Feature suggestions

[jimbethesda]

Quick one...Change the default on the FC section for SWG to be Pump Hours instead of SWG Cell %. Most people probably have a set number of hours they run their pump and then change the % when needed, vs changing the pump run time and keeping the % the same.

A bigger one is to re-design how the FC section works for SWG. It seems to trip up many people (I just responded to a pool math user who didn't realize the app could tell them what % to run it at.

 

[Mdragger88]

In the fc card its a choice- for me % pops up automatically

In effects of adding % is before pump run time

 

[Newdude]

In the fc card its a choice- for me % pops up automatically

I forgot it was even an option because selecting 'FC generated' let's you play with either runtime or %, and I've been on that since day 3. Lol.

That way, it doesn't matter what I'm looking to calculate as it's all on that screen.

I just responded to a pool math user who didn't realize the app could tell them what % to run it at.

Maybe not this member, but *many* don't explore the app past the main page. It's a frequent revelation to casual users to see the left menu for the first time.

Then we have to teach them how to use it, like looking up their SWG production, eventhough that field has an eyeglass 'lookup' icon.

Maybe only the 5 who needed help ask and the 5000 figured it out because it was self explanatory. I dunno. But the 5 always seems like alot of people asking. Lol.

 

[jimbethesda]

In the fc card its a choice- for me % pops up automatically

Right, that's my point. The pump run time should pop up automatically, not %. I always want to solve for %, so I plug in my pump run time (which I keep the same), I want it to tell me what % I should use.

The default is the other way around...It wants me to enter my current % to tell me how long to run my pump. I don't want to change my pump schedule every time I want to change how much chlorine I'm producing.

 

[Newdude]

I don't want to change my pump schedule every time I want to change how much chlorine I'm producing.

Many of us run 24/7 at low RPM and then only adjust the %. At times it does not line up with demand and our choices are too much or too little. Alot of us were running hot anyway, so it's a no brainer.

Most of the 'extra' remains and is eventually used but there is a small amount 'wasted' of cell life / FC. It's peanuts in the grand scheme of things to have gun clear water with plenty of safety net.

 

[jimbethesda]

Many of us run 24/7 at low RPM and then only adjust the %. At times it does not line up with demand and our choices are too much or too little. Alot of us were running hot anyway, so it's a no brainer.

Most of the 'extra' remains and is eventually used but there is a small amount 'wasted' of cell life / FC. It's peanuts in the grand scheme of things to have gun clear water with plenty of safety net.

It's hard to tell if you're adding more information to my post, or not understanding my post. Whether you run 24 hours a day or 11 like I do, you'd still want the default in the FC section to be pump hours. You would enter 24, I would enter 11, then the app tells us what % to run it at.

It the screenshot you posted, you entered 50% and it calculated you need to run your pump for 15.5 hours. Is that useful? You going to now only run your pump for 15.5 hours instead of 24? It doesn't seem useful to me. In order to use that particular feature in pool math, my guess is 99% of people want pump hours to be the default. The 1% maybe have a cell that's either on our off, so pump run time is the only variable they can change.

 

[proavia]

It's up to each user to set up PoolMath for their pool.
There needs to be a default.
Just because your preferred way isn't the default, that doesn't mean the default should be changed.

 

[Newdude]

It the screenshot you posted, you entered 50% and it calculated you need to run your pump for 15.5 hours. Is that useful?

Mdragger posted that one. She has a single speed pump and I have HOURS invested tying to fix that.

My screenshot is defaulted to 100% / 24hr. It's usually at whatever the last person I helped needed, as Mdragger's probably is at 15.5 hours because she needs to run her spendy pump as little as possible.

But if you set FC generated as your default then both runtime and % come up and whichever one you don't want to adjust will remain from last time.

 

[jimbethesda]

It's up to each user to set up PoolMath for their pool.
There needs to be a default.
Just because your preferred way isn't the default, that doesn't mean the default should be changed.

Yes, of course. I just don't understand the use case for % being the default. Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe it does need to change.

How is % being the default (so it calculates pump hours) useful for anyone?

 

[jimbethesda]

But if you set FC generated as your default then both runtime and % come up and whichever one you don't want to adjust will remain from last time.

Sorry, I responded to the wrong person. It doesn't for me. It defaults to % every time.

 

[jimbethesda]

In the fc card its a choice- for me % pops up automatically
View attachment 541022
In effects of adding % is before pump run time

It's hard to tell if you're adding more information to my post, or not understanding my post. Whether you run 24 hours a day or 11 like I do, you'd still want the default in the FC section to be pump hours. You would enter 24, I would enter 11, then the app tells us what % to run it at.

It the screenshot you posted, you entered 50% and it calculated you need to run your pump for 15.5 hours. Is that useful? You going to now only run your pump for 15.5 hours instead of 24? It doesn't seem useful to me. In order to use that particular feature in pool math, my guess is 99% of people want pump hours to be the default. The 1% maybe have a cell that's either on our off, so pump run time is the only variable they can change.

 

[proavia]

How is % being the default (so it calculates pump hours) useful for anyone?

Many will increase/reduce pump run time seasonally instead of change SWG output.
We each run our pool a bit differently. Up to the pool owner to determine their own preference.

I run 24/7 and adjust SWG output as needed. I use PoolMath for a baseline. I only adjust SWG output based on FC testing. That's just the way I prefer - not necessarily THE way or the way other users prefer.

 

[jimbethesda]

Many will increase/reduce pump run time seasonally instead of change SWG output.
We each run our pool a bit differently. Up to the pool owner to determine their own preference.

I run 24/7 and adjust SWG output as needed. I use PoolMath for a baseline. I only adjust SWG output based on FC testing. That's just the way I prefer - not necessarily THE way or the way other users prefer.

Right, so you’d want the default changed too. I still think most (but not all as you point out), would want the default changed.

Maybe then just have the app remember last setting? Win/win? Thoughts?

 

[Newdude]

How is % being the default (so it calculates pump hours) useful for anyone?

VS pumps took a while to be king. For the longest time, people were using 100% SWG and wanted to run the pump as little as possible. They only needed 4(?) hours to skim and filter so the there was no need to run even longer than the 12 hours they'd need at 100%. Say, to run 18 hours at 65%.

So poolmath still defaults there on the FC tab.

But.

Use effects of adding instead and it will list both to appease all of us.

 

[Leebo]

One thing we’ve noted is there’s a noticable percentage of older users using the App, many whom aren’t used to mobile interfaces, and this disconnect has led some users to struggle picking up the app right away and using it to its full potential. With this in mind, we’ve actually changed up the way all the advice screens look across the board, and I suspect (and hope) the workflow will be more Intuitive for users in general. We’ve still got some tuning to do on some items, but our hope is an improved onboarding process will assist with this issue somewhat.

 

[proavia]

Right, so you’d want the default changed too. I still think most (but not all as you point out), would want the default changed.

Maybe then just have the app remember last setting? Win/win? Thoughts?

I didn't say I wanted the default changed. I am good with what is there.

Ideally, having the last setting remembered (app wide, not just here) would be best.
The app isn't perfect (nor do I ever expect it to be), but it's much better than anything else I've run across.

 

[jimbethesda]

I didn't say I wanted the default changed. I am good with what is there.

Ideally, having the last setting remembered (app wide, not just here) would be best.
The app isn't perfect (nor do I ever expect it to be), but it's much better than anything else I've run across.

No, you didn’t say it. You did say you run your pump 24/7, so it seemed logical you wouldn’t want to have to change that setting to pump hours every time so the app tells what % to run. I guess you like the extra step?

Anyway, yes, I agree the app is awesome and I’m a heavy user of it. Just trying to make a suggestion. It never occurred to me that more people would want the app to calculate pump run time vs. SWG % (or in your case, like it to be more steps). But hey, now I know. I’ll continue to just change it every time.

 

[Newdude]

But hey, now I know. I’ll continue to just change it every time

No. Use the other calculator and don't have to.

 

[Mdragger88]

No, you didn’t say it. You did say you run your pump 24/7, so it seemed logical you wouldn’t want to have to change that setting to pump hours every time so the app tells what % to run. I guess you like the extra step?

Anyway, yes, I agree the app is awesome and I’m a heavy user of it. Just trying to make a suggestion. It never occurred to me that more people would want the app to calculate pump run time vs. SWG % (or in your case, like it to be more steps). But hey, now I know. I’ll continue to just change it every time.

I’m one of the poor folks who still has a single speed pump ($ guzzler) & a cell that could stand to be bigger so in the dog days I must run my pump longer but as soon as I am able when the weather changes I’m calculating how to shorten that up. So I’m always tinkering with both. Its a toss up for me - I don’t want to run my cell at 100% so I must adjust my run time.
Adversely there are some folks who have oversized cells that can only be set so low & they too must then adjust run time in the shoulder seasons or they overproduce, even if they have a vsp.

 

[jimbethesda]

No. Use the other calculator and don't have to.

You talking about the effects of adding? That calculates ppm given pump run times and %. Not what I’m looking for, plus that defaults to bleach, So, I’d still have to change the setting (from bleach to swg) and it’s calculating the wrong thing. I use the FC to calculate the % I need given how much PPM I want to create.