Basic pool maintenance for noobs!
- Thread starter Bootaa
- Start date
is this accurate? for me, the cheapest i've found acid at lowes or home depot is $10 for two gallons at lowes, but it's the half-strength stuff. leslies sells 2 gallons of full strength for $17, which makes them a better deal...
Prices vary in different locals. in the Sacramento area i can get a gallon of 10% for about $3.64. My local pool store sells 12.5 % cases (4 gallons per case) for $23... its cheaper by concentration to get the 10%.. if the prices change I always recalculate.
Hey Crackers! update.. I see you were asking about ACID. I get that from my local pool store in a recycled bottle (I return the gallon jug) for $6 a gallon. that is for good stuff (31.45%/20 Baume)
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nice, that's what i was getting at (acid is the one thing that might be cheaper at the pool store). what pool store is that?
Its a family owned local pool store. They happen to be a seller of HASA products that sells the higher concentration Chlorine and MA. I have seen it at some Leslies stores.
Try this in your area... I don't think they get the small shops but it will get you in the right direction
hasapool.com
Try this in your area... I don't think they get the small shops but it will get you in the right direction
Dealer Locator | HASA Pool
hasapool.com
You asked about algaecide. Most here will tell you not to use it ever, as it is not necessary. If you want to use it to be aware that there are multiple kinds of algaecide. Never use the ones with Copper Sulfate, (or any chemical with copper) as this will cause staining, and blond people to get green hair. If you really need to use algaecide, use Polyquat 60, but this is best to prevent algae, not to kill off an active bloom.
With regard on when to add chlorine, this is important to understand the logic behind the answer. I will try to explain.
OK, for the sake of argument so you can look things up in a table, lets say that your CYA number is 50. Here is what the tables say about your FC.
Minimum - 4
Target 6-8
SLAM 20
So anytime that your FC drops below 4, you will start creating algae blooms. So you need to add chlorine as often as necessary to make sure that you never drop below the minimum. Realistically, try not to drop below the bottom of the suggested range of 6.
It is safe to swim up until the SLAM level, so if your FC measures 20 with CYA of 50, it is safe to swim.
I like to think of the target as what you should start with and end with, so at 8am have 8, at pm you might be down to 6, then add more.
You need to learn how much FC your pool will consume on a day. I know that on a sunny day with no swimmers my pool will consume aabout 1.5-2ppm of chlorine.
So my logic, is that I put my FC up to about 8 at dusk, once the pool is closed for the night. A clean algae free pool will not lose any FC overnight, so if at sunset there was 8ppm of FC, then at sunrise, there will be 8ppm of FC. I know the sun might takeout 2ppm of FC, which drops me down to 6, which is still in great shape.
Now lets say I was having 10 people to swim (in a socially distanced way of course). From past lessons, I know that peoples sweat, sunscreen, urine (god forbid) I might use 4ppm of FC. Well, as long as I started with 8, I would be OK to lose 4, as I would not drop below the minimum. Now I dont like to cut it that close, so I would probably start my day at 9 or 10 if I were going to have that party, just to be safe.
But all of this normal consumption rules will be set after the water is clear, and you have passed the SLAM criteria. Until then, all bets are off, and you need to check FC multiple times per day and add as needed.
If it helps, think of your pool like feeding a child. You might know that your kids will eat 14,000 calories in a week. But you cannot feed your kid one meal of 14K calories, and then not feed them again the rest of the week. The same goes with your pool. You cant simply dump in chlorine on SUnday, and think that you dont have to do anything until the following Sunday. YOu need to feed your pool FC every day, just like feeding a kid or pet.
With regard on when to add chlorine, this is important to understand the logic behind the answer. I will try to explain.
OK, for the sake of argument so you can look things up in a table, lets say that your CYA number is 50. Here is what the tables say about your FC.
Minimum - 4
Target 6-8
SLAM 20
So anytime that your FC drops below 4, you will start creating algae blooms. So you need to add chlorine as often as necessary to make sure that you never drop below the minimum. Realistically, try not to drop below the bottom of the suggested range of 6.
It is safe to swim up until the SLAM level, so if your FC measures 20 with CYA of 50, it is safe to swim.
I like to think of the target as what you should start with and end with, so at 8am have 8, at pm you might be down to 6, then add more.
You need to learn how much FC your pool will consume on a day. I know that on a sunny day with no swimmers my pool will consume aabout 1.5-2ppm of chlorine.
So my logic, is that I put my FC up to about 8 at dusk, once the pool is closed for the night. A clean algae free pool will not lose any FC overnight, so if at sunset there was 8ppm of FC, then at sunrise, there will be 8ppm of FC. I know the sun might takeout 2ppm of FC, which drops me down to 6, which is still in great shape.
Now lets say I was having 10 people to swim (in a socially distanced way of course). From past lessons, I know that peoples sweat, sunscreen, urine (god forbid) I might use 4ppm of FC. Well, as long as I started with 8, I would be OK to lose 4, as I would not drop below the minimum. Now I dont like to cut it that close, so I would probably start my day at 9 or 10 if I were going to have that party, just to be safe.
But all of this normal consumption rules will be set after the water is clear, and you have passed the SLAM criteria. Until then, all bets are off, and you need to check FC multiple times per day and add as needed.
If it helps, think of your pool like feeding a child. You might know that your kids will eat 14,000 calories in a week. But you cannot feed your kid one meal of 14K calories, and then not feed them again the rest of the week. The same goes with your pool. You cant simply dump in chlorine on SUnday, and think that you dont have to do anything until the following Sunday. YOu need to feed your pool FC every day, just like feeding a kid or pet.
awesome, thanks! i would assume i'm looking for the "deposit acid" case, not disposable...right? normally i just get my acid at leslies (since like i said it's full strength and more cost effective than the half-strength stuff at lowes or HD), but as far as i know they only have the disposables. deposit/return isn't an option there...Its a family owned local pool store. They happen to be a seller of HASA products that sells the higher concentration Chlorine and MA. I have seen it at some Leslies stores.
Try this in your area... I don't think they get the small shops but it will get you in the right direction
Dealer Locator | HASA Pool
I just want to thank mguzzy, magiteck, mknauss (why all start with an M?), Yev, and CRAD_oz for replying to this thread. The amount of information you guys share here is crazy and I appreciate it a lot. I learned so much in the last 48 hours when I started asking these questions. I should also admit, some people here are very funny and I laugh when reading comments and I enjoy my learning time. THANK YOU!
(the shark is the shared info)
(the shark is the shared info)
I added 1 gal bleach 10% (~5 ppm) on 19th-evening and here is the test result from 21st-morning:
CL = 0 ( I added one gal after the test)
pH = 8.2
CH = 500 (it seems high for 2 months old water)
TA = 230
CYA = 20 (I could still see the black dot at 20, not clear though. Then I continued pouring the CYA tube until it was full and the black dot wasn't 100% disappeared. So I recorded 20. Please advise)
About algae: As people recommended here, I added 1 gal/day (~5 ppm). I also brushed the walls twice. Now, there is no sign of algae on the walls at all. I still see a small greenish area in the spa.
CL = 0 ( I added one gal after the test)
pH = 8.2
CH = 500 (it seems high for 2 months old water)
TA = 230
CYA = 20 (I could still see the black dot at 20, not clear though. Then I continued pouring the CYA tube until it was full and the black dot wasn't 100% disappeared. So I recorded 20. Please advise)
About algae: As people recommended here, I added 1 gal/day (~5 ppm). I also brushed the walls twice. Now, there is no sign of algae on the walls at all. I still see a small greenish area in the spa.
You must add chlorine EVERY DAY.
A CYA of 20 is way too low. Get your CYA to 30 or 40 until you pass the SLAM Process criteria and then raise it to 50 ppm.
Lower your pH to 7.6 with acid. Test it every day or every other day. Add acid to lower to 7.6 when you test it at 8 or higher. Test TA weekly to use in Poolmath for acid addition calculations.
A CYA of 20 is way too low. Get your CYA to 30 or 40 until you pass the SLAM Process criteria and then raise it to 50 ppm.
Lower your pH to 7.6 with acid. Test it every day or every other day. Add acid to lower to 7.6 when you test it at 8 or higher. Test TA weekly to use in Poolmath for acid addition calculations.
Thanks. I will. I forgot to add CL one day.
Regarding CYA: can't I keep the CYA at 30 or 40 instead of 50? And why the CYA of 20 is not recommended? Also, what is the best way to increase the CYA?
Regarding pH: I tested the pH last week or so with another test kit and it was 8.0 and I added MA to lower it to 7.6 based on the calculations in Poolmath. I assume the pH of the freshwater that is added daily to the pool should be around 7.5. My pH increases to 8+ in 7-10 days. Why does the pH go up? Do debris/leaves increase the pH?
CYA helps protect the Cl from the sun, otherwise the UV breaksdown the chlorine. The 30-40ppm level is what we have found works best in a pool chlorinated with liquid chlorine. Otherwise you will lose all your chlorine to the sun. .. Later after you SLAM you raise it to 50.. that works best in the sunny climes of the south west.
A few questions about the SLAM process
1) The water is very clear and I have no signs of algae in the pool. In the spa however, I can see a bit green (prob 2 in x 2 in) at 2 corners of the walls. Do I still need to do the SLAM?
2) Should I start with clean filters? Again, the water is not green.
3) I tried to reduce the pH as recommended above. Poolmath said 123 oz to lower the pH from 8 to 7.6. I added 1 gal MA on 25th and the pH was 8.2 on 28th! What is the problem? Possibly the high TA? Or do I need to add MA daily to maintain it?
4) To increase CYA, I got the following item, is it the right one or should I replace it?
Thank you in advance
1) The water is very clear and I have no signs of algae in the pool. In the spa however, I can see a bit green (prob 2 in x 2 in) at 2 corners of the walls. Do I still need to do the SLAM?
2) Should I start with clean filters? Again, the water is not green.
3) I tried to reduce the pH as recommended above. Poolmath said 123 oz to lower the pH from 8 to 7.6. I added 1 gal MA on 25th and the pH was 8.2 on 28th! What is the problem? Possibly the high TA? Or do I need to add MA daily to maintain it?
4) To increase CYA, I got the following item, is it the right one or should I replace it?
Thank you in advance
unfortunately the ph test maxes out at around 8.2
so a ph of 9 would read as 8.2
add your acid and recheck after 1 hour (with pump running)
a ta of 230 you are going to have a rapid ph rise until your ta gets down to 60-80
so a ph of 9 would read as 8.2
add your acid and recheck after 1 hour (with pump running)
a ta of 230 you are going to have a rapid ph rise until your ta gets down to 60-80
Any comment on Q4? I have read that people say avoid Clorox. Not sure what products!
TIA
I don't know about that product, but when people say avoid Clorox, they mean the bleach. It has additives for laundry that you don't want in your pool.
Their stabilizer is fine. It is pure cyanuric acid.
