Greetings TFP Members. I'm new to TFP and a 2yr pool owner and didn't realize how troubling a pool can be when you rely on a pool maintenance company to maintain your pool --- never again.
So, with that said, I have been reading the TFP site as much as possible on how to maintain and "fix" problems. And yes, I purchased the TF-100 test kit based on recommendations from the members of this site.
SO --- on with the story.
Back in July I had to leave the house for a month to take care of a traumatic death in my family. Upon returning home in August, I found my pool excessively GREEN and a lot of black "splotches" covering the base of the pool. I ordered a stainless steel bristle brush and started scrubbing the best I could for a week, went to the pool store and told them what was going on. They sent me home with chlorine "shock" powder and Algae Eliminator. --- I dumped it in as they directed.
Within a day or two, the green started to settle down and I was able to see the bottom of the pool again. Nothing like it used to be however. I kept scrubbing the pool, vacuuming it, and scrubbing. Nothing seemed to really help.
I then found TFP --- wow, what a lot of information to sift through and even much more contradicting information from what the pool store was telling me.
The weekend of September 3rd - 5th, I was out of town again in North Carolina with family. We came home the 6th and the pool seemed "normal".
Skipping to Thursday, September 8th ---
I came home from work to find that my pool was once again GREEN!!
The Green Pool >> Shared album - S Flynn - Google Photos
Friday evening I stopped at Walmart again and picked up another 8 gallons of bleach and this time I dumped in 4 gallons of it, in hopes to kill off the starting Algae cycle once again.
Saturday morning, 24 hrs later my pool is looking much better... however very cloudy comparatively. I figured i would let it sit for another 24 hours and then begin testing and learning how to use the TF-100 test kit as I hadn't had a chance to put it to use yet.
The better looking pool >> Shared album - S Flynn - Google Photos
Sunday morning, pool still looks as it did on Saturday, still cloudy though.
I'm still not 100% how to use everything in the TF-100 test kit (going to go find reading material on it tonight).
I did however manage to get a standard pool test completed. Based on the readings, I went ahead and added another gallon of bleach to the pool, as it seems to be reading only .5 CF.
My interpretation of the readings:
CF = .5
pH = 8.2+++
Pool Test Results >> Shared album - S Flynn - Google Photos
I couldn't figure out how it was so low on CF since I was running my SWG at 70% and my pool pump runs for 10 hours p/day.
Now, about the SWG. After seeing that the CF was so excessively low, even after putting in 4 gallons of chlorine on Friday night, I started to get curious if the SWG was working properly. I went out the box and the LCD was displaying 3300 ppm of salt... ok, that is within normal range. While I was watching the SWG I noticed a clicking noise and then the power and "generating" light completely went out. About 45 seconds later it all came back on. About 30 seconds later it did it again. It was doing this in a constant cycle. --- My first thought, What!!! Not this too. :-?
So -- back to reading on TFP about my model of SWG. If found that multiple people have experienced this same and/or near symptoms. I then went back out the box, powered everything down, and tor into it. Low and behold, it seems that I have a micro cracked limiter on the board (new limiter on order now).
Stress Cracked Limiter >> Shared album - S Flynn - Google Photos
OK, now that you have heard the story --- now for the questions.
First, what tests (how to links would be awesome) show I perform next on the pool to help stabilize this thing and get it back into shape ?
Second, Am I missing anything or not understanding ? any help would be much appreciated.
Regards,
Stephen Flynn
So, with that said, I have been reading the TFP site as much as possible on how to maintain and "fix" problems. And yes, I purchased the TF-100 test kit based on recommendations from the members of this site.
SO --- on with the story.
Back in July I had to leave the house for a month to take care of a traumatic death in my family. Upon returning home in August, I found my pool excessively GREEN and a lot of black "splotches" covering the base of the pool. I ordered a stainless steel bristle brush and started scrubbing the best I could for a week, went to the pool store and told them what was going on. They sent me home with chlorine "shock" powder and Algae Eliminator. --- I dumped it in as they directed.
Within a day or two, the green started to settle down and I was able to see the bottom of the pool again. Nothing like it used to be however. I kept scrubbing the pool, vacuuming it, and scrubbing. Nothing seemed to really help.
I then found TFP --- wow, what a lot of information to sift through and even much more contradicting information from what the pool store was telling me.
The weekend of September 3rd - 5th, I was out of town again in North Carolina with family. We came home the 6th and the pool seemed "normal".
Skipping to Thursday, September 8th ---
I came home from work to find that my pool was once again GREEN!!
The Green Pool >> Shared album - S Flynn - Google Photos
Friday evening I stopped at Walmart again and picked up another 8 gallons of bleach and this time I dumped in 4 gallons of it, in hopes to kill off the starting Algae cycle once again.
Saturday morning, 24 hrs later my pool is looking much better... however very cloudy comparatively. I figured i would let it sit for another 24 hours and then begin testing and learning how to use the TF-100 test kit as I hadn't had a chance to put it to use yet.
The better looking pool >> Shared album - S Flynn - Google Photos
Sunday morning, pool still looks as it did on Saturday, still cloudy though.
I'm still not 100% how to use everything in the TF-100 test kit (going to go find reading material on it tonight).
I did however manage to get a standard pool test completed. Based on the readings, I went ahead and added another gallon of bleach to the pool, as it seems to be reading only .5 CF.
My interpretation of the readings:
CF = .5
pH = 8.2+++
Pool Test Results >> Shared album - S Flynn - Google Photos
I couldn't figure out how it was so low on CF since I was running my SWG at 70% and my pool pump runs for 10 hours p/day.
Now, about the SWG. After seeing that the CF was so excessively low, even after putting in 4 gallons of chlorine on Friday night, I started to get curious if the SWG was working properly. I went out the box and the LCD was displaying 3300 ppm of salt... ok, that is within normal range. While I was watching the SWG I noticed a clicking noise and then the power and "generating" light completely went out. About 45 seconds later it all came back on. About 30 seconds later it did it again. It was doing this in a constant cycle. --- My first thought, What!!! Not this too. :-?
So -- back to reading on TFP about my model of SWG. If found that multiple people have experienced this same and/or near symptoms. I then went back out the box, powered everything down, and tor into it. Low and behold, it seems that I have a micro cracked limiter on the board (new limiter on order now).
Stress Cracked Limiter >> Shared album - S Flynn - Google Photos
OK, now that you have heard the story --- now for the questions.
First, what tests (how to links would be awesome) show I perform next on the pool to help stabilize this thing and get it back into shape ?
Second, Am I missing anything or not understanding ? any help would be much appreciated.
Regards,
Stephen Flynn