I want to add that while the way you were doing it seemed so “easy and stable” - it was likely not.
You just weren’t seeing the fluctuations because you weren’t testing very frequently.
Also you were using products that had various effects on multiple parameters- like the acidic dichlor.
Seeing what we recommend as more complicated initially is a very common feeling for many.
For instance, when people switch their pool from using acidic trichlor to using liquid chlorine/swcg & maintaining parameters (ph,ta,cya,fc) individually. All those things were still happening/moving before but behind the scenes & very hard to track because they put a puck in & it did 4 things all at once. While usually having a somewhat clear but often undersanitized body of water.
It’s like one person spending the money all week & the other is trying to keep up with balancing the check book on Sunday. reactive, not proactive.
Using
PoolMath effects of adding allows you to know what each thing you intend to add will do to your water before you use it instead of just dumping some pre prescribed amount of something in & later wondering what happened/hoping for the best.
The main premise of TFP is to accurately test your water frequently and then only add what the pool/spa needs. Nothing more, nothing less. It does require some attention & a basic understanding of
The ABC’s of pool water chemistry
but it’s quite a simple recipe really.