First Results From TFT Pro Salt - Help Me Balance

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J

jlippert

Member
Jun 10, 2024
13
San Ramon, California
Pool Size
18000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Howdy,

First full summer in the new house.

Pool guy is disappointing and despite discussions and promises is just a chlorine mule. Plan to fire him shortly and fully take over.

My results from tonight are below. Testing was fun and easy, PH was a little hard to judge. CYA was less than 30 so just threw a lower number in pool math app. I have a photo of the ph test and can upload in a reply.


Pool guy has a floater chlorine tab floater in the pool and hot tub, I’ll have to pull them out in the morning.

Results below and will attach last test from
Leslie’s on 6/23.


Would love some guidance on exactly want to add in what order. If possible best sources for the chemicals. I’m in east bay California.

I know the app gives guidance. Just not sure if things should be done in a certain order.

Thanks so much!
==========================================

Home.

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Build Type: Black bottom gunite I think

Volume: About 20,000 gallons

Chemistry: SWG

------------------------------------------

Latest Test Result Summary:

FC: 2.5 (2 hours ago)


TC: 2.5 (2 hours ago)

pH: 7.9 (2 hours ago)

TA: 30 (46 minutes ago)

CH: 150 (43 minutes ago)

CYA: 15 (2 hours ago)

SALT: 3200 (36 minutes ago)

TEMPERATURE: 85° (2 hours ago)

CSI: -0.58 (36 minutes ago)

==========================================
 

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Welcome to TFP. Good to have you here :) You're doing a great job of TFPC and have certainly been reading and following along well.

I would add calcium first. The order is not that important because you don't have much to do. With the calcium just dump it in and brush it around while it dissolves.

CYA is next, targeting 60 for now and see how it goes. A old sock in the skimmer with the pump running is an easy method, or the sock full of CYA hanging in the water in front of a return jet. Liquid CYA is twice the price, but very convenient, just pour it in with the pump running.

Raise FC to around 6 ppm with chlorinating liquid, or run the chlorinator at a high % for more hours and FC will build up over time. You can start that before the chemicals above or before you even go buy them.

There's something suspicious about your TA number. At your pH, TA would not tend to be as low as 30. For the test, carefully double-check volume tested (25 mls), number of drops of each of the two reagents before the titrating reagent, etc.

Which test kit do you have?

I'm no help on sources, but I do hear home depot and walmart mentioned a lot here. With an SWG, you won't be buying a lot of chemicals, so pool stores are sometimes not terrible for some of the supplies. I'd probably start with walmart if I had just moved there, followed by home depot.
 
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Good morning! So first thing - testing. Never trust pool store testing. It's horrible. In yoru sig you asked to knwo about testing, so here it goes - get yourself a TF-100, TF-Pro Series, or Taylor K-2006C test kit. They are all easy to use and very reliable, but you need one of those. IMO, the TF products are better values, but look over the info below for yourself. But that is set #1.

If those were your reliable test numbers, yet, I would have suggestions, but we can't right now. Anything you change now might be backwards to yoru own reliable testing later. I would simply say watch that FC level. Use the APP to add about 3-4 pm of liquid chlorine each day to be safe, especially if you find the FC falling zloe to zero at any time.

With the proper test kit, we'll get you hooked up properly with confidence. Guaranteed.

Test Kits

tftestkits.net tftestkits.net

www.troublefreepool.com

Swimming Pool Test Kits Compared

What pool test kit should I buy? Why shouldn't I use test strips? Our recommended test kits will pay for themselves in no time!
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(To lower PH)
Ace hardware has 31% Muriatic Acid for $10 to $15 depending on location. HD/Lowes have half strength at a similar price point. Pool stores may have good deals on full strength.

(To raise PH)
Any Laundry aisle has 20 Mule team borax for about $6 a box

(To raise TA)
Bjs, Costco amd Sams have a 13 lb lifetime supply of Baking soda for under $10

Most locations use Walmart for their 10% Pool essentials chlorinating liquid in the pool aisle. HD/Lowes has it too but it's expensive these days there. Pool stores may have good deals on 12.5% at times. You won't need much/often with a salt pool.

Any 100% / pure / additive free salt is fine. Water softener salt or solar salt is by the hot water heaters at HD/Lowes as an alternative. Google it up whenever you need it because they flip flop which style is cheaper. I always find one of them for $8 a bag. Do not buy Chlorox salt as many have had issues with iron. Mortons should be OK but ensure it's salt like before adding. They seemingly had something else in some bags last year.
 
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Thanks everyone!

Yes, the pool math pasted results are from my testing with the TF-PRO SALT. (I’ll update my signature also).

I’ll retest the TA later today and look to buy some supplies to start balancing.

I did run the pump for 3 hours more with SWCG set to 100% after seeing FC a little low and will check it again and adjust pump runtime.
 
jlippert said:
I did run the pump for 3 hours more with SWCG set to 100% after seeing FC a little low and will check it again and adjust pump runtime.
Click to expand...
Do you fully grasp that concept ?

Your SWG will produce 1 FC in about 3 hours of being 'on'.

100% for 3 hours is 3 hours on for 1 FC
50% for 6 hours is 3 hours on for 1 FC
25% for 12 hours is 3 hours on for 1FC

(or any equivalent maths).

Have you found effects of adding in the upper left menu in poolmath ? You can select your SWG and mess with all the combos of runtime / % and it'll math for you.
 
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Great to hear. Yes, you'll have your SWCG dialed in before you know it.

A lot of pool owners find that the SWCG is great for maintaining the FC level, but imperfect for handling varying bather load. I leave mine set at what covers my "average" use (1-4 swimmers, 3 to 4 times a week, for perhaps an hour or two). When I know I have a kid's fiesta coming up, I'll add a quart or two of chlorinating liquid beforehand (that's 3 to 6 ppm FC in my pool). If it's a surprise and I can't do that, I'll add that after.

From a cost only perspective, and once you already own the SWCG, it will usually be cheaper to add the FC by SWCG by changing settings, including a bit of extra pump run time (remembering the big kid's party also requires some extra filtering due to increased dirt, dust, bandaids, candy wrappers, nerf bullets, goggles blocking the pool cleaner, rashie in the skimmer basket, and whatever else). Sometimes it's less effort for me to leave settings alone, and pour a $1 or $2 worth of liquid in.

If the pool ever falls below my minimum level, I add chlorinating liquid right away to bring it up to target, because the SWCG is a slow source.

Again, I'd like to thank you for reading through "before you post", Pool School, and so on. You clearly gained a lot of understanding first and your questions are fun to answer. Next thing you know, you run the risk of catching "sparklypoolitis"!
 
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Thanks so much!

You were right about the TA at retest it is 60. K must have made a mistake on the first test.

Appreciate the tips of FC. We have solar and the new SWGC so I’m trying to mostly use that, but do have a couple gallons of liquid for when it is needed.

planning to grab chemicals and start improving chemistry shortly.

Kids are getting lessons 3x a week at home in the pool, so trying to really keep on top of it. Also it is going to be HOT next week so plan to be in the pool a lot.
 
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I keep my CH at the low end of the range because as the water gets warm, the risk of calcium scaling rises. If your fill water has significant calcium, that will cause calcium to rise. Try 250 to 300 ppm CH for starters and then monitor it over time.

TBMK, the lower recommendation for spas is related to small standalone spas with their very high level of potential aeration. With an attached spa that shares water, manage it as a pool and it will work out fine for you.
 
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Update.

Added 2 cups acid, 25lbs hardness increaser, pool guy added some unknown amount of stabilizer.


Still need more stabilizer.

ch went up higher than predicted with adding 25 lbs. will check again to make sure my test was accurate (kids were “helping”)

Thanks for all the help so far!

Looking forward to getting rid of pool guy at the end of the month.


Latest Test Result Summary:

FC: 5.0 (1 minute ago)

pH: 7.8 (1 minute ago)

TA: 75 (1 minute ago)

CH: 275 (1 minute ago)

CYA: 35 (1 minute ago)

SALT: 2800 (20 hours ago)

TEMPERATURE: 83° (1 minute ago)

CSI: -0.02 (1 minute ago)

==========================================
 
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It's great getting the children involved in pool care. Just be sure that they're settled and well-behaved while involved. There are risks with testing reagents and pool chemicals. Some just annoying such as permanent staining of surfaces due to a spill, up to eye damage arising from a splash of chlorinating liquid or muriatic acid. Several of my grandies help me with testing at their pools, but I use a rule of one sibling at a time that's been a helpful rule. The keenest one will often have a friend over, and if they join me, she instructs the friend about being careful around chemicals. I love that :)
 
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