Dropped my pool guy

[LoveCraft1023]

Hello

I'm a new homeowner that need you all's expertise to begin understanding how to care for my pool. I'm located in Atlanta and $100/ week for pool care adds up quickly, so wondering if this is something that I can learn to tackle myself.

I have a 16x32 approximately 31,000 gallon inground salt water pool.

These are the details that I have gathered about the pool:

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Thp: 1.65
Extreme
Abs654
Model k63cxdgh-5169
1091 pool motor


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J-sf24 media filter
Serial jcz24021740381


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Xtremepower us
Salt cell system for pools up to 25,000 gallons

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Multivalve port serial
Jczmpv041626151

I recently bought the tf100 and tested about 2 weeks ago. I will test again tomorrow but am wondering what products other than the testing kit do I need to balance a salt water pool?

 

[PoolStored]

While you are new with the kit, you should be testing more frequently.

Please post a full set of results from today. FC, CC, pH, TA, CH, CYA.

In general, you should just need salt, and muriatic acid. Anything else would be used in rarer circumstances.

Here is a basic schedule you should follow.

Basic Pool Care Schedule

This basic pool care schedule can guide you in creating your own pool care routine. Regular pool maintenance will keep your water sparkling!

www.troublefreepool.com

Here are the recommended products when needed.

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[LoveCraft1023]

Hi PoolStored

Thanks for your reply.
I was able to test today, here are the numbers.

Chlorine, FC, CC 0
Calcium Hardness 150
TA 60
CYA 40
PH 7.2

What do I add from here?

 

[PoolStored]

You need to get 8ppm of liquid chlorine in that pool immediately. That would be 2.5 Gallons of 10% liquid chlorine.

Download pool math...it can help you with additions. Link-->PoolMath

Your other numbers look fine. Did you get the salt test? If not, you need it to manage the salt level in the pool for your SWG.

You need to always follow this for chlorine. Link-->FC/CYA Levels

If you have the salt test, post your salt test results.

 

[LoveCraft1023]

Thanks! I've added the 2.5 gallons and turned the pump on. I will have to invest in a salt kit, I believe the system only displays the minerals which is 3600.

 

[PoolStored]

That is measuring salt. You need the kit to accurately measure salt.

Are you going to use the SWG?

 

[sande005]

Do a search here for "Mineral Springs" for some background. Essentially a Salt Chlorine Generator, that also wants you to buy their expensive magic power (CYA, borax, and dry acid). None of which you need to add routinely.
Ignore what it says for recommended levels and things to add printed inside the cover.

Use the salt test kit to verify you have an adequate amount. If so, unless you get a LOT of rain, or have to replace a LOT of water, you won't need much. The display reading is a "sort of" measure, but never that accurate.
Muriatic Acid is the best for lowering pH (not needed right now, and with your lowish TA, maybe not for some time).
Baking Soda for raising TA, if needed, which will be infrequent. I like to run at your level, some go a little higher. Only get it if your level drops lower, which it likely won't.
With a vinyl pool, CH hardly ever matters unless really high, so nothing for that.

All the above you can get at WalMart.

Get familiar with the CYA/Cl relationship chart - found in the Pool School on this site.
Your CYA level is a bit low, when using a Salt Generator. But see how things go, before jumping on that. Yes, again at WalMart.

That is pretty much the only things you need to buy. Only if things get really out of whack will you need anything else.

The key is the Salt Generator - you want to set it's output to maintain in the recommended range in the CYA chart referred to (and reproduced below). I like to run at the top of the range, as it gives a little more room for high usage periods (pool party, etc.) The settings on it are for how much time in a day it produces Cl - so at, say, 50%, it is turning itself on and off, to generate for half of what it would do if generating at 100%. That setting is determined by your testing - initially every day, and bump it up or down until you find a steady state that works for you. Then you can reduce testing to every few days or longer. Note that it only generates when the pump is running, so if your pump runs only 12 hrs, the generator at 100% is only putting out 1/2 of what it would in a full day - same as 50% for 24 hrs.

Your generator is smaller than we recommend for your size pool, so you may have to run it on high, and run your pump for long periods, to get enough Cl each day. It likely is nearing end-of-life, so if you find you just can't get enough Cl into your pool with it, you'll have to augment with WalMart pool chlorine. We'll help with replacement recommendations later, if it comes to that.

The important thing is to keep the Cl in the recommended range - so if you have to add liquid daily, so be it. At least until you find out how well the generator works.

 

[LoveCraft1023]

Thanks for the replies!

I'm having some trouble using the app to get the recommended products to add.

I have tested today. These are the numbers, can you please suggest what to add? Pool water looks clear, but now chlorine is too high as I had it set to 100% output.

chlorine 27ppm fc
Calcium 100 CH
TA 90
CYA 30

 

[PoolStored]

Did you test for salt?

Turn off the cell and let FC drift down. When it gets below 10, test your pH.

What you have posted looks fine...I wouldn't add anything at this point.

 

[LoveCraft1023]

I will order the salt kit this week. I've turned off the salt cell. Thanks

 

[sande005]

Odd that your CH dropped from 150 to 100, and your TA went from 60 to 90

CH isn't anything to worry about with a vinyl pool, unless it gets extremely high (many hundreds). Just odd that it dropped.
IF your TA number is correct, you are in a perfect spot. High TA (like the previous 90) can drive your pH up, meaning fairly frequent acid adds to bring the pH back down. But at 60, you will likely find that your pH tends to stabilize in the high 7's, and you only need a little bit of acid once in a while if it creeps higher.

With the sunlight reducing, and temps coming down, you'll find your CL generation needs will be moderately low. That will change next year as the daylight increases and the pool gets more use. Good to hear that the generator can overproduce at this point - so its got some life let in it yet! After it drifts down to 10, turn the cell back on at say a 50% setting. Test every couple of days, and if it is still creeping up, reduce it some more. Or increase it if the CL is going down... You;ll probably have to keep periodically dialing it down as we get into winter.

BTW - most cells stop generating when the water temp gets below 50. So you may want to stock up on some liquid CL if planning to keep the pool open in Jan/Feb. But it won't need a lot, and you won't need to check it every day if it is that cold.