6 year pool owner, New to SWG, and new to TFP method. Need help.

[dcc194]

I've maintained my pool for 6 years by just going to the pool store and having them test. I used 3" chlorine tabs up until this year. I know that's a cardinal sin on here. 3 years ago, I completely drained and re-plastered the pool. So, I've had maybe 2 full years of using the tabs in this batch of water.
This spring, I finally decided to switch to the TFP method and a SWG because of the CYA battle over the past several years. (Also a tree came down on all of my pool equipment, so I had an excuse to redo all of my equipment). I had drained the pool about 1/4 of the way down over the winter, way more than I needed to in hopes of putting fresh water in to lower the CYA.

With that backstory, I just opened the pool about a week ago and got some brief instruction from the pool company that installed my new SWG (and all my new equipment - filter, pump, propane heater) on how to be a SWG pool owner. I finally got a TF-PRO SWG Test kit and am enjoying doing the testing. However, out of curiosity, I also took a sample to the pool store to see how their results compared to mine.

Here is a table with my test vs the pool store:

	My Test (TF-PRO)	Pool Store Test
Free Chlorine	2.5 ppm	0.5
Combined Chlorine	0.5 ppm
Total Chlorine (is this the same as CC?)		1.0 ppm
pH	7.9	7.4
Total Alkalinity	130 ppm	180 ppm
Salinity	3500 ppm	3500 ppm
CYA	55 ppm	125 ppm
Total Hardness (Calcium Hardness)	300 ppm	200 ppm

So, my CYA (when I test it is below what is recommended for my SWG pool, while the pool store says its over 125. I don't know if I'm just trying too hard to see that black dot so I keep adding drops. I've long expected that my CYA is really high, which is why I switched to a SWG anyway. Also, my pH seems fairly different.

Maybe I'm just having a hard time divorcing myself from the pool store tests, but how can they be so different? (especially the CYA). I used extreme care to do the tests carefully and following the instructions. I tested using my TF-Pro both yesterday and today and got very similar results.

My pool is crystal clear. Using the pool store tests and their recommendations, I've never had any issues really. So, now following the TFP method (which I very much appreciate) It seems I should lower my alkalinity, lower my pH, and increase my calcium. Yet the pool store recommended none of that. The values appear out of their recommended ranges, but they verbally just said "everything is fine".

I'm just a little frustrated not knowing who to trust or what to do. I've read posts from all of you experts, and I want to go all in on TFP, but don't understand especially the large discrepancy in CYA.

Also, I know I clearly need to shock and boost my SWG chlorine output. How do I shock now that I have a SWG?

 

[AK-]

I used 3" chlorine tabs up until this year. I know that's a cardinal sin on here.

Not necessarily. As long you are using it in a temporary base and is Ok to how much CYA you are adding it is Ok… specially for non-sw pools when leaving on vacation.

So, my CYA (when I test it is below what is recommended for my SWG pool, while the pool store says its over 125. I don't know if I'm just trying too hard to see that black dot so I keep adding drops. I've long expected that my CYA is really high, which is why I switched to a SWG anyway. Also, my pH seems fairly different.

Stick with your results. Everyone has issues with the CYA test as it is the most subjective test. There is no such thing as 55pmm of CYA as the scale is not linear and increases uns 10s.
Fill to each line and then quickly glance the bottom of the tube. If you saw the dot fill the the next line otherwise you found you CYA.

I'm just a little frustrated not knowing who to trust or what to do. I've read posts from all of you experts, and I want to go all in on TFP, but don't understand especially the large discrepancy in CYA.

Some encouragement: Pool Store Experiment Water Samples

 

[dcc194]

Not necessarily. As long you are using it in a temporary base and is Ok to how much CYA you are adding it is Ok… specially for non-sw pools when leaving on vacation.

To further incriminate myself 3" tabs was my primary source of chlorine along with Calcium Hypochlorite Granular to shock. After my battles with an increasing CYA, I guess you could say I'm a full convert.

Stick with your results. Everyone has issues with the CYA test as it is the most subjective test. There is no such thing as 55pmm of CYA as the scale is not linear and increases uns 10s.
Fill to each line and then quickly glance the bottom of the tube. If you saw the dot fill the the next line otherwise you found you CYA.

Yes, I admittedly "interpolated" between the lines.

And thanks for the encouragement on trusting my tests!

 

[AK-]

And thanks for the encouragement on trusting my tests!

Even if your tests are a little off they are unlikely to be worst the the average pool store test.
Also it is not like if you FC is by 1 or 2 ppm you pool would explode. The CYA is the most important to be close enough, but we are already working with multiples of 10 to buffer why error.

 

[Mdragger88]

Stay outta the pool store & trust your repeatable results.
Your cya is 60 as @AK- pointed out
Free Chlorine (FC) + Combined Chlorine (CC) = Total Chlorine

Get that fc up to target of 4ppm or a dab higher NOW with some liquid chlorine FC/CYA Levels
& adjust the swg to keep up.
Anytime it’s not keeping up & needs a boost dose to target with liquid chlorine then readjust the swg. Swg’s are great maintainers but they take time to produce fc - you don’t want algae growing in that time.
The average residential pool uses 2-4 ppm of fc/day
Here’s what your ic40 will give u in roughly 13hrs @100%

It is recommended that you get a swg rated for at least 2x’s your pool volume.
That would be the ic60 in your case. Swg’s have an average finite life of 10k hrs at 100%.
The upgrade is generally not that much more expensive but it will yield u a longer cell life since it won’t need to run as long to produce adequate chlorine amounts saving $$ in the end. Not sure if u can make the swap now but it never hurts to ask.

The ta will lower overtime as you use acid to maintain your ph.