Let me know what you guys think about my salt and CH...

[Ted Y]

Alright, I've been doing the BBB method for two years and we have not had a single algae outbreak since!

I use liquid 10% Cl from Lowes as well as their MA (I forget the brand). I'll admit that I've been bad about testing other than CL and PH. Lately, within the past three months, my wife and I noticed a salty taste to the water. I have never used or added salt to this pool. I did a complete drain and refill about 1.5 years ago. I have a pebble tech surface, about 12000 gallons with a DE filter.

Other than the salt taste, I seem to use about a gallon of MA every two weeks, I think it is due to the Barracuda making lots of ripples every night. We swim several times per week. I always try to keep FC greater than or equal to 4 ppm and PH below 7.8.

These are my test results today:

FC = 6.0 CC = 0
PH = 7.5
TA = 70
CH = 450 (up from about 280 last summer)
My salt measured 5350 (I have no idea where this comes from other than a side effect of liquid chlorine?)
I just got Salt test strips and replacement chemicals from TFTest.
CYA = 40

The pool is clear and beautiful, other than a slight scale deposit around the edge of the water and a minor salty taste. Am I too high on CH and salt? I actually have a SWCG but I've never turned it on as I didn't ever buy a new salt cell...

Thoughts? Thank you in advance!

Ted

 

[RobbieH]

Did you start from an empty pool, or take over a previously owned salt pool's water? If the water was already there, he probably over-dosed salt. That could be why it isn't working, some SWGs will not work or will burn up if over salt conditions exist (usually 3000-3500 is about average for proper operation). I get a little salt on my coping from time to time in certain areas, it brushes right off usually.

A gallon of MA every two weeks is very high consumption in my opinion. I go through about that on my pool, and I have an SWG, and I'm 4x bigger than you almost. Do you have a waterfall, bubblers, or something else contributing to the pH rise?

 

[Ted Y]

I started with an empty pool. I've never turned the SWCG on. When I had a "pool guy" before doing BBB myself, he told me it wasn't working.

Are the salt strips accurate or is there a better method for salt testing? The white peak was at 6.2 which read as 5300 on the instructions.

- - - Updated - - -

I have a waterfall, but it only runs when we swim.

 

[RobbieH]

I have found the Taylor drop test kit to be more accurate, but it's not cheap. Thos strips should be getting you close enough to know you have a lot of salt in your pool. It would take a BUNCH of bleach to get salt up that high.

 

[Ted Y]

I'll retest the salt level later and see if it really is that high.