Can't keep my pool clean this summer!

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kennyjg44

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2024
76
New York
Pool Size
7000
Surface
Vinyl
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Autopilot Digital Nano+ PPC2
Hey All!

Long time reader, but first time poster here! Looking for a little insight and advice...

This is the 4th summer with the pool, and more or less, I've had no issues keeping the pool clean and swimmable. However, for whatever reason, I am having trouble this summer keeping the pool water clear & clean. I am noticing either algae or dirt (or both) seems to accumulate on the pool floor / walls very quickly (like if we aren't around for 2-3 days). In year's past, I would leave the pool for a week at a time and come back to a clean pool.

I do notice that it seems impossible for me to keep my chlorine and CYA levels up (my pool gets full sun for 10 hours a day). This has been the case in the past as well, but like I've said, this year it seems to be impacting the cleanliness. I've even tried shocking the pool more often, as well as other "clarifying agents", etc.

Hoping the good folks here might have a few words of wisdom! Thanks in advance :)
 
Welcome to TFP!!!

How are you testing your water? If you don't have a recommended test kit, get one now. Link-->Test Kits Compared

How are you chlorinating?

While you are waiting for the kit, add 3ppm of liquid chlorine per day until the kit arrives. Nothing else.

If you have one of our recommended kits, follow the SLAM process to clear the pool. Link-->SLAM Process

You Got This Good Luck Today GIF by MOODMAN
 
Thanks! And thanks for the info!

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit, I'm still using the test strips given to me by the pool installer. Since I never (knowingly) saw any water issues, I never thought anything of using the strips. I will take a look at the other kits ASAP.

For the past few years, my chlorination method has been via the SWG and weekly / biweekly addition of shock (dichlor). As I mentioned previously, I've always had an issue keeping the CYA & chlorine levels up, but again, never thought much of it as the pool looked fine.

I will get on the liquid chlorine and test kit and report back.

OK to do weekly brushing / vacuum procedures?
 
PoolStored said:
Welcome to TFP!!!

How are you testing your water? If you don't have a recommended test kit, get one now. Link-->Test Kits Compared

How are you chlorinating?

While you are waiting for the kit, add 3ppm of liquid chlorine per day until the kit arrives. Nothing else.

If you have one of our recommended kits, follow the SLAM process to clear the pool. Link-->SLAM Process

You Got This Good Luck Today GIF by MOODMAN
Click to expand...
Do I need to buy a salt kit if my SWG is able to give salt levels?
 
Thanks for the help! Kit is ordered & liquid chlorine bleach arrived. Going to do a vacuum today (looking pretty green in there) and then add at 3ppm (if I can calculate correctly).
 
kennyjg44 said:
This is the 4th summer with the pool
Click to expand...

kennyjg44 said:
my chlorination method has been via the SWG and weekly / biweekly addition of shock (dichlor).
Click to expand...
Ok, so lets assume you're adding 1 pound of dichlor a week - assume a 20 week season, thats 80ppm CYA a year.

Even if you're doing HALF that, you've potentially put 160PPM of CYA in the pool. Now, not all of it will still be there, but I bet a lot of it is ;)

Also, the SWG you have is going to max out at about 8ppm FC (24hours at 100%) - so how much you are running it and at what power is going to be critical to know.

High CYA + limited SWG FC production is probably why you're shocking weekly/biweekly (which you shouldn't have to do with the TFP method at all).

Lets see when the test kit arrives - which kit did you order ?
 
Thanks for the extra info, though a bit over my head! I ordered TF-100 Salt Test Kit; should be on its way.

I will admit that the pool company set up the SWG, and other than using it to tell me how much salt to add, I have no idea how it is setup (or if it needs to be re-configured).

I've only recently started adding the 1 lb of dichlor weekly; last few years I haven't had to. But - point taken. Will report back with testing.
 
SWGs will produce a steady, small amount of Free Chlorine over time. usually you can set the 'power level' on the SWG, and then it will produce FC whenever the pump it running.
Most are rated in Pounds of Chlorine per Day - assuming a 24 hour runtime

So, if you put your SWG on 100%, and run 24 hours a day, your SWG should produce about 1.1 pounds of Chlorine, which works out to about 8.4ppm in your pool.
If you put the SWG on 50% and run 24 hours, you'll end up with about 4.2ppm.
If you put the SWG on 100% and run the pump for 12, also 4.2ppm... and so on.

Knowing what the SWG is set to, and how long your pump is running and so on will help fill in the overall picture :)
 

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SJPoe said:
SWGs will produce a steady, small amount of Free Chlorine over time. usually you can set the 'power level' on the SWG, and then it will produce FC whenever the pump it running.
Most are rated in Pounds of Chlorine per Day - assuming a 24 hour runtime

So, if you put your SWG on 100%, and run 24 hours a day, your SWG should produce about 1.1 pounds of Chlorine, which works out to about 8.4ppm in your pool.
If you put the SWG on 50% and run 24 hours, you'll end up with about 4.2ppm.
If you put the SWG on 100% and run the pump for 12, also 4.2ppm... and so on.

Knowing what the SWG is set to, and how long your pump is running and so on will help fill in the overall picture :)
Click to expand...
is the 1.1 lbs (at 100%) a standard among SWGs? I'll have to check what mine is set at, and also how long my pump runs (I think 10 hrs).
 
No, it is the rating. Every cell is different. Mine makes 3.1lb/day.

If you have pool math, you can use the 1.1lb or select the sell that you have and it will calculate FC additions using pump run time and %output.
 
Yep! Use "effects of adding" in the menu. put in liquid chlorine and the % concentration. change the amount until is shows 3ppm
 
Hi All,

Test kit has arrived! Reading some of the instructions, but let me know which test(s) are of most interest.
 
Alright - muddled through my first round of tests. Assuming I did it mostly correctly, here's what I got:

SALT: 4000 ppm
CH: 250 ppm
TA: 120 ppm
CYA: ~100
FC: 1.75 + CC: 1.00 = TC: 2.75 ppm

Hope someone can make some sense of this; I should do a re-test to make sure I was somewhat accurate.
 

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