Ace7211

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Ace7211

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Mar 18, 2013
16
Woodbury, MN
I've posted a few messages/questions already.

I started researching pool maintenance a few months before buying a short-sale home with a pool. I've never owned a pool nor know anything besides what I've read thus far. I should have ordered my test kit beforehand as I probably wasted chlorine trying to SLAM the pool. I was frustrated because I didn't prime the pump correctly and the water wasn't being filtered while I SLAM'd. then the water got cloudy.

Even reading through this website I did still fall prey to the pool store in paying them to open my pool and changing sand in my filter. I think their tactics will hurt them in the long run. The only way their business plan is sustainable is if the pool owners ignorance is constant. Here's hoping my ignorance is short-lived. I will keep the faith and be thankful I've only wasted $100-$200 rather than $500+....

Anyways, test kit is on the way and the water does look better that it did. Maybe I'll take some pictures... Too bad I didn't get one with the dead rodents.
 
Welcome to TFP! Pool care is definitely a case of knowledge is power, and fortunately it is not difficult to learn if you follow the advice on this site. You will find a good quality test kit is one of the best investments you can make in caring for your pool. Being able to perform your own tests and knowing the tests are performed consistently yielding reliable results is key to maintaining a clean, sparkling pool. Soon your only trips to a pool store will be to purchase an occasional piece of equipment.

Dead rodents! Yuck! The worst I've had to fish out so far is a dead bird. Check out worst thing ever in your pool to see what some other members have dealt with.
 
So, I SLAM'd the green algae infested pool and I'm in business! It took about 30 gallons of Chlorine....

[attachment=0:2kj6foin]1120070_10201704353508766_1867428004_o.jpg[/attachment:2kj6foin]

Now I'm on to the finer points of maintaining and operating my pool.

I have an Intelliflo Variable Speed Pump. I'm trying to understand at what speed and for how long I should run my pump. I gather that I can run for longer on a lower speed, but I am unsure on the HP on lower speed settings. Intelliflo says the pump is 3HP, but I assume that is on max speed. It looks like all that matters is that 20,000 gallons get's cycled each day....

Here's a chart I put together looking at the "Intelliflo Flow Pump Performance Curve" Chart:
Speed RPM GPM Cycle (hrs)
1 750 39 8.55
2 1500 62 5.38
3 2350 98 3.40
4 3110 128 2.60
Max 3450 146 2.28

I just divided the size of my pool; 20,000 gallons by the GPM rating for each speed and then converted to hours. So, this would imply I'd run at speed 1 for 8-9 hours, speed 2 for 5-6 hours, speed 3 for 3-4 hours, etc... But which is more efficient?

I also have what looks like an 'Intermatic Mechanical Timer' in my garage. My Intellifo VS has it's own timer, so would the mechanical timer be for the heater? Or maybe the timer was hooked up to an older pump?

Thanks again!
 

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The water is looking pretty good :goodjob:

You can not do the calculations as you did. The GPM is a function of head loss and that is a function of all the plumbing and equipment in your specific pool. In reality, the flow rate and head loss do not matter. You just need to run long enough to keep the pool clean. An RPM of 1000 is the most efficient for that pump in terms of water moved / $. Read this for more info on setting up run time: pool-school/pump_run_time

I am guessing the Intermatic was for a previous pump. Is it wired to anything now?
 
Okay, didn't think my calcs would hold water. The timer is wired, but I can't follow it. It goes through the wall with the other wiring to the pool pump/heater/outlets/etc. There is a post near the pump with switches for the light/pump/vacuum pump/ and an outlet. I assume the timer is for one of those or all... I'll take a closer look tonight at wiring.

And I read through that article again with a little more attention to detail. Sounds like I need to run for 30 minutes after adding Chlorine (Using BBB method) otherwise 8 hours if variable speed (Split 4 hours/4 hours). And I can change the speed settings to any RPM I desire (I think). So I'll set to 1000RPMs given your response on efficiency. And then change time based on cleanliness and personal aesthetic tastes.
 
If 1000 rpm does not seem to give you good skimming, you may want a short period at a higher speed to clear the surface. You just have to play with it to see what works, but seems most people run longer than they truly need to.
 

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