Do you actually fully BALANCE all Chems during cold winter months ? (SF BAY area)

[cody21]

For years, I seldom check or do anything to our pool water during the colder months (Nov thru March), other than an occasional jug of Chlorine. Water has always looked clear during those months, and leave it uncovered until warmer weather starts around April.

So during this time my CYA, CH, etc. all get very low to non-existent. Is that a bad thing? e.g, non-existent or LOW CH - will that damage the pool in cold weather? Do YOU continue to maintain Balance of all parameters during the colder months? TIA

 

[ajw22]

Do you maintain your water chemistry as a fiberglass pool or plaster pool?

What is your normal CH level?

What are Your levels and CSI month to month during the winter?

 

[kimkats]

With a liner pool you HAVE to have the PH/TA balanced to keep the vinyl safe. For some reason, not sure where I saw it, I thought the same thing needed to be done for fiberglass pools as well. It will be interesting to see what @ajw22 thoughts are.

 

[ajw22]

I think a few months of lower then normal CH will not damage anything. CH doesn’t go to 0 in November.

 

[cody21]

This is a "SPRAYED" / "Rolled" on Fiberglass pool .. (not a SHELL).

CH level -- during summer months, I struggle to get it much above 200 .. Although according to TFP, I am supposed to be between 250 - 600 .. I have to add water about every 6 days during summer due to evaporation (even though we have a cover on it for night).

I really have no idea about levels during winter months. I never tend to check because water is clear. I *DO* add some chlorine every couple of weeks just to have SOME chlorine present, but I never check levels of it. I tend to get more A/R about this checking & balancing once we approach April ... However when I started checking LAST year around April, CH was 60. So it seems to never get to 0.

 

[Newdude]

CH is a but irrelevant for fiber and vinyl. You only need about 100.

Keep what you're doing with ensuring there is FC to be had. If you are feeling adventurous one time, check the PH too. Everything else can wait until the spring for you.

When the spring does hit, hop on the low CYA second. (FC is always job 1) as the CA sun will go from 0-60 in about 3 seconds.

 

[cody21]

Yea, that has been my take over the last years .. I jump on everything once the weather starts warming to avoid any sudden Algae outbreak. Thank you ! My PH doesn't fluctuate much - regardless of time of year. I have a digital meter for checking it, taking out any guess work.

I do question why you say I only need "100" on my CH .. Are you saying even in summer months? Because TFP recommends between 250-600 for Fiberglass surfaces (and to protect GROUT in Tile?) .. (again, this is NOT a SHELL, but sprayed on Fiberglass over cement). I would love for that to be true (100), because I really struggle getting it above 120-160 during the summer. Leslie's "CH Plus" tends to be one of my biggest expenses after liquid Chlorine.

 

[Newdude]

Do you have waterline tile with grout ? Then you'd have to follow whatever is reccomended for that. Whether it's spray on fiberglass or shell fiberglass, it's fiberglass and any modern fiberglass (err, the gel coat at least) no longer needs the higher CH like a plaster pool. Many still raise it anyway as it's fairly easy to do, but then they have slightly more risk for scaling and stains.

Up to you, but neither higher or lower will really matter. Except for your grout (if applicable)

 

[cody21]

Yes, we have Waterline Tiles & Grout. So I guess I need to keep the CH up. Thanks !

 

[cam2000deluxe]

With a liner pool you HAVE to have the PH/TA balanced to keep the vinyl safe. For some reason, not sure where I saw it, I thought the same thing needed to be done for fiberglass pools as well. It will be interesting to see what @ajw22 thoughts are.

Do you have a ref for this and what are the appropriate pH / TA limits for optimal vinyl liner lifespan?

Thanks!

 

[kimkats]

Recommended Levels Here are our recommended levels that has been developed over many years with LOTS of research and real life testing. If you want to go deep we have the "Deep End" section that has all of that kind of stuff as far as the research and data if you want to dig into it. Just let me know!

 

[cam2000deluxe]

Recommended Levels Here are our recommended levels that has been developed over many years with LOTS of research and real life testing. If you want to go deep we have the "Deep End" section that has all of that kind of stuff as far as the research and data if you want to dig into it. Just let me know!

Thanks, yeah I have bought the pool math app so familiar with those....but was more after at what pH/TA levels and durations does the Vinyl liner start to be negatively impacted in terms of lifespan etc?

 

[Newdude]

Hey cam !!!! Low PH is the enemy if its left for a prolonged time. I've seen a few by me that wrecked the liner over the winter when the pool sat closed. The liner creases and ripples up like a fingerprint. Every milimeter had another twisty crease.

Do you close for the winter by you or are you far enough North that you don't ?

Regardless, you want a PH in the 7s. They are all equally ok for most vinyl pools. At either end, pay more attention in case it swings further.

If you get the TA anywhere between 60 and 100, it will find where it wants to be as you manage the PH to keep it in the 7s. Don't chase the TA once its in range.

 

[kimkats]

That I am not able to answer as I don't think that has been "tested" to see. I do know my first liner "rotted" due to me using a pool store to test and sell me stuff to keep my pool clean. I now know my addition of all of their chemicals did a LOT more harm than good. My ph had wild swings due to the up and down stuff they sold me. My CYA was off the charts with them saying oh that really does not matter. I was in the pool when my foot found the first crack in the pool floor. I slid my foot across it and it all let go almost taking me with it I really don't know how high or low my ph was as I just did what the pool said to do over and over and over again I do know it was 2 yrs of mis treatment before it let go all of the way.

 

[cam2000deluxe]

Hey cam !!!! Low PH is the enemy if its left for a prolonged time. I've seen a few by me that wrecked the liner over the winter when the pool sat closed. The liner creases and ripples up like a fingerprint. Every milimeter had another twisty crease.

Do you close for the winter by you or are you far enough North that you don't ?

Regardless, you want a PH in the 7s. They are all equally ok for most vinyl pools. At either end, pay more attention in case it swings further.

If you get the TA anywhere between 60 and 100, it will find where it wants to be as you manage the PH to keep it in the 7s. Don't chase the TA once its in range.

Thanks - our liner is old from when we moved in anyway, so maybe a new, larger pool in our future. We're in Auckland which is almost identical to San Francisco in temperature except our winter minimums are a few degrees higher...so no close down, just no swimming unless we get a heater.

 

[Newdude]

...so no close down, just no swimming unless we get a heater.

Awesome. So it will be easy to check once a month or so and correct a little if need be. We get about 3 ft of rain here in the off season, and it looks like you get similar. Thats alot of water with a PH of 5.6 added to mess things up. For an above ground pool, its basically a 3/4 water exchange. But if yours is open, it will be easy to watch.

 

[cam2000deluxe]

Awesome. So it will be easy to check once a month or so and correct a little if need be. We get about 3 ft of rain here in the off season, and it looks like you get similar. Thats alot of water with a PH of 5.6 added to mess things up. For an above ground pool, its basically a 3/4 water exchange. But if yours is open, it will be easy to watch.

Yeah - this is interesting. Obviously with any Alkalinity in recommended range pH tends to rise due to outgassing (slower in winter with temperature and rainwater dilution). This is what happened consistently with our pool - I've never owned any Soda Ash! But since installing a solar cover as mentioned in my intro thread (mostly to stop evaporation) our pH is much more stable and lower than 7.5...I've just ordered some sodium carbonate. So this could cause lower pH exacerbated by higher rainfall @5.6-5.8 to be a winter issue....although I can just leave the cover off to compensate as well.