BBB working well !!!!

[mike60156]

Hi all,

Well, I have to say my pool has not looked this good in quite a long time I've been using the BBB method for just over 2 weeks and everyone loves how great is looks !!!!

I do have a couple of follow up questions though and am hoping the experts on here can give me some direction/guidance.

1. Daytime FC loss:
I've run the OCLT several times now and have had either 0.5 or 1.0ppm of FC loss each night, so I do not have an algae problem anymore. The water is clear, not cloudy at all; blue and sparkly. I've been trying to keep the FC at 8ppm, which the pool calculator says is my upper end normal (4 to 8ppm) based on the rest of my readings.
I've been adding anywhere from 80 to 120oz. of bleach daily to get back up to 8ppm. My daily FC loss is around 3-4ppm per day. My pool is in full sun from 9am to 6pm daily, temperatures around 100^, with the water temp at 86-88^.
Is it normal to add that much bleach daily ???

2. Pucks
I have almost 3/4 of a bucket of pucks left (50lb bucket), which cost quite a bit of $$. Other than the gradual increase in CYA, is it ok to set the inline chlorinator to the lowest setting and make use of these ?? Knowing full well, that I might have to do a partial drain again in the spring?
The inline chlorinator holds 8 pucks, so based on the calculator, once those are used up, CYA would rise by 12 (currently at 52/53). At the hight setting, the chlorinator used up all pucks in a little over one week. At the lowest setting, I would hope it would last 2-3 weeks minimum. I would think that would minimize the amount of bleach I would need to purchase ..... but not sure how my use of the calculator would change for the daily dosage of bleach.
Any suggestions or comments??

Thanks in advance,
Mike

 

[jblizzle]

Can you add our pool and equipment details to your signature please.

1. I think 2-4ppm is the "normal range" ... some say 2-3ppm. Looks like you are on the high side of normal. How confident are you in your CYA level?

2. As long as you understand what the chemicals are adding to your pool, you are free to use whatever you want and still be considered a BBBer You seem to know the risks and the solution. If you use the tablets now (you could also save them for startup in the spring to raise CYA or just use them on vacations), I would use the lowest setting and then continue supplementing with bleach up to 8ppm every day once you get a feel for how the FC is dropping, you may be able to lower the target to 7ppm and stay above the minimum (which will become 5ppm soon after you start adding CYA).

 

[mike60156]

Thanks for the quick response jb.

Using the pool calculator, after plugging in my readings & information, the normal range for FC shows 4 to 8ppm. You replied saying the normal range is 2-4, some even say 2-3.

I have never had that range show up, even when i changed the current readings to something other than what I have. Am I using the pool calculator incorrectly?


As for my CYA, I have tested it 4 or 5 times once I got my Taylor 2006 test kit and it has remained constant at 52 or 53ppm once I turned off the inline chlorinator (trichlor pucks) and only used the BBB method.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[jblizzle]

Sorry, the 2-4ppm is the "normal" FC LOSS each day due to the sun and organics.

The key is the minimum FC (the low normal) in the calculator. You just need to make sure you stay above that minimum. The high normal just suggests a number to boost to assuming you are adding FC every day. Safe to swim up the the shock FC level.

 

[anonapersona]

That bucket of trichlor tablets will last a long long time. Don't use any more now, your CYA is just fine. Know that CYA does change, ever so slowly it will drift downward, something like 2 ppm a month, on it's own. Then there are additional losses if you get enough rain to overflow the pool some. So by next year, you may find that you need 10 or 20 ppm of CYA and you can use some of the tablets then.

In the spring my pool is typically (not always, depends on winter rains) low on CYA and so I will maintain it there until my spring vacation. Then I get one or two weeks that the pool can run on trichlor tablets in the chlorinator which will add 10 or 20 ppm CYA to the pool. After that, any more vacations mean that the pool-sitter has to test and use bleach which is just a hassle for them and a worry for me.

 

[march2012]

That bucket of trichlor tablets will last a long long time. Don't use any more now, your CYA is just fine. Know that CYA does change, ever so slowly it will drift downward, something like 2 ppm a month, on it's own. Then there are additional losses if you get enough rain to overflow the pool some. So by next year, you may find that you need 10 or 20 ppm of CYA and you can use some of the tablets then.

In the spring my pool is typically (not always, depends on winter rains) low on CYA and so I will maintain it there until my spring vacation. Then I get one or two weeks that the pool can run on trichlor tablets in the chlorinator which will add 10 or 20 ppm CYA to the pool. After that, any more vacations mean that the pool-sitter has to test and use bleach which is just a hassle for them and a worry for me.

Also if society falls apart, you will be able to use those trichlor tablets to disinfect water for drinking purposes.