hey guys, i learned how to use the pool calc, and i know it has a range for the targets for each of the chems, but you have to know your target for it to work, so in others words, what are my exact targets for each chem? what should i shoot for everytime i use the pool calc? or is it any number you choose between the given range? does it matter as long as your in the range? i would not like to be on the low side or high side of any given range, i wolud like to be in the middle. does that sound about right?
pool calc
- Thread starter erock14
- Start date
I shoot for the middle! That allows a little "forgiveness" when I fluctuate :-D The one thing that I really love about it is how dead on it really is! If I add the amount given to achieve a goal, it nails it!
I always tell all my customers (and potential customers) to either download it (if they have the iPhone) or get online and start using it! It helps that I have it on my iPhone and can dial up their pool and show them how it works in seconds! Best app I own, for that matter!
I always tell all my customers (and potential customers) to either download it (if they have the iPhone) or get online and start using it! It helps that I have it on my iPhone and can dial up their pool and show them how it works in seconds! Best app I own, for that matter!
Take a look at the Recommended Levels article at Pool School. For more detailed advice, post a full set of water test results and we can give you customized recommendations.
Aiming at "center of mass" of those ranges to start seems to be a pretty good approach until you find out what works best for YOU!
I'm new so i'm not suggesting what you should do, but at the bottom of "pool calculator" you can choose goals from this site as a option. Thats what I started with and "trying to use" with suggestions from people on here. Thank goodness for this sight, it has been a huge help.
I think you ought to consider the consequences of overshooting or undershooting any particular value.
Some things like chlorine are consumed quickly so overshooting is not a problem, while undershooting may lead to algae. So aim for the top of the range and add chlorine again BEFORE it gets to the bottom of the range. Test daily until you know how fast that happens. Some people add chlorine every day, others on a 2 or 3 days cycle.
Other things like pH can be quite serious when out of range, over or under, but pH is very easy to correct. So to begin, aim for the middle. Once you know whether your pool pH drifts up or drifts down, you will know which end of the range to aim for. I aim for the bottom because my pH is always drifting up.
CYA is easy to raise and hard to lower, as lowering usually involves draining and refilling water. So, get to the bottom of the range, then raise it slowly as you see the need. The need will be apparent when you think you might be able to use less chlorine with a higher CYA level. I like to get to to the bottom of the range and then I have the luxury of using the trichlor pucks for awhile. Once I am near the top of the range, no more pucks. Rain may eventually lower the CYA, as will forgetting that you were the one responsible for turning off the pool refill line (oops!).
CH is likewise easy to raise and hard to lower and that involves draining and refilling. But it does not change much. So, get into range anywhere and don't worry too much about it. If CH is low you can use Cal-Hypo as your chlorine source until it starts to get to the top of the range.
TA is easy to raise and hard to lower and lowering involves using MA, either fast or slow method. TA levels affect how stable your pH is and can be high if your fill water is high. My fill water is TA 340, so my TA drifts upwards over time as I add water to the pool and then pH starts to drift upwards faster than before with lots of aeration all the time from the spillover spa. So I try to get my TA to the low end of the range, again and again and again.
Some things like chlorine are consumed quickly so overshooting is not a problem, while undershooting may lead to algae. So aim for the top of the range and add chlorine again BEFORE it gets to the bottom of the range. Test daily until you know how fast that happens. Some people add chlorine every day, others on a 2 or 3 days cycle.
Other things like pH can be quite serious when out of range, over or under, but pH is very easy to correct. So to begin, aim for the middle. Once you know whether your pool pH drifts up or drifts down, you will know which end of the range to aim for. I aim for the bottom because my pH is always drifting up.
CYA is easy to raise and hard to lower, as lowering usually involves draining and refilling water. So, get to the bottom of the range, then raise it slowly as you see the need. The need will be apparent when you think you might be able to use less chlorine with a higher CYA level. I like to get to to the bottom of the range and then I have the luxury of using the trichlor pucks for awhile. Once I am near the top of the range, no more pucks. Rain may eventually lower the CYA, as will forgetting that you were the one responsible for turning off the pool refill line (oops!).
CH is likewise easy to raise and hard to lower and that involves draining and refilling. But it does not change much. So, get into range anywhere and don't worry too much about it. If CH is low you can use Cal-Hypo as your chlorine source until it starts to get to the top of the range.
TA is easy to raise and hard to lower and lowering involves using MA, either fast or slow method. TA levels affect how stable your pH is and can be high if your fill water is high. My fill water is TA 340, so my TA drifts upwards over time as I add water to the pool and then pH starts to drift upwards faster than before with lots of aeration all the time from the spillover spa. So I try to get my TA to the low end of the range, again and again and again.
recommended levels is the same as pool calc, same ranges. im just gonna go w/ 5.0 right in the middle of 3-7. my ta is 90 gonna stay w/ that. my ph is rock solid never increases or decreases steady at 7.2 since i bought this home last august gonna stay w/ that. my ch is 50 so im good w/ that, being vinyl and all. and my cya is low at 25 right now, gonna bring that up slowly to 40 i guess thats the magic number i keep reading about. so is that a good recipe. LOL
ok guess 5 was right, as soon as i get the cya up to 40. i just read the chlorine/cya chart and it was right there in front of me, their is just so much info on this site its hard to rember it all, but thats a good thing. LOL
cya>>>min>>target>>shock level
40>>>>3>>>>>5>>>>>16 >>>> it doesnt say the max but i assume like the pool calc says, 7 is max
cya>>>min>>target>>shock level
40>>>>3>>>>>5>>>>>16 >>>> it doesnt say the max but i assume like the pool calc says, 7 is max