Hey! New to BBB method after letting the pool store talk me into using the 'tried and true method' of Tabs/Algaecide/shocking on my brand new pool (built myself last season: 18x36 Vinyl, 8ft deep end, small swimout, Deck jet fountains, 1.5hp hayward pump and sand filter). I had an algae bloom even doing everything right, so I made the switch! I ran 6% bleach according to the calc and charts on here with my best guess since I had a crappy test kit. The pool started clearing up and looking more beautiful than it had all year! :-D However I didnt feel fully comfortable without an accurate testing procedure, so I oder edthe tf100. I received it 2 days later , and I love it!
I am comfortable with all of the test types except the CYA mainly because of such a contradition with the pool store numbers on my last test about 1.5 weeks prior to receiving the tf100. They said CYA was 100
I had only had the pool open about a month with tabs, I backwash once a week at least, and barely ran it last year with chemicals in it. After that pool store reading I ran no more tabs (6% bleach only), backwashed about 3 inches out of the pool and refilled, and we had one big rain. Well I was shocked to find that my CYA reading was only 35ish. I re-read the instructions, did it again and got the same reading! How am I off so much? Did they just miss it, or not even really test it? From my testing its not even remotely close to even slightly obscuring the black dot at 100 or anywhere close to 100. I do just like instructions, fill pool water (i get it about 18" deep) to bottom of the CYA squirt tube lable, and fill to the top of the label with the large bottle of chemical. Shake a while, let sit 30 seconds, shake again and squirt into the viewing vial until I cant see the black dot while the vial is at about hip height (not sure if it should be completely invisible or just difficult to see). Here were my other readings: FC 4.5, CC .5, TA 140, PH 7.5ish (tuning my eyes to the colors). Didnt test CH because its a vinyl pool and our water is not hard or anything. I think the pool store said it was 70.
So if my CYA reading is probably accurate at 35ish, I guess next thing is to ensure I am following the chart properly now that I can read my FC levels. So Should I target my FC at around 4-4.5 right after I add the Chlorine and so it is at about 2.5 after a normal day swimming and sun? Or should I try to keep the higher 4.0-4.5 number the minimum after the day of chlorine consumption so I will have a buffer? That would require my morning number (when I add the bleach because thats when I have time) to likely be in the 6 - 6.5 range assuming the pool consumes 2-2.5 ppm per day..... Your advice is greatly appreciated!!!!
Finally, I have been adding my bleach very slowly to the shallow end skimmer (about 120ft of PVC to the pump) because we have a solar cover. I have read several threads that seem to be split on that issue, but the final outcome seemed to be that it is PROBABLY ok to add to the skimmer slowly with the understanding that it MAY do some damage to the pump seals. I do NOT have any metal in the system, no heater, etc. I would never add acid that way. I only add to the skimmer: baking soda, bleach, and I USED to add Poly 60. SO did I grossly misread this, or am I on target?
I am comfortable with all of the test types except the CYA mainly because of such a contradition with the pool store numbers on my last test about 1.5 weeks prior to receiving the tf100. They said CYA was 100
I had only had the pool open about a month with tabs, I backwash once a week at least, and barely ran it last year with chemicals in it. After that pool store reading I ran no more tabs (6% bleach only), backwashed about 3 inches out of the pool and refilled, and we had one big rain. Well I was shocked to find that my CYA reading was only 35ish. I re-read the instructions, did it again and got the same reading! How am I off so much? Did they just miss it, or not even really test it? From my testing its not even remotely close to even slightly obscuring the black dot at 100 or anywhere close to 100. I do just like instructions, fill pool water (i get it about 18" deep) to bottom of the CYA squirt tube lable, and fill to the top of the label with the large bottle of chemical. Shake a while, let sit 30 seconds, shake again and squirt into the viewing vial until I cant see the black dot while the vial is at about hip height (not sure if it should be completely invisible or just difficult to see). Here were my other readings: FC 4.5, CC .5, TA 140, PH 7.5ish (tuning my eyes to the colors). Didnt test CH because its a vinyl pool and our water is not hard or anything. I think the pool store said it was 70.So if my CYA reading is probably accurate at 35ish, I guess next thing is to ensure I am following the chart properly now that I can read my FC levels. So Should I target my FC at around 4-4.5 right after I add the Chlorine and so it is at about 2.5 after a normal day swimming and sun? Or should I try to keep the higher 4.0-4.5 number the minimum after the day of chlorine consumption so I will have a buffer? That would require my morning number (when I add the bleach because thats when I have time) to likely be in the 6 - 6.5 range assuming the pool consumes 2-2.5 ppm per day..... Your advice is greatly appreciated!!!!
Finally, I have been adding my bleach very slowly to the shallow end skimmer (about 120ft of PVC to the pump) because we have a solar cover. I have read several threads that seem to be split on that issue, but the final outcome seemed to be that it is PROBABLY ok to add to the skimmer slowly with the understanding that it MAY do some damage to the pump seals. I do NOT have any metal in the system, no heater, etc. I would never add acid that way. I only add to the skimmer: baking soda, bleach, and I USED to add Poly 60. SO did I grossly misread this, or am I on target?
