We moved into house with existing ~17.5k IG pool about 3.5yrs ago and had been relying on pool store for chemicals, testing, knowledge, etc. I was exclusive tab & shock user and had no idea why couldn't keep FC levels suitable to prevent algae.
About a month ago, a co-worker referred me to TFP and have been catching up on all of my mistakes and unlearning everything pool store has taught me. After getting a k2006 testkit, FC was ~0, CYA @160 (pool store said CYA was 100). Broke down and did ~60% pool drain to reduce CYA down to 80 and then I rolled the dice on Bio-Active which got CYA down to ~40-45. During Bio-active treatment I had a heck of a time keeping FC around the recommended 2-3ppm (kept dropping to ~0) as didn't completely solve algae problem before tackling CYA. (CYA level way to high to realistically SLAM).
I've switched to liq CL and not looking back. (joined the local chapter of Tab User Anonymous: "Hi my name is ****, and I'm a recovering tab user") However, I'm still getting in the habit of using liq-Cl every day and I guess kinda surprised that it seems to be taking 1/2-2/3gal of 10% each day. (I guess that still is only 3-4ppm FC used/loss per day and is probably within norms given we're already hitting 90deg in Austin). However, at $6.44 for 2gal of 10% at WalMart, that is about $2/day for CL. When I was using tabs, it seemed like a $70 bucket of tabs would last >6mo, so liqCL definitely seems more expensive (but I was probably under-CLorinating as well when using tabs - pool store was always recommending FC level of 2-3 even when I had CYA >100). But I guess cost of correct amount of CL still beats having constant algae flare-ups and then having to break down the DE filter every couple months as backwashing never seems to completely clean it out enough after algae blooms.
BTW, how long should I realistically be running the pump each day? For about the first year after moving in, the system was running a 1hp Whisperflo at high speed for about 16hrs/day. We had the power company come and do a free energy audit and determined that was costly $100/mo just in electricity! After that, I've tried to dial pump run time waaaay back to save on $$. Last summer, original DS pump died and replaced with Intelliflow VS. I currently run the VS @2500RPM for ~2hrs & 1500RPM for 1hr each day. I'm sure that is likely too little. I also have it setup to run only in the morning. What's the recommendation on schedule for running the pump?
About a month ago, a co-worker referred me to TFP and have been catching up on all of my mistakes and unlearning everything pool store has taught me. After getting a k2006 testkit, FC was ~0, CYA @160 (pool store said CYA was 100). Broke down and did ~60% pool drain to reduce CYA down to 80 and then I rolled the dice on Bio-Active which got CYA down to ~40-45. During Bio-active treatment I had a heck of a time keeping FC around the recommended 2-3ppm (kept dropping to ~0) as didn't completely solve algae problem before tackling CYA. (CYA level way to high to realistically SLAM).
I've switched to liq CL and not looking back. (joined the local chapter of Tab User Anonymous: "Hi my name is ****, and I'm a recovering tab user") However, I'm still getting in the habit of using liq-Cl every day and I guess kinda surprised that it seems to be taking 1/2-2/3gal of 10% each day. (I guess that still is only 3-4ppm FC used/loss per day and is probably within norms given we're already hitting 90deg in Austin). However, at $6.44 for 2gal of 10% at WalMart, that is about $2/day for CL. When I was using tabs, it seemed like a $70 bucket of tabs would last >6mo, so liqCL definitely seems more expensive (but I was probably under-CLorinating as well when using tabs - pool store was always recommending FC level of 2-3 even when I had CYA >100). But I guess cost of correct amount of CL still beats having constant algae flare-ups and then having to break down the DE filter every couple months as backwashing never seems to completely clean it out enough after algae blooms.
BTW, how long should I realistically be running the pump each day? For about the first year after moving in, the system was running a 1hp Whisperflo at high speed for about 16hrs/day. We had the power company come and do a free energy audit and determined that was costly $100/mo just in electricity! After that, I've tried to dial pump run time waaaay back to save on $$. Last summer, original DS pump died and replaced with Intelliflow VS. I currently run the VS @2500RPM for ~2hrs & 1500RPM for 1hr each day. I'm sure that is likely too little. I also have it setup to run only in the morning. What's the recommendation on schedule for running the pump?
Once you get that FC & CYA dialed-in, your FC consumption should drop a bit, or at least be steady. About this time of year I crank up my CYA to about 50-60. I've even gone as high as 70 when the TX sun got out of hand. We have about the same size pools, and I use about 1/2 gallon each day. One half gallon is about 2.5ppm of FC, so I know I'm in a good range. I just grab the Bravo regular from HEB at $2.94 a gallon. So 4 gallons gets me through the week unless I have a big party or something weird happens. As for running the pump, it's as individual as a person's wallet. Experiment with times and speeds simply to ensure good mixing of chemicals when you add them, then moving surface debris towards the skimmer. That's it. Welcome to the TFP club! 