For those of you following this thread, I want to say thanks again for all the free advice. Our pool water is so clear, clean, and smells great. If not for you guys, I would be relying on the pool store for everything.
A couple weeks ago, I added borax to the pool (and countered with m.a.) and followed the guide here on this site. The water feels great and has a shimmer that sparkles. Maybe it is my imagination, but I can see the dirt at the bottom even clearer now. ha ha ha
A side note.. I went to Leslie's pool store and said, "I need a test kit for borates". They said, "huh?" I said, "you know.... when you increase the borate level in your pool, you need to test to see where it is." There were 3 people working in the store, and not one of them knew what I was talking about. One of the 3 was actually interested and he said he would google it and educate himself. I did a lot of research on it before I did it, and I couldn't find a reason NOT to do it. My PH has not moved since!
Here are my test results at this time. All very consistent (except FC) over the last couple weeks.
CYA: 60-70
PH: 7.6-7.8
TA: 90-100
CH: 150-170
FC: Ranges from 1 - 4, depending on how long I leave the pump on, and where I set the SWG. This is where I need help.
Borates: ~50ppm
Phosphates: 100 (according to Leslies pool store)
Questions:
1. I don't have a phosphate test kit but I had the pool store (leslies) test it and they said the Phosphates are 100, and suggested a product to remove them. Is this necessary? I know when I had a saltwater reef tank, Phosphates can cause algae to grow. What do you guys use to combat this?
2. For my chlorine levels... they change rapidly, but I try to keep them in the 3-ish range. When I say "try", all I'm doing is running the pump longer or shorter, or adjusting the SWG % up or down. One day, I forgot to turn on the pump, and my FC dropped to .5. So then I hit the "boost" button on my SW chlorine gen. The next morning, chlorine was 4.5! So I'm still trying to find a happy medium here... a pump run time and a setting on the SWG that keeps the FC within range. For those of you who have pools with SWG, what is your routine for chlorine? Are you testing it every day? A few times a week?
3. My pool man says to aim for a FC level of 1. He claims nothing more is needed. That doesn't seem like I would have any margin for error as the chlorine gets depleted so quickly. What do you guys think about that? When I'm at 4, I still don't smell any chlorine and the water feels great.
4. When I adjust my SWG to a certain "%"... let's say I set it at 25%, when I come back the next day, it has changed itself. For example, it might be on 30% or 22%. Why is it doing that?
Sorry for so many questions in one post. Thanks in advance. For you regulars on here who have been helping me, I would love to see pictures of your pool, if you would include a link in your reply.