More Questions as I get ready for Borates!

[modog]

I am new to the BBB Method and I appreciate all the help!

1) Is there any harm on keeping my chlorinator tab setting at 5 without any pucks in it? Or should I set it to 0.
2) I was out of town and let my chlorine get to 0. I added my usualy 2 bottles of bleach and all is fine. I am now a believer of not having to shock as the "pool store" recommends. I am concerned as 1 of the criteria to shock is if the FC gets to 0. What are the other criteria? I did a phosphate test and got 0 so am I safe? Or should I go ahead and shock?
3) I am going to do the borates this weekend. Just to confirm, add 1/2 borates and 1/2 acid, brush, repeat second 1/2, brush, run pump for 48 hours and test.
4) Are borates safe for a 2 year old to be in the pool if they accidentally swallow some pool water?
5) My pool builder put in an ozonator when I built it 2 years ago. Is this useful or just a gimmick?

Thanks again. I love this site!

Mo

 

[JasonLion]

1) Also long as it is empty, the dial setting doesn't matter.
2) If you add chlorine and the level holds then you don't need to shock. But if algae has already gotten started and you fail to shock right away you can have a much larger cleanup task because you delayed. If the water is nice and clear, I would try aiming for a slightly higher than normal FC level and then see how things go. If the water has gotten at all cloudy/murky, I would go straight to shocking.
3) Yes.
4) Yes.
5) Ozone is not usually worth having on an outdoor pool.

 

[modog]

Thanks for the responses. I bought a phosphate tester that was recommended to test for a possible outbreak of algae. Is this a good test considering phosphates are food for algae? Is this correct?

 

[JasonLion]

A phosphate test will not tell you if you currently have algae. Phosphates are food for algae, but testing for and removing phosphates are almost always a waste of money. You need chlorine anyway to fight bacteria and viruses, and chlorine can take care of algae just fine on it's own much simpler and less expensively than removing phosphates.