Former Wholesale Pool Store Owner - 17 yrs

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L

Lopaka2nd

Member
Feb 23, 2021
6
Sarasota, Florida
Pool Size
12000
Surface
Plaster
My wife and I had a Wholesale Pool Supply Store in So. Ca for 17 yrs. We only sold to “Pool Guys or Girls” and not home owners so as not to compete with our customers just like SCP.

We sold our store in December 2014 to a Pool Guy. So we are rusty to say the least. Plus we are living in different area Sarasota, Fl

We have a small pool (12,000 gals) with a waterfall and two large vases which make nice water fall action. It really aerates the water.
We have an in-line tab feeder, an in-line ozone generator, and an in-line UV unit. We ordered this when Pool was built to hopefully minimize the need for chlorine, I am guessing some of the ozone may be depleted due to 3 waterfalls although they are small and only a few feet high. I think UV still helps even though outdoor pool.

We want to end pool service to save money being retired.

Even with service some of my numbers look a little off. Chlorine 5-10 ppm HIGH, Ph 8.2 High, Total Alkalinity 90 ppm Ok on low side. Pool guy probably using too many tabs....easy fix.

I am worried that by bringing down my Ph that The Total Alkalinity will get too low. Does all the rain in Florida push Total Alkalinity lower? If that is factor, bring down the Ph while trying to keep TA between 80 - 120 will always be a problem!
Thanks for any ideas.

PS. I am a little afraid of cancelling pool service then screwing up and getting too much scale or something I cannot fix!
 
L,

I moved your post so that you can get some better answers..

You will find that we are much different than most pool websites.. As an example.. you think that a chlorine level of 5-10 is "High" and while that might be true, but it could be way low depending on your CYA level which you did not report.

We do not believe that chlorine is "bad" In general, too little chlorine is worse than too much chlorine.

Welcome to TFP.. I think you will find that our way is a much better way than you are used to using..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Hey Lopaka and Welcome !! There is ALOT to unpack there so allow us some time to hit all the points.

In a nutshell, the industry and their standards have not kept up with modern science. Imagine going to the DR today and being treated like it was 1970. The government guidelines which the industry use have not been updated since the 80s. Let that sink in for a moment. They are slowly changing, but it’s slooooooooooow with many o’s. :)

UV and ozone were in fact forward thinking but time and time again have proven to add nothing but big profits for the pool stores. The notion of needing less chlorine only holds true for whatever water happens to be in the chamber that instance. 99.99999999999% of the pool stays untouched with zero residual sanitizer. Not only algae, but bacteria, viruses and other pathogens can flourish if you don’t add the normal amount of chlorine. If you have to completely treat the pool like you don’t have UV/Ozone, why even bother with them ? Anywho there’s a lot more to discuss but for now just a big Welcome and we will get to the rest soon.

For starters, ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry gets you moving on your new / re-education
 
Thanks you guys, I am looking for a good and recent book on water chemistry. I thought that the UV and Ozone would lower my chlorine need, but I guess I was snookered. Tough building a pool 2,600 miles away in Ca.

The builders of said pool are the same people who have been maintaining my pool since September 30. I hired them as my pool service when I moved in to new home.

I just tested my water chemistry this AM for the first time using AquaCheck Silver (7 in 1). I was shocked

Total Hardness. 1,000 ppm
Total Chlorine. 5 ppm
Free Chlorine. 5 ppm
Ph. 7.8
Total Alkalinity. 120
Cyanuric Acid. 150

The TH and Cyan Acid just shocked the Crud out of me. I hope it is wrong!!!! We have not ever even used the pool or hot tub. Too busy getting settled since we lived in previous home for 34 yrs.

What’s worse is I believe that the pool builder did not put in a drain to the sewer. The only option is drain to retaining lake against HOA regulations.
BTW, the New home Builder demanded that I only use this one pool builder when home was being built. Now HOA can fine me for discharging chlorinated water into the lake.

You would have to dechlorinate the water, I forget the chemical which does that. God I hope I don’t have to get a lawyer over building a pool with no drainage except to prohibited lake. Almost wish we didn’t put in pool.
Bob
 
Prior to jumping to conclusions on the chemistry, get a proper test kit as shown above. The 'guess' strips are just that, a guess.

I suppose you have a cartridge filter, correct? Please fill out your signature with your pool details. Most cartridge filter systems do not have a drain to waste. You can use a sump pump to your sewer cleanout to drain/exchange water, if needed.
 
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Lopaka2nd said:
I just tested my water chemistry this AM for the first time using AquaCheck Silver (7 in 1). I was shocked
Click to expand...

Bob,

We are not shocked, surprised, or even a little taken aback... :mrgreen: Sounds like a normal pool taken care of by people that don't own it.. :rolleyes:

You should have a sewer clean out somewhere, just use a sump-pump and run the discharge to there.. No reason to dump it in the lake.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
I tried updating my stats but said too long.
Will try again. It is PentairClean & Clear cartridge.

The whole system is Pentair: gas heater, variable speed pump, some new control panel which works by phone app.

Maybe I’ll buy a Taylor Test kit
 

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You've been "pool-stored"! Ha ha just kidding but you are in good hands with this site which uses science and common sense to maintain crystal clear, clean and sanitary water to swim in. You will find most of the products you sold when you had your pool store are not only unnecessary but in some cases damaging and counter-productive in proper pool care. I am very happy to see that you are receptive to Trouble-free pool care!
 
Thanks you guys.
I know test strips are not optimal, but a lot of our customers relied on AquaCheck Silver.
Today I tested our tap water.

TH 100 ppm
TCL 3 ppm
Free Cl. 0 ppm
Ph. 6.8
TA. 40 ppm
CyA. 0 ppm

In my pool I have: TH 1,000, and CyA 150. My TCL and Free CL are both 5.

Questions:
1) This pool was built new and started 9/1/2020.
Could the 1,000 TH be from a bad startup?
Tap H2O is only 100 so it must have come
The plaster.
2) Should I demand TH be reduced by Builder/Pool Service? I am afraid of calcium buildup on tiles. But the water after 6 months is clear.

3) The CyA is 150. Should I demand they reduce that? Supposedly this can affect CL ability. Yet my Total CL and free CL are both 5. Maybe because we have never used pool/spa in 6 months. (That will change)

At this point I am really concerned re 1,000 TH and 150 CyA.

Any ideas would greatly be appreciated.
I read it takes 8-10 months for plaster to totally cure. I would not fire pool service before that, and before they fix TH and CYA.

I am doubting everything I thought I knew and my ability to handle this small pool by myself. I think they are using in line tab feeder exclusively which might explain extremely high CYA.
 
Lopaka2nd said:
Thanks you guys.
I know test strips are not optimal, but a lot of our customers relied on AquaCheck Silver.
Today I tested our tap water.

TH 100 ppm
TCL 3 ppm
Free Cl. 0 ppm
Ph. 6.8
TA. 40 ppm
CyA. 0 ppm

In my pool I have: TH 1,000, and CyA 150. My TCL and Free CL are both 5.

Questions:
1) This pool was built new and started 9/1/2020.
Could the 1,000 TH be from a bad startup?
Tap H2O is only 100 so it must have come
The plaster.
2) Should I demand TH be reduced by Builder/Pool Service? I am afraid of calcium buildup on tiles. But the water after 6 months is clear.

3) The CyA is 150. Should I demand they reduce that? Supposedly this can affect CL ability. Yet my Total CL and free CL are both 5. Maybe because we have never used pool/spa in 6 months. (That will change)

At this point I am really concerned re 1,000 TH and 150 CyA.

Any ideas would greatly be appreciated.
I read it takes 8-10 months for plaster to totally cure. I would not fire pool service before that, and before they fix TH and CYA.

I am doubting everything I thought I knew and my ability to handle this small pool by myself. I think they are using in line tab feeder exclusively which might explain extremely high CYA.
Click to expand...

total hardness is an unimportant number that is not considered in the TFP care methodology. You also need a PROPER test kit. Guess strips are not anywhere near "proper". In fact, probably the most inaccurate of all the testing methods.
 
Lopaka2nd said:
I think they are using in line tab feeder exclusively which might explain extremely high CYA.
Click to expand...
While it is high it’s actually pretty low compared to a lot of folks that find us. If the test is to be trusted, imagine how high it would be after several years of the service.

But first things first. Get a reliable test kit and we can teach you the rest with minimal effort and expense on your part.
 
Honestly, you will be hard pressed to find anyone to provide guideance if you are posting results from guess strips. No matter what you used to use when you owned a pool store, having a good test kit is paramount. Either the TF-100 or K2006C ('C' is important) are the ones recommended - the TF-100 is the best bang for the buck.

While you may think a testkit at $70+ is a bit over the top - think about how much you spend per month on a pool service for less than a stellar outcome. For 5-10 minutes every day or every other day, you can have a clear troublefree pool at a much lower cost than you presently have.

As for your pool info in your signature, have a look at my and other signatures for examples. Keep it brief and factual.
 
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I ordered a Taylor K2005C, but have not received it. I am telling service to switch to liquid chlorine instead of tab feeder since CYA is 150.

They admit Ca leaching from new plaster is culprit. They will replace some water to balance chems. I know new plaster takes 8-10 months to totally cure(mine 6 mo old) so I hope majority of leaching is done.

Will look at signature again
 
Lopaka2nd said:
I ordered a Taylor K2005C, but have not received it. I am telling service to switch to liquid chlorine instead of tab feeder since CYA is 150.

They admit Ca leaching from new plaster is culprit. They will replace some water to balance chems. I know new plaster takes 8-10 months to totally cure(mine 6 mo old) so I hope majority of leaching is done.

Will look at signature again
Click to expand...

Here is a link to proper levels - What Are My Ideal Pool Levels? - Trouble Free Pool

Here is a link to your signature line - https://www.troublefreepool.com/account/signature
 
Lopaka2nd said:
I ordered a Taylor K2005C, but have not received it. I am telling service to switch to liquid chlorine instead of tab feeder since CYA is 150.

They admit Ca leaching from new plaster is culprit. They will replace some water to balance chems. I know new plaster takes 8-10 months to totally cure(mine 6 mo old) so I hope majority of leaching is done.

Will look at signature again
Click to expand...

The K2005 testkit is missing the all important FAS-DPD test. Either cancel that order and reorder a K2006C or TF-100. Or keep the K2005 and also order a K1515 FAS-DPD kit. The K2005 will only measure FC to 5 (or maybe 10?) ppm. The K2006C or TF-100 will measure up to 50 ppm.

If your CYA is really 150, you will need to drain at least 50% if you have a SWG or 70% if using liquid chlorine.

If you are serious about taking over the care of your pool......
ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
PoolMath
FC/CYA Levels
 
Lopaka2nd said:
I ordered a Taylor K2005C, but have not received it. I am telling service to switch to liquid chlorine instead of tab feeder since CYA is 150.

They admit Ca leaching from new plaster is culprit. They will replace some water to balance chems. I know new plaster takes 8-10 months to totally cure(mine 6 mo old) so I hope majority of leaching is done.

Will look at signature again
Click to expand...

Yeh, hopefully that’s a typo and it’s a K2006C (with a 6) that you ordered. Think about the speedstir and sample sizer. I had to pay a premium to get my speedstir but it was worth every penny.

Why am I not surprised that they admit to Ca leaching, something they think they cant be blamed for. Ca leaching would only occur if the CSI was out of wack which would be their fault. I would suggest someone has over dosed with calcium chloride or cal hypo.

Having said that it would be best to wait till you get your new kit and get more accurate results for both CH and CYA. TH is CH + magnesium hardness so your CH should be lower than your current TH.

If your CYA is 90ppm or above you will need to do a dilution test for your CYA by diluting your sample with 50% tap water and then x’s the result by 2.
 
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