get a cover for your pool to put on overnight to help keep the heat in? It might help not having to run the heater so much.

Kim :cat:

 

[JohnInDayton]

John any way you can get a cover for your pool to put on overnight to help keep the heat in? It might help not having to run the heater so much.

Kim :cat:

Have a 12mil cover in the mail from Amazon. That seemed easiest to order from rather than pool installer store. I would use it all the time when no one plans to swim, but wife refuses to look at a reel, so I'll probably cut long ways for 38x18 pool so she can take off before kids and her swim, and I can put on at night after last swim. I'm tying to make it easier on her since she would rather never see a cover or deal with it and just pay more for heating, etc. I would have sprung for automatic cover, but the idea of the ongoing cost of replacing vinyl and dealing with draining when raining or retracting for heavy snow was more than I wanted.

 

[kimkats]

It sounds like a solid plan! Good luck! You can also look into making a pvc "roller" of sorts for the cover.

Okay I have to ask about this.........you said kids......how old? I SO worry about a child "walking" out on a cover and becoming trapped in it. Good fence? locks on doors and windows? alarm on pool? (sorry it is the MOM in me).

Kim :cat:

 

[JohnInDayton]

It sounds like a solid plan! Good luck! You can also look into making a pvc "roller" of sorts for the cover.

Okay I have to ask about this.........you said kids......how old? I SO worry about a child "walking" out on a cover and becoming trapped in it. Good fence? locks on doors and windows? alarm on pool? (sorry it is the MOM in me).

Kim :cat:

I have twins that are almost 10. Others are 14,20, and 24. so 4 still at home at least when college out. All good swimmers with 2 years each of swim team experience, not that means much if they sneak in I guess. Pool access from back door of house with fenced in yard but no fence only for pool. I might have to consider pool alarm.

 

[kimkats]

The ages=a little more horseplay but not the huge concern a toddler would cause in not knowing to walk on the cover. I bet your house is a very active one LOL

Kim:cat: