Hey TFPers,
This is my first request for help. I posted some advice on a few threads yesterday to try and help out before I jump in with my request. Trying to contribute......
Anyway, I just fired my pool guy, found the TFP forums and bought my first K-2006 test kit. I've been doing a lot of reading since then. I had a Pentair IC20 that was 8-9 years old and had not been working for a year or two. When it was working, I think it was set at 40-60%. I replaced this with an IC40 cell, I figured I could run it at 20-40% and it would last longer that way. I fired my pool guy because all he did was test FC, dump in 1/2 gallon of chlorine and haul butt. I timed him one day and he was there literally 1 minute 40 seconds. I figured for $70 a month I could do the same or better.
Well, it's been about a month since his last service. I was running the SWCG at 40% and last week testing with my new kit I had 0 FC. I've bumped it up to 100% for the last 2 days. Monday I read 2.2 FC and yesterday I read 3.4 FC. For an over-sized cell running 100% I would expect it to be way higher than that. The water looks great, BUT I've noticed that it seems to be just a little hazy. I could be wrong, but it just doesn't seem to sparkle like it did before. Maybe just my imagination? Reading the forums thinking I may have an unknown algae bloom that is eating up my FC, I did an OCLT last night. I lost 0.6 FC and had 0.2 CC. I may have screwed up the test results a little though. I took my first test at around 5:30pm but the SWCG runs until 7pm, so that could have skewed the results slightly. I took the second test this morning around 5:30, so 12 hours later. I will do another OCLT tonight to verify the results. The pump runs about 10 1/2 hours per day.
My latest test results are
pH 7.5
TA 90
CH 280
CYA 70
Salt 3,800
Also, my phosphates are something like 2,800. I know a properly chlorinated pool shouldn't have a problem with phosphates, but I might get rid of them just for piece of mind.
So, I don't think I have an algae problem. What else would explain the low FC numbers? What does everyone think?
Thanks in advance.
Chris
This is my first request for help. I posted some advice on a few threads yesterday to try and help out before I jump in with my request. Trying to contribute......
Anyway, I just fired my pool guy, found the TFP forums and bought my first K-2006 test kit. I've been doing a lot of reading since then. I had a Pentair IC20 that was 8-9 years old and had not been working for a year or two. When it was working, I think it was set at 40-60%. I replaced this with an IC40 cell, I figured I could run it at 20-40% and it would last longer that way. I fired my pool guy because all he did was test FC, dump in 1/2 gallon of chlorine and haul butt. I timed him one day and he was there literally 1 minute 40 seconds. I figured for $70 a month I could do the same or better.
Well, it's been about a month since his last service. I was running the SWCG at 40% and last week testing with my new kit I had 0 FC. I've bumped it up to 100% for the last 2 days. Monday I read 2.2 FC and yesterday I read 3.4 FC. For an over-sized cell running 100% I would expect it to be way higher than that. The water looks great, BUT I've noticed that it seems to be just a little hazy. I could be wrong, but it just doesn't seem to sparkle like it did before. Maybe just my imagination? Reading the forums thinking I may have an unknown algae bloom that is eating up my FC, I did an OCLT last night. I lost 0.6 FC and had 0.2 CC. I may have screwed up the test results a little though. I took my first test at around 5:30pm but the SWCG runs until 7pm, so that could have skewed the results slightly. I took the second test this morning around 5:30, so 12 hours later. I will do another OCLT tonight to verify the results. The pump runs about 10 1/2 hours per day.
My latest test results are
pH 7.5
TA 90
CH 280
CYA 70
Salt 3,800
Also, my phosphates are something like 2,800. I know a properly chlorinated pool shouldn't have a problem with phosphates, but I might get rid of them just for piece of mind.
So, I don't think I have an algae problem. What else would explain the low FC numbers? What does everyone think?
Thanks in advance.
Chris