FC questions:

[jhieger]

Based on what I have read FC not only kills organisms in the water but it also oxidizes the remaining bio-matter in the pool. Right? The pool calculator is telling me to keep my FC at 3.0 but I'm wondering if keeping it a little higher would help disperse the dust like black powder that sometimes collects in small crevasses at the bottom of my above ground rubber inflatable 18' x 48" Intex pool. I can hardly vacuum it into my fine soot/sand sock with my underwater catfish pool vacuum. It is so fine that most of it goes right through. I thought it might be dead algae but I read somewhere here that dead algae is white and causes small white clouds on the bottom of the pool when disturbed. Doesn't FC eventually eat that too?

So if I'm right and a higher FC could help clean my water even better how high should I take it? What would be bad about doing this? What would be bad about keeping the FC at about 5.0 or higher? The Chlorine / CYA chart for SWG type pools says 3.0 is the minimum FC and 5 is the target. Shouldn't the pool calculator then suggest I get it up to 5 rather than saying 3? Maybe it doesn't account for Chlorine/CYA for SWG pools and that is why there is Chlorine / CYA chart for SWG type pools. DOH! I just answered my own question didn't I?

Here again are my current stats as of this morning:

FC: 3.5
CC: .05 (Using the K2006 test kit the water turns the faintest of pink during the CC test and 1 drop turns it clear again.)
pH: 7.6
TA: 80
CH: 120
CYA: 70
Borates: 40
Salt: 3,200

 

[duraleigh]

The guidelines developed here on TFP are the result of some really good science (chem geek & JasonLion are just two that come to mind) and meant to be safe in all situations.

So if a guide says 3 ppm FC and you and I decide 5 ppm is better, then why not 7 ppm??? Wait a minute, if 7 ppm is good, why not 40 ppm???

I am being absurd just to make a point.....just like medicine for your body, there is a dosage that makes sense and will get the job done. The guideline needs to be somewhere.....what you decide to do with that guideline is a personal choice but we know these suggested levels work.

 

[JasonLion]

With CYA at 70 you should be keeping FC between 5 and 10, and never below 5.

When FC is too low for your CYA level and CYA is fairly high, as yours has been, you tend to get algae almost getting going but not quite taking over. So dead algae constantly rains down on the bottom.

 

[jhieger]

Yay! Pool FC at 7.0 now and everything else is in order too! I looked back on my spreadsheet that I have been tracking this on and it shows 13 days have passed and here I am. All pool water specifications are on the money. Thanks all!