I'm a new pool owner (15X30 ABG Lomart) with a Mineral Springs (Goldline AcquaTrol I believe) SWG. First, this forum and been a wealth of knowledge - so here's a big thanks to everyone involved!
The PB started it up with a chlorine shock, and then added the Mineral Springs salt (Beginnings). They gave me the Mineral Springs Renewal and told me to add 1 1/2 cups once a week. Thus far (running since mid-June) I've been tickled with how great the water quality has been (sparkling clear all summer), with minimal work on my part to keep the chemistry balanced. The solar cover (one of those bluetop/silverbottom diamond bubble jobs) stays on day and night except when someone swims (but I'm wondering if on sunny days the pool would warm faster with the cover off?).
My FC stays in the 1-5 ppm range with my filter running about 9 hours/day with the cell set at ~40%. My unit reads about 2800 ppm salt (but other tests suggest it is low by about 300 ppm - I just ordered AquaChek salt strips thanks to info gleaned from this site). Here's what I'm curious about. My pH is staying in the 7.7 range but I haven't added any muriatic acid since start-up in mid-June. Why is that? Are there dry acids in that Renewal stuff (there must be borates because my test strips show good levels)? My TA is high (150) and I've just fitted a 50 foot 'soaking' hose (the kind with the little holes so it acts like a sprinkler) to my air compressor so I can get it down to the 70-90 ppm range before I close it for the winter. Is the high TA the reason for the more stable pH?
I'm wondering if I should abandon the Mineral Springs stuff and maintain my chemistry by adding whatever substances I need separately. I don't like not knowing what is going in, the excellent results notwithstanding. The cost of the Renewal bags don't bother me, it's the lack of understanding of what's in there (OK, I'm a professor and scientist, so I like to know how these things work).
Thanks in advance,
Kelly
The PB started it up with a chlorine shock, and then added the Mineral Springs salt (Beginnings). They gave me the Mineral Springs Renewal and told me to add 1 1/2 cups once a week. Thus far (running since mid-June) I've been tickled with how great the water quality has been (sparkling clear all summer), with minimal work on my part to keep the chemistry balanced. The solar cover (one of those bluetop/silverbottom diamond bubble jobs) stays on day and night except when someone swims (but I'm wondering if on sunny days the pool would warm faster with the cover off?).
My FC stays in the 1-5 ppm range with my filter running about 9 hours/day with the cell set at ~40%. My unit reads about 2800 ppm salt (but other tests suggest it is low by about 300 ppm - I just ordered AquaChek salt strips thanks to info gleaned from this site). Here's what I'm curious about. My pH is staying in the 7.7 range but I haven't added any muriatic acid since start-up in mid-June. Why is that? Are there dry acids in that Renewal stuff (there must be borates because my test strips show good levels)? My TA is high (150) and I've just fitted a 50 foot 'soaking' hose (the kind with the little holes so it acts like a sprinkler) to my air compressor so I can get it down to the 70-90 ppm range before I close it for the winter. Is the high TA the reason for the more stable pH?
I'm wondering if I should abandon the Mineral Springs stuff and maintain my chemistry by adding whatever substances I need separately. I don't like not knowing what is going in, the excellent results notwithstanding. The cost of the Renewal bags don't bother me, it's the lack of understanding of what's in there (OK, I'm a professor and scientist, so I like to know how these things work).
Thanks in advance,
Kelly