Confirming basics as I start pool maintenance

[bawnie15]

Hi all - I'm a new pool owner (~1 year) and just decided to take over the pool maintenance from the company that was doing it. After doing research here, and elsewhere, I just want to confirm the following:

1. From a "is it safe to swim" perspective, the main things to worry about are chlorine levels and ph levels. Correct?

2. From a "maintain pool well" perspective, the there are additional things to check/maintain like, alkalinity, copper, calcium, CYA, TDS. Anything else? Sulphates maybe? Phosphates? (Would you put anything here in category #1?)

3. My pool is an indoor pool and as far as I know has never been drained/refilled. I know outdoor pools regularly undergo this process -- should I be doing this periodically for my indoor pool too, or only if something goes seriously wrong?

4. An article on this forum says to never wear a half-mask respirator when using acid, but if I combine it with goggles, it seems like that should be fine. Any concerns? My muriatic acid will be stored outdoors in the open next to the house; the chlorine is in a cabinet in the pool room.

5. If my CYA is very low (less than 20) in an indoor pool, and I'm lazy and don't use the pool a lot anyway (once a week), how bad is it really to continue using the chlorine tablets that my previous service company was using? Besides CYA (which seems not to be a problem), I understand they will add sulphates into the pool? I suppose I should check those levels at some point.

Thanks all for your help.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

1. From a "is it safe to swim" perspective, the main things to worry about are chlorine levels and ph levels. Correct? Pretty much- pH and FC/CC levels are the levels one feels most when in the water. If out of whack eyes start to burn, skin itches, water smells funky.... But all chem levels are important to the pool itself and equipment as well as water condition for feel. Poor pool water management can shorten the life of the pool, its equipment.

2. From a "maintain pool well" perspective, the there are additional things to check/maintain like, alkalinity, copper, calcium, CYA, TDS. Anything else? Sulphates maybe? Phosphates? (Woult\d you put anything here in category #1?) We feel it most important to monitor Free Chlorine (FC), Combined Chloramines (CC, aka "the cooties"), pH, Total Alkalinity (TA), Calcium Hardness (CH), CYA Stabilizer level and Salt level if using a Salt Water Chlorinator device (Swg). We don't advocate the use of any Copper products as they stain pool surfaces and hair. TDS is not meaningful as that includes everything in the water- both wanted and unwanted. Phosphates are useless to monitor assuming one maintains proper chlorine level.

3. My pool is an indoor pool and as far as I know has never been drained/refilled. I know outdoor pools regularly undergo this process -- should I be doing this periodically for my indoor pool too, or only if something goes seriously wrong? There are no hard fast rules on this but I sure wouldn't like to swim in questionanble water not knowing how well its been maintained. After 10+ years my outdoor pool is gin-clear.... is your indoor pool that clear?

4. An article on this forum says to never wear a half-mask respirator when using acid, but if I combine it with goggles, it seems like that should be fine. Any concerns? My muriatic acid will be stored outdoors in the open next to the house; the chlorine is in a cabinet in the pool room. Wearing a mask removes the sense of smell which helps you avoid the stuff and makes it more difficult to get away from if any splashed on your face. You naturally lean away from it when you can smell and see it. The most I would do is wear sunglasses outside.

5. If my CYA is very low (less than 20) in an indoor pool, and I'm lazy and don't use the pool a lot anyway (once a week), how bad is it really to continue using the chlorine tablets that my previous service company was using? Besides CYA (which seems not to be a problem), I understand they will add sulphates into the pool? I suppose I should check those levels at some point. A lot depends on what type of puck they're using? Some add excess CYA Stabilizer, others add calcium. Both can add up and cause problems. For an INDOOR pool you only need 20-30ppm of CYA. Sulphates aren't good for plaster nor SWGs.

Maddie

 

[bawnie15]

Thanks very much for the reply. The pool looks clear from above, though there are certainly plenty of tiny particles that become visible once in the pool and with the lights on (I'm not convinced the filter is currently working very well and will have the sand changed soon).

Historically it looks like the pool was poorly maintained given white staining all along the edges of the pool (see pic) -- not sure if that's calcium or some kind of ph imbalance damage, but perhaps an indicator that it's a good idea to drain and restart?

Pucks - I'm having a heck of a time figuring out what's in them. All it says is 'stabilized chlorine' and that they contain 'clarifier' and 'algaecide.' However, combined chlorine is always extremely low and CYA has been fine, despite these being used (in presumably the same water) for about a decade before we purchased.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Are those by chance Clorox XtraBlu pucks? Don't use those as they contain copper.
If a puck says its "Stabilized" tthat tells you it will contain almost as much CYA as Chlorine.
Liquid is an ideal chlorination product as it does not contain anything you don't want in the water. No stabilizer and no calcium. Its perfect.

 

[Newdude]

An article on this forum says to never wear a half-mask respirator when using acid, but if I combine it with goggles, it seems like that should be fine. Any concerns?

Fumes in this case are a good thing because they warn you that you're doing it wrong. You need eye protection in case of splashing but you do not want a respirator that takes away more of your early warnings before you stand there continuing to suck it all in.

 

[ajw22]

Historically it looks like the pool was poorly maintained given white staining all along the edges of the pool (see pic) -- not sure if that's calcium or some kind of ph imbalance damage, but perhaps an indicator that it's a good idea to drain and restart?

This waterline scale and not unusual in indoor or outdoor pools. It is caused by pool water evaporating and leaving calcium and salts on the tiles.

Waterline Scale Removal - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Do you have your own test kit?

We recommend the Taylor K-2006C or the TF-100 Test Kits

Test Kits Compared

If you post the results of your own water tests we can advise if your pool really needs to be drained.

I suggest you review what TFPC is all about in the links below....

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[bawnie15]

This waterline scale and not unusual in indoor or outdoor pools. It is caused by pool water evaporating and leaving calcium and salts on the tiles.

Waterline Scale Removal - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Do you have your own test kit?

We recommend the Taylor K-2006C or the TF-100 Test Kits

Test Kits Compared

If you post the results of your own water tests we can advise if your pool really needs to be drained.

I suggest you review what TFPC is all about in the links below....

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

Excellent - thanks; I will look into cleaning off the tiles first with a pumice and then go professional if need be.

Water test results

Calcium: 241ppm
CYA: 18ppm
TDS: 391
Copper: 0
Free chlorine: 2.5 / Combined : .03
Alkalinity: 150
Ph: 7.4
Haven't tested for Phosphate or Sulphates

 

[bawnie15]

Are those by chance Clorox XtraBlu pucks? Don't use those as they contain copper.
If a puck says its "Stabilized" tthat tells you it will contain almost as much CYA as Chlorine.
Liquid is an ideal chlorination product as it does not contain anything you don't want in the water. No stabilizer and no calcium. Its perfect.

They're some kind of Swimfresh chlorine tablets from the company that was previously servicing. If I stuck with tablets I'd probably go with Blue Horizons. I do recognize that liquid chlorine is better though. I just put acid in for the first time yesterday and it was terrifying, so ... baby steps.

 

[bawnie15]

Fumes in this case are a good thing because they warn you that you're doing it wrong. You need eye protection in case of splashing but you do not want a respirator that takes away more of your early warnings before you stand there continuing to suck it all in.

Thanks.. genuine question in trying to understand how the fumes are helpful: From what I've read the fumes are pretty strong as soon as you open the container and/or start pouring. So I guess I'm not quite clear on how the smell of the acid would be helpful in identifying where it is splashing (vs visual or audio cues). Is there anything I could be doing so wrong during the pouring process that smell would become overwhelming in a way beyond what I'd smell just from pouring? (I did my first acid addition yesterday wearing the respirator and goggles and I was terrified that I might be missing some important smell cues, but before I try it without the respirator, I want to understand what exactly those might be.?)

 

[Newdude]

So I guess I'm not quite clear on how the smell of the acid would be helpful in identifying where it is splashing

The fumes are a different concern than the splashing. Without the fumes to alert you, you will continue to breathe in the evaporated acid without the smell/discomfort. A respirator masks the part that makes you want to stop and harmful things still go in your lungs. So in this case, a quick smell of fumes are a good thing because you reevaluate your position and correct it.

It seems real scary but it's not. Open the bottle away from you and you will be in the clear. If the wind is blowing at you, shift your body accordingly.

If you do splash on yourself, you likely won't even know immediately. You have minutes to clean up when you do realize it with a slight tingle, not seconds. Simply put the bottle down somewhere it won't tip and wash up with pool water. The first splash fixes it. You'll splash your arm 150 more times just because but they'll be for you, not the acid. Many times I finished what I was doing and took a leisurely stroll back to the kitchen to wash with soap. Don't get me wrong, you need to respect the MA and treat it with care, but it's not a critical emergency when some gets on you. It's more of a concern in your eyes as they are far more sensitive than your skin, but still not the worst thing that ever happened. Wear eye protection (not sunglasses) to erase that concern.

 

[Newdude]

*also. While we strive for accuracy here in testing, the dosing of most things don't need the accuracy that pool math provides. You may create problems trying to get exactly a half gallon (?) Of MA. Eyeballing is plenty close enough for what you are tying to accomplish. Liquid chlorine is much less scary but it's the same principle. If you eyeball 1/8 of a gallon too much/little, you'll never even know in thousands of gallons of pool.