2 gal of chlorine a week?

[dannyfanny]

What's up y'all I have a 25 to 30,000 gal inground pebble tech pool. I live in Arizona and we use the pool daily. It looks good right now but I'm having to use about 2 gallons a week lately. AND I'm having to scrub the pool at least twice a week sometimes more. (aint nobody got time for that) I'll dump in a gallon of chlorine and scrub it but within three days, I'm noticing the slight green algae forming on my walls again. ( i think its the older version of the phoenix cleaner. it has that sticker on it "the pool cleaner". Which in my opinion is a piece of Crud I have spent $500 just on replacing those stupid plastic gears and rubber tires on it over the years, but that'll be another thread. its 7 years old and doesn't climb the walls anymore)

anyways, my water was changed a year ago and I stopped using pucks and shock. I'm testing the water every day lately with the block test of 5 drops of the yellow and red for chl and PH. my cya is good.

My question is does this seem about normal to go through that much chlorine and I have to scrub it like this? or Do I need to put way more chlorine in to get ahead and totally wipe it out any alge and then I won't have to use as much or scrub it as much going forward?

side question do the $45 special pebble tech brushes really make that much of a difference? They don't have the side brushes on it, which is good for the corners and the steps so I was tempted to get a knock off version on Amazon that has the side brushes to make my life easier but they aren't the special hard "pebble bristles" does it really matter or is that just marketing?

please keep it simple for me. thanks!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

You need a better test kit. The Taylor K-2006C or TFT Test Kits

Can your pool pass a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test? If not, you need to follow the SLAM Process step by step to get your pool algae free.

Then follow TFP methods to maintain the correct FC/CYA ratio.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

Algae Archives

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Newdude]

Also brace yourself.

You will lose 4 FC per day or maybe even 5 FC in your hot climate. A gallon of 10% is only about 3.3 FC for you so it will be well over a gallon a day soon, or it will be swamp-y / stain-y

 

[duraleigh]

What's up y'all I have a 25 to 30,000 gal inground pebble tech pool. I live in Arizona and we use the pool daily. It looks good right now but I'm having to use about 2 gallons a week lately. AND I'm having to scrub the pool at least twice a week sometimes more. (aint nobody got time for that) I'll dump in a gallon of chlorine and scrub it but within three days, I'm noticing the slight green algae forming on my walls again. ( i think its the older version of the phoenix cleaner. it has that sticker on it "the pool cleaner". Which in my opinion is a piece of Crud I have spent $500 just on replacing those stupid plastic gears and rubber tires on it over the years, but that'll be another thread. its 7 years old and doesn't climb the walls anymore)

anyways, my water was changed a year ago and I stopped using pucks and shock. I'm testing the water every day lately with the block test of 5 drops of the yellow and red for chl and PH. my cya is good.

My question is does this seem about normal to go through that much chlorine and I have to scrub it like this? or Do I need to put way more chlorine in to get ahead and totally wipe it out any alge and then I won't have to use as much or scrub it as much going forward?

side question do the $45 special pebble tech brushes really make that much of a difference? They don't have the side brushes on it, which is good for the corners and the steps so I was tempted to get a knock off version on Amazon that has the side brushes to make my life easier but they aren't the special hard "pebble bristles" does it really matter or is that just marketing?

please keep it simple for me. thanks!

Your issue is chemistry.........not mechanical brushing and cleaning. You will need a good test kit to monitor your chems much better. The TFTestkits TF-Pro is the best for your purposes. Once you purchase your kit, we would then ask you to SLAM your pool. Read the article on SLAMming in Pool School.

 

[sande005]

Using tabs, as you did before, would require about 2 per day to counter 4 ppm CL sunlight loss. About $5.75. Starting from 0, it would be much less than 50 days for CYA to exceed 100, and water replacement then needed. (tab use needs to increase to counter the climbing CYA, which increases CYA faster...)
With 10% liquid, it would take a smidge more than 1 gal per day, so perhaps $7. No need ever to replace the water. But there are all those jugs.
As noted, you likely will need even more of either over the course of the summer, but less over winter. The above is likely a pretty low $ number for Arizona if extending over the course of a year.
Make the jump to a Salt Generator, and it will be paid for in 1 to 1 1/2 years. The additional life of about 4 yrs more (and maybe 8), would then be free. And maybe 1/2 of the original cost to replace the cell at the end of life. No more daily adds of anything, or water exchanges.

Right now, the course is to do the SLAM, which will take several/many gallons of liquid and days to eliminate the algae. Then after, keep adding daily at a much higher rate than you have.

 

[pjt]

After the SLAM, I'd recommend installing a SWCG (get a 60k rated unit) and a topping up your pool with a softened water fill line.

 

[dannyfanny]

What's up y'all I have a 25 to 30,000 gal inground pebble tech pool. I live in Arizona and we use the pool daily. It looks good right now but I'm having to use about 2 gallons a week lately. AND I'm having to scrub the pool at least twice a week sometimes more. (aint nobody got time for that) I'll dump in a gallon of chlorine and scrub it but within three days, I'm noticing the slight green algae forming on my walls again. ( i think its the older version of the phoenix cleaner. it has that sticker on it "the pool cleaner". Which in my opinion is a piece of Crud I have spent $500 just on replacing those stupid plastic gears and rubber tires on it over the years, but that'll be another thread. its 7 years old and doesn't climb the walls anymore)

anyways, my water was changed a year ago and I stopped using pucks and shock. I'm testing the water every day lately with the block test of 5 drops of the yellow and red for chl and PH. my cya is good.

My question is does this seem about normal to go through that much chlorine and I have to scrub it like this? or Do I need to put way more chlorine in to get ahead and totally wipe it out any alge and then I won't have to use as much or scrub it as much going forward?

side question do the $45 special pebble tech brushes really make that much of a difference? They don't have the side brushes on it, which is good for the corners and the steps so I was tempted to get a knock off version on Amazon that has the side brushes to make my life easier but they aren't the special hard "pebble bristles" does it really matter or is that just marketing?

please keep it simple for me. thanks!

Welcome to TFP.

You need a better test kit. The Taylor K-2006C or TFT Test Kits

Can your pool pass a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test? If not, you need to follow the SLAM Process step by step to get your pool algae free.

Then follow TFP methods to maintain the correct FC/CYA ratio.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

Algae Archives

www.troublefreepool.com

i have the TF 100 isn't that good enough? although it takes me like an hour if i were to do the chl and ph and cya. going through all the steps and reading and measuring everything twice as i go. not trouble free in my opinion.

 

[dannyfanny]

Also brace yourself.

You will lose 4 FC per day or maybe even 5 FC in your hot climate. A gallon of 10% is only about 3.3 FC for you so it will be well over a gallon a day soon, or it will be swamp-y / stain-y

what?? is that what normal people do ?? spend 50-60$ a WEEK? no way... is that what im signing up for by not doing pucks and shock anymore and strictly liquid chl?

 

[dannyfanny]

Your issue is chemistry.........not mechanical brushing and cleaning. You will need a good test kit to monitor your chems much better. The TFTestkits TF-Pro is the best for your purposes. Once you purchase your kit, we would then ask you to SLAM your pool. Read the article on SLAMming in Pool School.

i have the TF 100 isn't that good enough? although it takes me like an hour if i were to do the chl and ph and cya. and everything. going through all the steps and reading and measuring everything twice as i go. not exactly trouble free in my opinion. i don' t have an extra hour a day to do all these tests. how do i simplify this?

 

[dannyfanny]

Using tabs, as you did before, would require about 2 per day to counter 4 ppm CL sunlight loss. About $5.75. Starting from 0, it would be much less than 50 days for CYA to exceed 100, and water replacement then needed. (tab use needs to increase to counter the climbing CYA, which increases CYA faster...)
With 10% liquid, it would take a smidge more than 1 gal per day, so perhaps $7. No need ever to replace the water. But there are all those jugs.
As noted, you likely will need even more of either over the course of the summer, but less over winter. The above is likely a pretty low $ number for Arizona if extending over the course of a year.
Make the jump to a Salt Generator, and it will be paid for in 1 to 1 1/2 years. The additional life of about 4 yrs more (and maybe 8), would then be free. And maybe 1/2 of the original cost to replace the cell at the end of life. No more daily adds of anything, or water exchanges.

Right now, the course is to do the SLAM, which will take several/many gallons of liquid and days to eliminate the algae. Then after, keep adding daily at a much higher rate than you have.

After I dump in a gallon of chlorine, the next day the block test shows that my chlorine is over five but by the next day, it's probably at three and by the next day, it's basically zero. Does that just mean I'm fighting some algae? So how much do I need to put in? 3 gallons 4 gallons? and once I do that, would 1 gallon a week suffice to keep it at bay?

How much is a saltwater generator? I'll have to look into that. Some idiots sold me on getting rid of my sand filter and now I have these cartridge filters which are a pain in the butt. It takes me two hours to spray them out every six months my life was good and simple with the sand filter.

 

[PoolStored]

what?? is that what normal people do ?? spend 50-60$ a WEEK? no way... is that what im signing up for by not doing pucks and shock anymore and strictly liquid chl?

In Arizona, the way to go is Salt Water chlorine generator. Comparison cost per FC.



If you have algae, follow the SLAM process to clear the algae. Link-->SLAM Process

You normally only need to test FC daily, pH every couple days and the rest either weekly or monthly.

Basic Pool Care Schedule

This basic pool care schedule can guide you in creating your own pool care routine. Regular pool maintenance will keep your water sparkling!

www.troublefreepool.com

You TF100 is just fine.

 

[duraleigh]

although it takes me like an hour if i were to do the chl and ph and cya. going through all the steps and reading and measuring everything twice as i go. not trouble free in my opinion.

You can manage your pool however you like but this forum promotes a system with full testing done once or twice weekly for about 10-15 minutes total each testing session.

It's certainly your choice to keep doing what you are doing (and getting the same results as you are now) or take the plunge and learn how to manage your pool and have crystal clear results.

 

[Newdude]

i have the TF 100 isn't that good enough?

The TF100 is great. It was a misunderstanding above.

although it takes me like an hour if i were to do the chl and ph and cya. and everything. going through all the steps and reading and measuring everything twice as i go

You need a couple rodeos under your belt and it will be second nature quickly. I could probably get the whole suite done in 5 mins if I had to.

what?? is that what normal people do ?? spend 50-60$ a WEEK?

6 gallons at Walmart is $37 out the door for me. Yours will be close but slightly different sales tax.

There is no two ways about adding enough chlorine. There is one way. Add enough, or have algae. You need what you need no matter the method you follow.

If you use cal-hypo it jacks your calcium. If you use trichlor it jacks your CYA. Both become difficult to manage quickly with long and dry seasons by you.

It is up to you if you want to roll with an 128 ounces of prevention, or 25 lbs of cure.

 

[TinFoilHat]

Consider a Salt Water Chlorine Generator. That is $1500 (CircuPool RJ60+) up front for 5 years of free chlorine compared to liquid chlorine purchases that will run you about $6500 over the same 5 years. There is nothing wrong with a cartridge filter if it's large enough for your pool. You will need to clean the cartridges 2 or 3 times during the SLAM that you need to do right now, but then if you keep the pool clean and keep your FC at the top of the range for whatever CYA level you have you can probably not clean them for an entire year. If you can get soft water to your pool then you can use that for makeup water that won't run your CH sky high.

 

[ajw22]

I'm testing the water every day lately with the block test of 5 drops of the yellow and red for chl and PH. my cya is good.

i have the TF 100 isn't that good enough? although it takes me like an hour if i were to do the chl and ph and cya. going through all the steps and reading and measuring everything twice as i go. not trouble free in my opinion.

No where did you say you had the TF-100. All you said was you were using the block test for chlorine. The yellow block test is not accurate.

Always use the FAS/DPD test in your TF100 for chlorine.

It takes me less than 5 minutes a test to run through them all.

 

[dannyfanny]

The TF100 is great. It was a misunderstanding above.

You need a couple rodeos under your belt and it will be second nature quickly. I could probably get the whole suite done in 5 mins if I had to.

6 gallons at Walmart is $37 out the door for me. Yours will be close but slightly different sales tax.

There is no two ways about adding enough chlorine. There is one way. Add enough, or have algae. You need what you need no matter the method you follow.

If you use cal-hypo it jacks your calcium. If you use trichlor it jacks your CYA. Both become difficult to manage quickly with long and dry seasons by you.

It is up to you if you want to roll with an 128 ounces of prevention, or 25 lbs of cure.

i like the straight talk. and wow. freakin leslies is like double the price! i think i got 2 gal for 20$ and im going through them like crazy. do i need to spend 200$ a month in chlorine is that just the reality? if so, why wouldn't i just hire a pool guy to do it for 125 a month and i don't have to scrub

 

[dannyfanny]

Consider a Salt Water Chlorine Generator. That is $1500 (CircuPool RJ60+) up front for 5 years of free chlorine compared to liquid chlorine purchases that will run you about $6500 over the same 5 years. There is nothing wrong with a cartridge filter if it's large enough for your pool. You will need to clean the cartridges 2 or 3 times during the SLAM that you need to do right now, but then if you keep the pool clean and keep your FC at the top of the range for whatever CYA level you have you can probably not clean them for an entire year. If you can get soft water to your pool then you can use that for makeup water that won't run your CH sky high.

man. salt water chlorine thingy sounds like a no brainer if it really is that cost effective. that model you just recommended, pretend im your best friend, should i shop and research and compare or will i be super happy with that model and shouldn't over think it?. i suppose i need to get a variable speed pump too then huh.

 

[PoolStored]

man. salt water chlorine thingy sounds like a no brainer if it really is that cost effective. that model you just recommended, pretend im your best friend, should i shop and research and compare or will i be super happy with that model and shouldn't over think it?. i suppose i need to get a variable speed pump too then huh.

SWG is no brainer in AZ. What size pool do you have and do you have automation?



VSP is no brainer too. What pump do you have now? (make/model#)

 

[sande005]

Chlorine has to be replaced almost every day. One can try to get by with dosing heavy one day, and coast through the next day, or even two. But that brings a risk of it dropping too low on the off day. Algae can then easily exploit that drop. Normal dosing then won't kill it all, as there is so much more, which also makes the CL level drop sooner - so it can explode on you. Algae is microscopic, so once there is enough to make the water less clear, or to see on the sides/bottom, the battle has been long lost. The goal is to keep the CL level up enough that the very small amount that drops into the pool from outside (wind, vegetation, ducks, mixed with dirt) does get taken care of, so it never gets a foothold.

So unless your pool guy can come several days a week - or depends on "bad" things like tablets.....

I test my CL a couple of times a week using the powder/drop test. pH once to twice a week. More frequently for those two when the pool is getting lots of use. TA every other week, unless the pH is showing larger swings over the period. The rest about once a month, or anytime there has been a big environment change (major rain storm, etc.)

The downsides to a Salt Water Generator:
1. Doesn't work in cold water (<50-60), so you have to use liquid during those times. But those times use a lot less CL anyway.
2. MUST be installed so that it never can run when there is no water flowing. That depends on your other equipment - it may be a simple plug and play, or need extra items (maybe control boards, or maybe timer boxes) - so there may be additional one-time install costs.
3. Can be prone to deposits building up, so one has to keep things in balance managing the CSI level of the pool. (nothing new to add or test, but it becomes a balancing act of what is in there to meet the goal, so you may run more tests, more often). The big one is managing CH levels.
4. I can slightly taste the salt in the water. No one else, so far, that has used the pool can.
5. It gets boring looking at a pool that is crystal clear all the time.
6. My wife has ideas about how to spend all the money saved.

If you want to pursue, please do the following, and we can help in great detail:
1. Let us know how DIY you are. Willing to do, or learn, pvc plumbing? How comfortable/knowledgeable are you with doing electrical work?
2. Fill out your signature here with the makes and models of all your equipment, and pool specs. More details of how and what here: How to add your signature
3. Post pics of your equipment pad from various views so we can see all the equipment and where the pipes run. Equipment control boxes and electrical panels also.

 

[dannyfanny]

Chlorine has to be replaced almost every day. One can try to get by with dosing heavy one day, and coast through the next day, or even two. But that brings a risk of it dropping too low on the off day. Algae can then easily exploit that drop. Normal dosing then won't kill it all, as there is so much more, which also makes the CL level drop sooner - so it can explode on you. Algae is microscopic, so once there is enough to make the water less clear, or to see on the sides/bottom, the battle has been long lost. The goal is to keep the CL level up enough that the very small amount that drops into the pool from outside (wind, vegetation, ducks, mixed with dirt) does get taken care of, so it never gets a foothold.

So unless your pool guy can come several days a week - or depends on "bad" things like tablets.....

I test my CL a couple of times a week using the powder/drop test. pH once to twice a week. More frequently for those two when the pool is getting lots of use. TA every other week, unless the pH is showing larger swings over the period. The rest about once a month, or anytime there has been a big environment change (major rain storm, etc.)

The downsides to a Salt Water Generator:
1. Doesn't work in cold water (<50-60), so you have to use liquid during those times. But those times use a lot less CL anyway.
2. MUST be installed so that it never can run when there is no water flowing. That depends on your other equipment - it may be a simple plug and play, or need extra items (maybe control boards, or maybe timer boxes) - so there may be additional one-time install costs.
3. Can be prone to deposits building up, so one has to keep things in balance managing the CSI level of the pool. (nothing new to add or test, but it becomes a balancing act of what is in there to meet the goal, so you may run more tests, more often). The big one is managing CH levels.
4. I can slightly taste the salt in the water. No one else, so far, that has used the pool can.
5. It gets boring looking at a pool that is crystal clear all the time.
6. My wife has ideas about how to spend all the money saved.

If you want to pursue, please do the following, and we can help in great detail:
1. Let us know how DIY you are. Willing to do, or learn, pvc plumbing? How comfortable/knowledgeable are you with doing electrical work?
2. Fill out your signature here with the makes and models of all your equipment, and pool specs. More details of how and what here: How to add your signature
3. Post pics of your equipment pad from various views so we can see all the equipment and where the pipes run. Equipment control boxes and electrical panels also.

thank you. im decent at diy. as long as i have good instruction. i will post pics later on this thank you again.

do i need to clean my cartridge filter before i start my slam?