First Time Using TF-Pro Salt - Some Grey Matter in Pool

[bbdude]

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Hi All - Pool company opened my new pool (opened for a month in 2022) three weeks ago and I finally had a chance to use my new TF-Pro Salt with Smart Stir testing kit. Some grey matter on the bottom of the pool, which I assume could be dead algae? Pool company opened the pool three weeks ago with 2-3 gallons of liquid chlorine and a bottle of algaecide. Since then, we've had four (4) chlorine pucks (two (2) in each skimmer) since the pool is only 60F so SWG is not running. However, planning to start heating the pool Friday.

Water is clear and VSF pool pump running @ 2300 rpm from 8am - 8pm. Intellichlor at 50%, but not much happening here with the cooler pool temp. My numbers are kind of all over the place. FC seems okay, but the others are outside the recommended rangers per Pool Math.

Pool Math recommends adding below. Can I add everything at once? Is the 91lbs correct? With the amounts reflected below I'm looking at hundreds of dollars of chemicals

1. 4lbs of Dry Acid (lower PH and also should remediate TA)
2. 91lbs of Calcium Chloride (raise CH)
3. 8lbs of Dry Stabilizer (raise CYA)

Full test results:

FC - 4.5
CC - 0
TA - 130
CYA - 40
pH - 8.2
CH - 100
Salt - 2550

 

[PoolStored]

two (2) in each skimmer

Take the pucks out of the skimmer and put them in a floater if you are going to use pucks. They are very acidic and will damage skimmers and equipment. Even better, just use liquid chlorine. Pucks will be slow to raise CYA and FC.

Pool Math recommends adding below. Can I add everything at once? Is the 91lbs correct? With the amounts reflected below I'm looking at hundreds of dollars of chemicals

1. 4lbs of Dry Acid (lower PH and also should remediate TA)
2. 91lbs of Calcium Chloride (raise CH)
3. 8lbs of Dry Stabilizer (raise CYA)

Do not use dry acid. It adds sulfates. No bueno. Use muriatic acid please.

If you suspect algae (gray matter), you should also do this test before adding any CYA. Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

If you fail, then you need to SLAM. If you add the CYA, SLAM will be more difficult. Link-->SLAM Process

 

[bbdude]

Thanks, @PoolStored ! Would using Muriatic Acid instead of Dry Acid still follow the recommended 4lbs as outlined by Pool Math?

I'll remove the pucks tonight for the OCLT. Hopefully I don't fail

All the other chemicals are okay to be added all at once? I assume via skimmer basket? 91 pounds just seems like so much Calcium Chloride! Do you think the pool company should do this as part of opening or no?

 

[PoolStored]

Thanks, @PoolStored ! Would using Muriatic Acid instead of Dry Acid still follow the recommended 4lbs as outlined by Pool Math?

Enter muriatic into pool math and it will tell you how much.

I'll remove the pucks tonight for the OCLT. Hopefully I don't fail

All the other chemicals are okay to be added all at once? I assume via skimmer basket? 91 pounds just seems like so much Calcium Chloride! Do you think the pool company should do this as part of opening or no?

Read this...tells you what and how to add chemicals...

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

 

[bbdude]

Thank you, @PoolStored . So much to learn! I assume products like Clorox Chlorine Stabilizer is the 'same' as 'Dry Stabilizer'.

 

[reggiehammond]

Is there a reason you're running 2300 rpm for 12 hours? Most of us here run our VSP pumps slower - the slower you go, the VSP will use dramatically less electricity.

You want to run the pump for three reasons:
1) to satisfy the SWCG flow switch
2) to skim the pool
and 3) to filter debris

#3 is actually the least important, in my eyes. A good thing to try is lower RPM's until the SWCG flow switch reports no flow (usually around 1000-1200 rpm). Once you identify that threshold, add 200 rpm to the speed. See if the pool is skimming well - if not, report back.

I run my pool 24/7 ~1400 rpm's which consumes ~200 watts. I like that my SWCG is constantly making FC and the pool is always being skimmed (I have a lot of trees.)

 

[bbdude]

Thanks for chiming in, @reggiehammond ! There's a lot to learn and pump schedule was next on my list once I get the chemicals figured out. I'm kicking on the heat Thursday so will play with the pump this weekend and see how the SWCG reports back.

The debris in my pool right now is off the charts. Two full skimmers a day. The oak's flower buds are killing my pool haha. Did not consider this when I picked where my pool would be, but does offer nice shade in the summer months.

 

[reggiehammond]

I have a big mix of pecan, red oak and live oak trees. I am cleaning up leaves or pollen 7 months of the year!

Do you have a main drain? If so - you can close it (during non-debris seasons ~95%) forcing most of the flow to the skimmers.

 

[bbdude]

I have a big mix of pecan, red oak and live oak trees. I am cleaning up leaves or pollen 7 months of the year!

Do you have a main drain? If so - you can close it (during non-debris seasons ~95%) forcing most of the flow to the skimmers.

Yes I have a main brain. Fortunately, most the debris stays on the surface and makes its way to the skimmers. I vacuum once a week and it's not too bad. Dolphin is next on my list

 

[PoolStored]

Thank you, @PoolStored . So much to learn! I assume products like Clorox Chlorine Stabilizer is the 'same' as 'Dry Stabilizer'.

No worries. Yes, same.

 

[reggiehammond]

Yes I have a main brain.

 

[bbdude]

@reggiehammond - Good catch

@PoolStored - Good news .. ran the OCLT last night and there was no changes in the chlorine levels.

 

[PoolStored]

 

[BDY]

Do you have a hairnet or skimmer sock in the skimmers to help with the heavy debris season?

 

[bbdude]

Do you have a hairnet or skimmer sock in the skimmers to help with the heavy debris season?

I do not. Didn't know this was a thing! Something like this? I've been hand washing my skimmer baskets every day haha

 

[PoolStored]

Get these or something like it. They are disposable. The one you posted, you have to clean.

Amazon.com

 

[BDY]

I do not. Didn't know this was a thing! Something like this? I've been hand washing my skimmer baskets every day haha

I use a sock like that and it’s been great. But i only have to change mine once a week now - at high pollen season was every three days. If I had to change more often like
Some people here do 2-3x a day I’d use the hairnets.

I may switch to hairnets after my current pack is done.

Your basket may “float” with a sock in it with pump off so put a large rock in the basket (just larger than your drain pipe) on top of the sock to weigh it down

 

[bbdude]

Thank you, @PoolStored ! @BDY I am doing once a day but should probably do twice a day. It's awful.

 

[BDY]

A tip from other members on the site - if you have a spare basket you can just pop one out and put one in and then clean the dirty one at your leisure

 

[bbdude]

Hair nets working really well, thank you! Did another test today now that all the new chemicals arrived. What I found interesting is what the IC60 says and the Salt Test says are off considerably. Is this expected? IC60 says 2800, but salt test says 3600. I added two bags of salt based on what the IC60 said, not a test so it's no wonder the pool water tastes like salt. I won't make that mistake again. I now have the SWG set to 50%. Chlorine is thru the roof as well, but guessing this is because there's too much salt? Adding 4" of water water today so should come down overtime.

FC - 9.0 (up from 4.5)
TA - 130 (no change)
CYA - 40 (no change) ... adding stabilizer today.
pH - 8.2 (no change) ... adding Muriatic Acid today.
CH - 100 (no change) ... adding Calcium Chloride today.
Salt - 3600 (up from 2550)