Re: How long can I go before not adding anything to new pool
Richard320 said:
Somebody hasn't been reading Pool School. :grrrr:
The shock process IS part of BBB. It is not a one-time liner-bleaching mega-dose, nor is it a powder you buy. I think before you ask anything else, you ought to spend a while in Pool School so you understand the terms we're using.
I've been trying to follow the Water Balance for SWGs section of Pool School:
These water balance tips for SWGs will help you maintain your salt pool with the fewest problems.
If you follow them you will probably never need to shock your pool and you will maintain a more stable pH then if you go outside of these limits. They might not agree exactly with the manufacturer's recommended levels but they WORK and will help you have a Trouble Free Salt Pool!
First step is to adjust salt to the manufacturer's recommended range (usually around 3000-3200 ppm but some models do need a higher level. Check your manual.) Starting out slightly higher (200-400 ppm) than the ideal level is recommended, since the salt level will tend to fall over time.
> I added 80 lbs. of pool salt based on Intex table.
Second adjust CYA to between 70 and 80. The biggest mistake that many SWG owners make is NOT having enough CYA in the water! This can create a lot of problems like high acid demand, algae outbreaks, cloudy water, or early cell failure.
> I added 3/4 of a lb. of CYA (1 lb. recommended, but the Taylor Test kit was sent without the black dot vial (freak occurrence from Taylor) so I put in less so I could test for CYA appropriately and add accordingly.
Adjust the SWG percentage setting or run time so your FC level stays between 3-5 ppm. Early evening is the best time to measure the FC level when adjusting the SWG percentage. If the SWG is running at 100% and it still does not maintain a high enough FC level, you need to increase the pump run time.
> I've never been able to get the FC above .5. Obviously I should have put more bleach in - especially after I realized my bleach was only 3%. I'll be adding more bleach.
There are some advantages to running the SWG during the day while the sun is shining on the pool. Unless there is some other reason not to run the pump during the day, like time of day electric rates that are higher during the day, program the pump to run while the sun is shining on the pool.
> I hope to start running SWG on Wednesday after water is balanced.
Adjust your Total Alkalinity to 60-80 ppm. (This is IMPORTANT!)
> My TA has consistently tested out at 70.
Adjust your pH to 7.5-7.6 and not any lower. Monitor your pH and when it climbs to 7.8 add acid to lower it back to 7.5-7.6 (This is also IMPORTANT!)
> My PH has consistently tested out between 7.5 and 7.2 (7.2 for the last few days).
Adjust Calcium Hardness to 300 ppm for plaster and 250 ppm for fiberglass. Vinyl pools are OK if the CH is at 50 ppm or higher. In any case it should not be much above 400 ppm or you are going to have to keep close watch on your pH to prevent scale buildup. Sometimes your fill water will have high calcium levels so your numbers are higher than recommended. Not really that big an issue if you maintain your pH as recommended above. pH rise is the ONE FACTOR that will predict scaling condition. High pH leads to scaling, period! Keep pH below 8.0!
> I have an Intex Ultra Frame (vinyl) pool. My CH has been tested each day for 3 days and has been 1000 (10 drops) every day. Why is it so high? I don't think I'll have scale buildup with a vinyl pool, but why would cause the CH to be 1000?
Finally, optionally adding borates to your water in a 30-50 ppm concentration will help with pH stability with a SWG, particularly when the TA is run in the 60-80 ppm range and pH is kept between 7.5-7.8 but can be useful even if you go out of this range somewhat. There are several borate products on the market--Supreme Plus, Optimizer, Maximizer, Endure, and 20 Mule Team Borax. You can buy the last one at the grocery store in the Laundry Aisle. If you don't know how to use borates read this article on adding borates or just start a thread asking for info on how to do it.
> I have not used Borates or tested for them yet.
> My understanding with the word "Shock" was the powder chemical you get from pool supplies stores and that it should only be used for initial setup if necessary and for emergencies (return from vacation to a green pool) --- if the water was originally balanced and maintained properly. Since I began filling the pool I've had crystal blue water and only a slight film on the vinyl sides of the pool which I brushed away yesterday. I was trying to first do no harm by taking the minimalist approach. Having not used bleach like this before and having a young child I was taking the slow approach (avoid adding too much bleach or Shock powder unless necessary. Now that I know I'm using 3%, and not 6% or 12% bleach, I'll start adding more bleach and keep the "Shock" in case of emergencies. I was just trying to get your opinion on how much 3% to add if I hen't gotten the FC to move at all on two separate additions of 24 ounces. It would have made some sense if the FC had moved to 1 and I would know to obviously add more, but without any increase in FC at all I thought something else might be happening.
