Basic starting point for newbie!

[ViolaFish]

I need the "Happy to Assist!" - I'm finding I can't learn everything at once! I've spent many hours going around this forum and info - all very fascinating, but I still can't even figure how much chlorine to put in (and liquid vs. tab equivalents), amidst all the abbreviations and specificities. As example, I see reference to Chlorine Calculator; it no such thing comes up in a search (very slow, BTW).
6 weeks into TFP: FC seems to be dropping, down to 2-3 from 5-7 (with warming California weather). pH rarely up to 7.2. TA has been coming down over weeks from 200 to 110. CH is over 600, CYA usually around 120. Water is clear but I weekly sweep up some green clouds. Clean filters quarterly. I think my info shows IG 18K gal plaster w V/S pump. Thanks for your patience with a basic "where do I start?" I've tried to find other such posts to help, over my head. Please link me to similar queries so we can commiserate! Now that I know the paid service hasn't been keeping the pool in balance, I don't want to go back! Thank you for creating this wonderful resource!

 

[Richard320]

PoolMath will crunch numbers for you. Bookmark it. There's also an app that will do the same and upload the results so we can access them to better figure things. But anyway, on poolmath... up top, enter your volume. Down near the bottom of the chart, choose your surface and your chlorine source and troublefreepool. Then go enter your test results and your goal and it will tell you what to add. A tip: if your now number is in range, make that your target. Don't quibble over some number you arbitrarily plugged in.

If your CYA is 120, you've been maintaining a FC that is much too low, hence the algae and the rising chlorine demand. What you need is the SLAM Process. The bad news is that the chlorine level you'd need to SLAM is beyond what any test kit can measure.