first test results

[fortunate]

Months ago I bought a house with a pool. I've been letting the pool guy they were using do... whatever it is he does, I'm not 100% sure. He mainly vacuums and uses the net. He replaced the ball float auto filler that wasn't working (pool level fell below the skimmers). He throws a tablet of something in each of the two skimmers. I've not seen him doing any tests, though to be fair I haven't been watching him closely. I want to take over balancing the chemicals. I'll still probably have him vacuum, though maybe less often. He's been coming once/week.

I got a TF-Pro kit and did the tests today, results here:

PoolMath Logs

I used 2900 min, 3100 target, 3400 max for salt. Are those the right values?

How bad is it? What should I do from here? Which problems are most pressing and should be addressed first?

It's a 10,643 gallon plaster pool that is ~3 years old. It has a SWG (Autpilot PPC1 digital, 1.28lbs/day CH) and a DE filter (Hayward). It looks like this:


There's 2 Pentair pumps. They were both set to 3400rpm (max), but I've reduced them a lot after getting a high electricity bill. The pumps:

• Pump 1 is for return jets in the seating area on the right. I don't think these really do much. The pump runs at 1800rpm for 2 hours/day (when pump 2 is off).
• Pump 2 is for the return jets 1-3 and runs at 1800rpm for 6 hours and again later for 2 hours each day.
• There's a third, different kind of pump for making bubbles in the seating area, but it's very loud and I never use it.

Jets 2 and 3 are directly across from the skimmers. I thought it wasn't great to shoot clean water directly into the skimmers, so I put a PoolSkim on jets 2 and 3. Those do skimming and they direct the water down the side of the pool, toward the seating area, so now jets 1-3 all shoot toward the seating area. Since doing that (and fixing the auto filler), the pool has been very clean. Another reason the pool guy doesn't need to vacuum once/week!

What do you think about the pump speeds and schedules?

Lastly, one of the 3 pool lights stopped working. On the back it says Hayward LPLUS11100, so it appears to be a "Colorlogic":

I found this Pool Tone light that seems more reasonably priced than most. Will the transformer/etc work with the new light if I just replace the broken one with this? I understand the wire comes in a specific length, so I guess I'll have to pull a new wire all the way to the pool equipment? That sounds like a nightmare, maybe the pool guy can do it.

I wonder if I should replace all 3 lights at once? Else the trims won't match. There are 2 big lights and 1 smaller (~6") light.

That's everything! Any advice at all is appreciated. This is my first pool, so it's all new to me!

 

[Newdude]

Holy COW, what an entrance!!! Well DONE !!

Overall you're sitting pretty. CYA rounds up because the scale is logarithmic and not linear like our brains want it to be. A 31-39 is a 40 (etc, etc). As such save yourself the headache deciphering and only fill to the 10s. It's much easier to know it's not a 30 or 50. The test can be +/- 10 with no harm. But the googly eye will still laugh at you tho.

Follow the FC/CYA Levels and never approach minimum. There is leeway above target all the way to SLAM level (40% of your CYA), and very little leeway below target. So if your going to goof, goof 'high'.

Your salt plan is good. The test has a wide variance and if your anywhere in range and the cell is working, let it be. You can drive yourself nuts micromanaging the salt. The cells test is off by even more, so use the k1766 to adjust if the cell complains.

Manage the PH in the high 7s, and the TA will slowly come down the last bit and settle where it wants to be stable.

The calcium is fine for a modern fiberglass shell.

The pumps only need to run to perform a function. Find the lowest RPM that skims and activates the SWG and add 100 RPM to accommodate the filter getting dirty over time. That's your operating speed, likely in the low 1000s. You'll sip energy running there.

With a SWG, the amount of time needed to produce enough FC to match the daily loss will usually be enough skimming and filtering. Filtering and skimming are a moving target that change throughout the season based on incoming debris. As long as the water is stupid clear, you're filtering enough.

 

[fortunate]

Thanks!

Noted about CYA being logarithmic. It's an interesting test. First I couldn't find the tube and thought it wasn't included. Then I was wondering how the clear water was ever going to obscure the googly eye! Makes sense now though.

So my CYA determines the target FC. My next step is to add CYA. Cool!

The calcium is fine for a modern fiberglass shell.

Do I have a fiberglass shell? All I know is the pool is plaster. Showing I'm a noob here, but that's no surprise!

Last I talked to my pool guy, he said 1800rpm is the lowest I should go because of the filter. Is he talking nonsense? The filter is a Hayward DE4820. It's not terribly strong at 1800rpm, but is skimming. I'll play around and see how low I can go before skimming stops. The water has been very clear.

I adjusted the pump schedule so one runs for 6 hours and the other 1 hour.

Should I let the pool guy put the tablets in the skimmers? I need to ask him WTH that even is.

Any advice on the light replacement? Is that something a pool guy typically can handle?

 

[Newdude]

So my CYA determines the target FC

That's entirely 'it'. Keep yourself in or above target at all times and we will never discuss your swamp. What could be simpler ?

guess I'll add liquid CYA. Cool!

Liquid CYA is difficult when not using the full gallon. The clumpy stuff at the bottom is the bulk of the goods and most of what pours out is water, so half a jug rarely equates as you'd expect. Shake the bejezus out of it if you're using it and verify you reached the target a day later.

Do I have a fiberglass shell? All I know is the pool is plaster. Showing I'm a noob here, but that's no surprise!

Nope !!! That was my goof. You said it was plaster too close to the pretty picture which looked fiberglass-y. Reading.....reading......reading.... Ooooooooh pretttttttty.

What's the CH of your fill water ? If its low, you'll want to add CH to get in range. With high CH fill water, it will get there quickly on its own and prolong the next drain to lower it.

Last I talked to my pool guy, he said 1800rpm is the lowest I should go because of the filter. Is he talking nonsense?

Not only nonsense, but hogwash also. If water is going through the filter, it's filtering. Now, we can argue that more volume filters the same water in less time, but more volume gets expensive quick. I can run my pump 24/7 for what it costs for a couple hours of higher RPMs a day.

Should I let the pool guy put the tablets in the skimmers? I need to ask him WTH that even is.

Chlorine pucks that are slow dissolving so you don't have to add bleach everyday. They are awsome for ease of use, but are stabilized with CYA and each 'puck' raises your CYA with it. Then you need more FC for more CYA, per the chart as you now know. It becomes unmanagable quickly. Liquid chlorine is the way to go to save long term headaches.

Any advice on the light replacement? Is that something a pool guy typically can handle?

Typically the problem is the light or the wire attached to it and a pool guy can handle the replacement. If it's more complicated than that you may need an electrician.

 

[mknauss]

Should I let the pool guy put the tablets in the skimmers? I need to ask him WTH that even is

No. Tablets are very acidic. They can damage the skimmer and equipment downstream. You have a SWCG. There is no need for tablets. The pool maintenance person is lazy.

 

[Newdude]

*edit. I forgot about the SWG. You're sitting pretty with that. Carry on.

 

[fortunate]

What's the CH of your fill water ? If its low, you'll want to add CH to get in range. With high CH fill water, it will get there quickly on its own and prolong the next drain to lower it.

Good question. Now that I think about it, I have a water softener (and 20 + 10 micron filters) where the water mains comes in from the street. I'm pretty sure that means the auto filler is using my nice, soft water. Is that common? I guess it'll mean my softener will go through salt faster than otherwise. I don't think it's fixable, as the auto filler is on the other side of the house from the softener.

Since the fill water CH is low, I'll work on getting CH in range. Cheers! How dumb is it to remove CH from the water, put it in the pool, then add the CH back, uhg.

I don't have any insight into how much fill water is being used. If the pool ever had a leak, I'd be unknowningly filling and filling. I've read the way to check is turn off auto fill and sit a bucket in the pool (I have 10" shallows), where the bucket has the same level as the pool. Wait a day, then see if the bucket and pool still match. Is that how you guys would check?

Re: lights, yesterday the second big light started blinking. What junk! They are only 3 years old and seldom used. In fact I regretted turning them on before a swim, as it made tons of bugs dive bomb the water -- nasty. If I never plan to use the stupid lights, then I suppose I don't need to go to the trouble of replacing them!

Re: tablets, got it. I'll have him stop with those and I'll monitor and adjust chemicals myself.

Re: CYA, powder CYA is easier to source, so I'll use that.

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Newdude]

Since the fill water CH is low, I'll work on getting CH in range. Cheers! How dumb is it to remove CH from the water, put it in the pool, then add the CH back, uhg.

Lol. If it ain't one thing, it's another tho. So there IS that.

Is that how you guys would check?

If you ever have reason to suspect as much. You'll see the chemicals lowering from the extra fill water. Regular testing is the key on SO many levels. It will give you plenty of red flags before the bigger issues arise 9 times out of 10.

If I never plan to use the stupid lights, then I suppose I don't need to go to the trouble of replacing them!

I just built my 2nd pool and we again chose function over form with a boring old skool light. We rarely sat out there if we weren't swimming at night and if we DID, it was bug city with the lights on so we were moonlight only.

I absolutely LOVE all the pics of the colored pools at night, but it wasn't for us.

Thanks again for all the help!

Please ask away at ANY time, big or small. If you do something you are unsure of, you may create multiple problems for us to help with. It's far preferred for all parties that you ask a silly question and we all laugh at it. We'll laugh *with* you, not *at* you. Promise.

 

[DrewLG]

Re: tablets, got it. I'll have him stop with those and I'll monitor and adjust chemicals myself.

That's a good idea just on general principles, but it WOULD be nice to know what exactly he was throwing into the skimmers. Because he's been adding two of them every week for months and months, right? If they were Trichlor (stabilized chlorine), which is what everyone seems to be assuming, each pair would have added 6-7 ppm of CYA to the pool. And since CYA dissipates very slowly (a few ppm per month, and then only in hot weather), your pool would be expected to have a high concentration of CYA by now.

But your CYA is low, at only 40ppm. So either the tablets aren't Trichlor or you have a leak.