Is this typical, or am I just a lazy pool owner?

[brian4110]

This is my first year as a pool owner. I inherited a pool with the house that as far as I can tell was maintained under contract by a local pool company. I opened up to a filthy pool and a severe ammonia problem this year. Thanks to this forum, I got it under control and it has been CLEAR SAILING ever since. It's been easier than I could have hoped for to manage my pool using the techniques and methods I've discovered on this forum.

But this leads me into my question. At the start of the summer, I was testing TC/pH every morning. On the weekend, I'd test FC/CC as well as TA. I was adding fine tuned amounts of chlorine according to the Pool Calculator. But as the summer progressed, I noticed that the results became so predictable that I started skipping tests. I'm at the point now where I'm testing TC/pH only about every 3 days, sometimes longer. I found that by adding 128oz of 8.25% liquid chlorine 2 out of every 3 days, my pool stays crystal clear and my numbers stay pegged right at my targets.

So my question is this...have I just gotten remarkably lucky or is this a typical long term scenario? I'm sure there are folks on this forum who would start to twitch if they went 3-4 days without testing their pool water. But I'm finding that I really don't need to. Is it going to bite me in the butt?

 

[Bama Rambler]

It's probably a lot more typical than you think. I test every couple of days, but it wouldn't bother me if I had to go for several days without testing. Yeah, it may bite us one day if for instance something failed, but even if it does we know what to do about it. The biggest question is, is that a risk you're willing to take?

on getting things figured out.

 

[brian4110]

Thanks. It has not been a great swim season here in PA. Lots of rain, cool nights, and low humidity. But even if I may not get into the pool for a week, I always keep my eye on the machinery to make sure everything is running.

I just can't believe I'm spending about 15 minutes a week to maintain my in-ground pool. (It helps that I have a robot.) Many many many thanks to all those who contribute here.

 

[thehowheels]

The rate of which pH increases in my pool is like clockwork, and I could probably go without testing it at all, just adding a cup of MA every 3 days.

I'm still a little more diligent about testing FC because I do see larger swings every once in a while. With a smaller pool like mine, I think I'm probably a little more susceptible to sudden changes when nasty things get in the water.

 

[ship of fools]

I put in half a gallon of bleach a day ... or a gallon if i miss a day.

I run my chlorine level a little bit above the recommended levels so if i miss a day i am ok.

My pool must be stable because my ph stays steady and i have gotten to the point where i only test for chlorine and ph once a week and that is all i do

And my pool has been perfect all season

 

[Bloomfield]

Mine is very simple also. I put the chlorine in daily and MA weekly and just check chlorine and PH weekly on the little OTO test kit and pool stays beautiful. I am probably lazy also.

 

[techguy]

I guess I fell into the lazy category.

I know my pool was consuming about 40oz per day; but this past week was cooler than recent weeks. I got busy and forgot about the pool. It was nearly 100 yesterday and I had a "problem". My walls and ladder were furry and the floor was dirty (and my water was low). I added some water, added some chlorine, brushed the walls, brushed the floor, scrubbed the ladder and cove (my cove requires a hand scrub) and filtered for 24 hours. I added my aquabot on my way out the door this morning. I will know the results of my efforts tonight when I test.

So, yes, we all stumble once in a while but also know that we can easily fix our pool with a few simple chemicals and the proper effort.

 

[duraleigh]

I think the pattern that many of us have taken is to start with very precise testing and dosing.....frequently.

As we continue to learn about pool water management, we also begin to notice the repeatability of our doses because we have been precise.

That repeatability evolves into predictability and we have gained enough knowledge of our pools to know what they need almost before they need it.

My point is you must be precise and frequent in the beginning. If you are careless or sloppy with your testing and dosages, you will not be able to do what the above posters have done......made their pools trouble free.

 

[techguy]

It's the knowledge GAINED by frequent testing (and learning) that all of us learn while we are new to the process.

So to be clear to any recent BBB-system users, I heartily recommend daily testing and adjustment of your chemicals but understand that missing a day will not ruin your pool. It may make for more work and when you are new, it may add several days to your SLAM process.

For me...my stumble and lack of testing made my pool cloudy with a hint of green, added an extra hour of pool cleaning to my weekend chores, two days of 24/7 filtering and an extra gallon of chlorine.

But... it will be trouble free tonight!

 

[bobby1017]

My testing is about every three day's, especially if you have a swg and a auto cover, the levels stay pretty consistent. My longest was 10 days when I was on vacation. Its been 2 years 4 months since it was filled and I have never had algee, the worst was slightly cloudy water after a big party.

 

[chclark]

I do just about the same. Test PH and FC 2-3 times per week. Once my PH start to really fluctuate, I know its time to check ALK. It is very predictable, thanks to this site.