Fist time posting! Help with chemicals!

[3kidsAndAPool]

I was hoping someone would take a look at my log and let me know if everything is good. This is our first pool and second season. I want to try the BBB method and I’m hoping to get good results! Everything went fairly well last year, but towards the end of the season I had some trouble with slightly hazy water. You could really only tell at night and near the pool light. Tired of spending so much money at the pool store for all the gimmicks, that didn’t work at all..We got suckered into the UV/Ozone system, but I don’t believe I’ve had any trouble with it? I like the idea of maintaining a lower chlorine level. Is that possible with the BBB method? I shocked my pool with liquid chlorine last Wednesday, and stopped using the pucks. Any help or advice would be appreciated! I think I added my pool link, but if not, please tell me how. Thanks!

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Your PoolMath log is not visible to us.

Press the hamburger menu in the upper right. Then scroll down to Sharing and toggle on "Link from Troublefreepool.com user profile"

I suggest you read ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

TFPC methods are not about maintaining a lower chlorine level but about maintaining the correct chlorine level for your CYA level. We follow the FC/CYA Levels for that.

You should also look at Recommended Levels

 

[3kidsAndAPool]

PoolMath Logs

Please let me know if this link works! I think I have read all of your suggested links. I’m just a little intimidated and don’t want to mess anything up! Thanks for the quick response!

 

[ajw22]

Your water chemistry looks fine.

Your CYA is 40. If the dot disappears between 40 and 30 we round up and call it 40. You cannot eyeball values in between the lines since the scale is logarithmic, not linear.

If you can turn off your UV/Ozone then do it. It is causing your FC to drop quicker then it naturally would and causing you to add more chlorine then necessary.

Ozone Systems - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

UV Systems - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[3kidsAndAPool]

That makes sense about rounding up. It was pretty smack dab in between the 30 and 40, so I just went with 35. I will definitely check into turning off the UV/Ozone and read the links you provided! If my FC is at 6 now, should I wait to add more liquid chlorine tomorrow evening? I used the inline chlorinator and tabs last year, so I only had to add more when it got low. Thanks!

 

[3kidsAndAPool]

Also, I’m unsure of the actual gallons of water my pool holds. The online calculators tell me about 27,000, but the pool store I went to last week said 23478 since the side of the deep end have angles to them? My PB never really said. It’s 20x40 with 3.5 shallow end and 5.5 deep end. Any suggestions on how to get it right?

 

[ajw22]

That makes sense about rounding up. It was pretty smack dab in between the 30 and 40, so I just went with 35. I will definitely check into turning off the UV/Ozone and read the links you provided! If my FC is at 6 now, should I wait to add more liquid chlorine tomorrow evening? I used the inline chlorinator and tabs last year, so I only had to add more when it got low. Thanks!

Test FC daily using your K-2006 and add some liquid chlorine to get it back up to 6. Your pool will need some liquid chlorine every day as we get into the summer.

 

[ajw22]

Also, I’m unsure of the actual gallons of water my pool holds. The online calculators tell me about 27,000, but the pool store I went to last week said 23478 since the side of the deep end have angles to them? My PB never really said. It’s 20x40 with 3.5 shallow end and 5.5 deep end. Any suggestions on how to get it right?

You can see how adding chlorine or acid changes the test compared to what PoolMath predicts. Test 30 minutes after adding the chemical. Adjust your pool volume until PoolMath pretty much agreed with your testing.

Or you can be more of a mad chemist and do this ...

A Chemical Way of Calculating Pool Volume

There is a way to use pool water chemistry to calculate pool water volume without using the traditional geometric calculations. The geometric formulas are fine for pools that are traditionally shaped. However, when pools do not fall into these convenient shapes, a chemical method can be used...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[3kidsAndAPool]

You can see how adding chlorine or acid changes the test compared to what PoolMath predicts. Test 30 minutes after adding the chemical. Adjust your pool volume until PoolMath pretty much agreed with your testing.

Or you can be more of a mad chemist and do this ...

A Chemical Way of Calculating Pool Volume

There is a way to use pool water chemistry to calculate pool water volume without using the traditional geometric calculations. The geometric formulas are fine for pools that are traditionally shaped. However, when pools do not fall into these convenient shapes, a chemical method can be used...

www.troublefreepool.com

I will give all of that a try!! Thank you so much! I’m sure I’ll be back with many more questions! Lol

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Hiya 3Kids, I am glad to hear you're gonna skip out on those Pool Store trips- who wants to spend all that money and drag 3 kids along for the ride anyway?? Ugh.

If you're going to use Liquid Chlorine to sanitize your pool, you need to find a good source for it at a price you like. Remember to check for freshness by looking at the date code on it- its Julian dated with year and day of the year. It should look something like "21105" which was just the other day. Try not to buy it if its over 3 months old... it weakens over time. Use PoolMath to help you find the best price per ounce of x %.

Good places to find Liquid Chlorine are- Walmart's pool section- $3.87 or so for Pool Essentials 10%; ask if they sell it at your local pool store in refillable jugs?; Tractor & Feed Stores often sell it for farm use; Cleaning supply companies may sell it to you. Find the place for you and go ahead and buy about 10 jugs to get you settled in. Store them out of the sun, in as cool a place as possible. Sun and heat weaken chlorine.

What you want to do is follow the CYA/FC guide- FC/CYA Levels

We'd love to see a picture of your pool if you can

Maddie

 

[3kidsAndAPool]

Hiya 3Kids, I am glad to hear you're gonna skip out on those Pool Store trips- who wants to spend all that money and drag 3 kids along for the ride anyway?? Ugh.

If you're going to use Liquid Chlorine to sanitize your pool, you need to find a good source for it at a price you like. Remember to check for freshness by looking at the date code on it- its Julian dated with year and day of the year. It should look something like "21105" which was just the other day. Try not to buy it if its over 3 months old... it weakens over time. Use PoolMath to help you find the best price per ounce of x %.

Good places to find Liquid Chlorine are- Walmart's pool section- $3.87 or so for Pool Essentials 10%; ask if they sell it at your local pool store in refillable jugs?; Tractor & Feed Stores often sell it for farm use; Cleaning supply companies may sell it to you. Find the place for you and go ahead and buy about 10 jugs to get you settled in. Store them out of the sun, in as cool a place as possible. Sun and heat weaken chlorine.

What you want to do is follow the CYA/FC guide- FC/CYA Levels

We'd love to see a picture of your pool if you can

Maddie

Thank you so much for all the info on chlorine! I will check out all of those places and see where I can get the better deal. That is also good to know about the exp date, because I had no idea! I’m going to try to post pics of the pool. I’ve also tried linking my logs to my profile but it doesn’t seem to show? I toggled the sharing switch on and it shows a link, but I don’t think it attached. Any advice?

 

[3kidsAndAPool]

Thank you so much for all the info on chlorine! I will check out all of those places and see where I can get the better deal. That is also good to know about the exp date, because I had no idea! I’m going to try to post pics of the pool. I’ve also tried linking my logs to my profile but it doesn’t seem to show? I toggled the sharing switch on and it shows a link, but I don’t think it attached. Any advice?View attachment 324417

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Not to worry-signature line shows up Pics are GORGEOUS! What a nice open view.

Maddie

 

[Newdude]

towards the end of the season I had some trouble with slightly hazy water. You could really only tell at night and near the pool light

Want an instant, non-scientific, but still glaringly obvious spotlight as a quick check ? Flip on that 500W issue finding monster. The size of the fireball that ensues will be your guide. With big problems the fireball will be, Well, big seen here.

As you regain control it will shrink accordingly



and end up with no fireball tail at all


the last pic doesn’t do it justice of course, but in person it was a clear/white illumination instead of the yellow extruding fireball.

With experience of knowing your pool you can use it as a quick backup between tests. Now, it certainly won’t tell you if it’s pollen or algae, but it will definitely tip you off to explore further anytime it’s not obnoxiously clear in color.

My pool light was my first line of defense, usually several days before the pool lost its sparkle during the day.

 

[3kidsAndAPool]

Yesss

Want an instant, non-scientific, but still glaringly obvious spotlight as a quick check ? Flip on that 500W issue finding monster. The size of the fireball that ensues will be your guide. With big problems the fireball will be, Well, big seen here. View attachment 324441

As you regain control it will shrink accordingly

View attachment 324443

and end up with no fireball tail at all
View attachment 324444

the last pic doesn’t do it justice of course, but in person it was a clear/white illumination instead of the yellow extruding fireball.

With experience of knowing your pool you can use it as a quick backup between tests. Now, it certainly won’t tell you if it’s pollen or algae, but it will definitely tip you off to explore further anytime it’s not obnoxiously clear in color.

My pool light was my first line of defense, usually several days before the pool lost its sparkle during the day.

Yessss! That’s how I knew something was slightly off last summer! The water looked clear until that light flipped on at night. The fireball wasn’t huge, but I could see that it was hazy around the light. No amount of clarifier or other Crud the pool store sold me would get rid of it for long. I’m now thinking it was the cya/FC ratio. I had no idea about all of that until I found this site! I was using pucks and still trying to keep the FC low because of our UV/ozone system. I also relied on pool store testing and test strips only. I’m loving this new test kit!!

 

[3kidsAndAPool]

Not to worry-signature line shows up Pics are GORGEOUS! What a nice open view.

Maddie

Thank you! We love the view out here!

 

[Newdude]

I’m loving this new test kit!!

Rely on your reliable test kit !!! Feel free to spot check it with the pool light.