Some questions from a new member

[UbiquitousLastName]

Good Evening everyone. First I want to say how happy I am to have found these forums. My wife and I just purchased a house with a preexisting In-ground pool and its been a steep learning curve so far. These forums have been invaluable.

I've already had a couple of less than pleasant pool shop experiences, but with the information I've learned here, I feel I wont have to repeat those experiences. With that being said; I do have a few questions, the answers to which I am hoping will assuage some of my wife's concerns.

1) Based on my pool size (18' x 36') and approximate gallonage (26750) I've been keeping my FC levels right around 3 or 4 with TriChlor pucks. My wife is concerned that, at those levels, the chlorine will cause the vinyl lining to age prematurely. I have read that vinyl is non-reactive, but the previous owner of the house, our 'former' pool guy and the pool inspector all said that those levels of FC will adversely effect the liner. Can anyone clarify this one way or the other please?

2) One of the modifiers to the above concern is that we are running a "frogger" in line, along with a Trichlor stack. I was told by the previous owner and our former pool guy that the "frogger" gets replaced at the beginning of the pool season. Of course, I want to go away from the TriChlor pucks, but I am wondering what the interaction is between this 'frogger' and the CYA the pucks are putting into the water.

3) I appreciate the automation of the TriChlor pucks. Is there a recommended automatic system for Liquid Chlorine that I can use to replace the TriChlor stack?


Thanks, in advance, for taking the time to read and provide answers.

ULN

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum!

1. The aggressiveness of chlorine depends on the CYA level. With a CYA of around 50, an FC level of 24 is quite harmless to swim in or to your liner.

2. Search "frogger" on this forum and you will find that NO ONE suggests their use

3. There is more than one way to automate using liquid chlorine. Most people start out by manually chlorinating and then learn what automation would suit them best.

The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry up in Pool School will give you some insight plus the FC/CYA relationship chart will be helpful as well.

What you will find on this forum is a completely different way of pool water management that relies on your knowledge of your pool and not "magic" ingredients....like the frogger

 

[Casey]

Welcome to TFP!

Sounds like it's time for you and your wife to become educated. It's not a bad thing. If she has concerns with the chlorine level, I respectfully suggest that you invite her on a Pool School field trip with yourself and sit and read all there is to know about TFPC.

You are going to need a good and reliable test kit. It is your number one tool in the sack and you will use it everyday, several times a week to test your pool until you get to know your pool inside and out. You can read about it here :lookhere: Test Kit Comparison. Your best option is the TF100XL as you will get more reagents than the K2006 has. It will also take you into next year.

Now onto that frogger. It needs to go. You are adding minerals/metals to your water and it will end up turning blonde hair green and staining your liner with terrible splotches of metal staining. It will require a metal sequesterant weekly and an AA treatment to get rid of the stains. The trichlor is adding stabilizer to the pool which is CYA. CYA and chlorine have a relationship together and work off of each other. The higher the CYA is the higher, or more chlorine, you must add. This is something you and your wife must understand. The CYA makes the chlorine safe to swim in. But if you get to much CYA, you're chlorine is useless. Please read :lookhere: Chlorine CYA Chart and Recommended Levels.

Another must read is :lookhere: ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry. There are many more articles in Pool School to read but for now, I think you'll do fine with these. Also, you can trade that Frogger in for a SWG. You will do so much better with that instead of the frog ruining your liner.

Please keep coming back and asking questions. We're here to help you take control of your pool!

 

[rick6668]

Good posts above. You need to read a read again the info posted here.

I will add that I would not remove the "frogger". I still use mine for when I go on vacations knowing I can keep the pool chlorinated and only slightly raise the CYA. I did drill holes in the mineral pac to remove the contents so I'm not adding any minerals/metals to the pool.

I see a lot of post recently regarding "High" levels of chlorine at 3 or 4. You really need to understand the relationship between CYA and your chlorine level. 3 or 4 is not high for any CYA level except maybe 0.

I also recommend the TF-100 XL. You will take control of your pool.

A chlorine level of 3-4 will not age or bleach your liner. It really depends on your CYA level as to what level of chlorine you need.

Good luck and welcome.