Thank you so much, Jason.
We truly appreciated the information provided by this website.
I ran the single speed pump 1 hour a day with the solar blanket on from Nov. to June, increased to 2-3 hours a day and removed the solar blanket at the same time when algae started to appear in early July. Since then, we have been trying to maintained the FC level as recommended by the CYA/FC table.
Questions (so sorry for so many questions..)
About the filter pump...
What is the best time period of the day to run the filter pump? Does not matter.
Can we only run the filter pump for 1/2 hour while adding Chlorine?
If so, how long should we run the pump when adding MA?
You need to run the pump for at least 30 minutes before any testing and at least 30 minutes after adding any chemicals.
About the chemicals...
Can we save time/resource by not checking/adding chemicals until small amount of algae started to appear in crevasses
and only increased the level when guests are coming? That is not a good idea because once algae has started, you need to follow the full SLAM process to clear it up which requires a LOT more chlorine than if you just added the 2-3ppm each day.
If not, can we still use the solar blanket if the FC level is maintained as recommended, 4-6ppm? No problem.
Can we save time by increasing the FC to 10ppm (the highest safe level to swim) while decreasing the frequency of
adding chemicals? That will not save much time. It only takes less than 5 minutes a day to test and add chlorine With all other factors being equal, does Chlorine deplete at a faster speed when the level is higher? You will lose more FC to the sun at higher FC levels.
Is there a set formula to calculate the amount of MA needed to balance out the alkalinity of Chlorine? There is no need to offset the chlorine with acid. Bleach is effectively pH neutral. When you add bleach, the pH may rise slightly, but as the FC is consumed, the pH drops back down.
Thank you so much for your help.
Momo