Pool chemical levels...how they rise and fall

[acousticplanet]

Before I get into my comment. My apologies to the Mermaid TFP moderator. I circumvented the forum when I shouldn't have. Thank you for the advice.

Anyway, my slightly acidic pH actually didn't need a pH increaser. The heavy rains must have diluted the acid and brought the level back up, way up. The pH is now too high. Nice. I'm going to test tomorrow and and the appropriate acid amount if needed.

Also, my chlorine level is now too high when last week it was a tad low. I guess cleaning my salt cell and adding cya coupled with running the filter at 100% chlorine for 8 hours per day pushed it up. The 100% chlorine setting level wasn't previously adding much due to the cell being dirty and the service light coming on/off due to air scavenging from an ozonator that I've since disabled. I'm sure there are people cringing and/or laughing at my process, but I've learned a ton this past month especially being a 1st time pool owner. My pool chemical levels in the near future will all be in "ideal" range.

Once I get it into a decent range for most/all of the chemicals and given that the pump/filter etc. is working correctly, should I expect to "babysit" my pool to keep it in an ideal state?

Thanks!

 

[polyvue]

Once I get it into a decent range for most/all of the chemicals and given that the pump/filter etc. is working correctly, should I expect to "babysit" my pool to keep it in an ideal state?

For the first few months after my new pool was installed I was out testing day and night, brushing the pool until my biceps had biceps... but two years out, I'm comfortable enough to test every 10 days in the winter, once a week in spring and fall, and every 4-5 days during swim season. I'm forever removing and replacing the solar pool cover in the summer time to regulate water temperature (nirvana = 84-86 degrees F.) so that's when I make time to perform some quick tests.



Most SWG/plaster pools tend to gravitate toward higher pH, so monitor this every few days even if you don't feel like testing the whole enchilada. When I'm feeling lazy, I just confirm Chlorine (FC) and pH levels, adjusting SWG output and adding muriatic acid if necessary. TA/CH/CYA etc can wait for Saturday -- when I plan to brush the sides of my pool and work on difficult algebra problems.

heh heh. :lol:

 

[Bama Rambler]

It all depends on your idea of "Babysit".

I attend our pool once a day but it's only to check pH and FC. I vacuum about once or twice a week and brush about once a week. When I first started out I was like polyvue, I tested more than I needed to but once I "learned" our pool I'm very comfortable if I can't check it for a few days.

So do I Babysit our pool??? Not at all!

 

[duraleigh]

should I expect to "babysit" my pool to keep it in an ideal state?

If you substitute the word "test" for babysit, the answer is yes.

If you gain the knowledge to test accurately and understand how to respond to the tests, the amount of time you "babysit" (substitute "test") will become quite minimal.

 

[PaulR]

A reporter once asked J.P.Morgan what the stock market would do. The tycoon replied, "It will fluctuate."

Same with the water chemistry parameters; they will fluctuate, some faster and some slower. The one that fluctuates fastest, FC, you are addressing with a SWG. Once you get that tuned up, you can probably get away with testing FC/pH a couple times a week, TA weekly, CH/CYA monthly or less.
--paulr

 

[acousticplanet]

Thanks for the feedback. The pool is becoming easier to maintain. It's just a matter of getting to know how it reacts over time and what to do to keep in an ideal state. It's coming along. That "what to do" was/is a little tricky, but with all my reading (thanks to TFP et al), I'm well on my way to becoming a pool maintenance specialist. Well, maybe not a specialist...