Grateful First-Time Pool Owner

[jballer]

Hi TFP - thanks for your wealth of guidance. Bought a house and inherited a pool built in 2014, and I'm now a year into self-maintaining with the help of Pool Math and an initial SLAM.

Some of the things on the list that I haven't tackled and would be good to know if they're urgent:
- Haven't done anything with the heater. It sounds like I should descale annually? Is it worthwhile to aggressively bypass it when not heating? When adding chemicals?
- Calcium level is getting high (550+). Utility has pretty hard water, do people hire tankers for refilling? I'm on septic and along a ravine, I figure I just run a hose and let it run down into the trees?
- Apparent leaks and algae growth around the base of spa spillover waterfall.
- Spa return jets still bubble a bit while the air blower is off
- Limestone coping is eroding in spots, unsure whether it's worth trying to fill+seal

Regards,

Jon

20k-gal + 1k-gal spillover spa
Controller: Pentair EasyTouch
Filter: Hayward C5030 with cartridges
Heater: Hayward H400
Outskirts of Austin, TX

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

- Haven't done anything with the heater. It sounds like I should descale annually?

Nope. We don’t recommend that.

Any indication your heater is scaled up?

Is it worthwhile to aggressively bypass it when not heating?

Bypassing the heater can let the pump be more efficient.

Heater Bypass - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

When adding chemicals?

Nope.

Not unless you are doing something unusual like lowering pH below 7.

- Calcium level is getting high (550+). Utility has pretty hard water, do people hire tankers for refilling?

Depends on your options for fill water.

I'm on septic and along a ravine, I figure I just run a hose and let it run down into the trees?

That is fine as long as your jurisdiction has no regulations against it.

- Apparent leaks and algae growth around the base of spa spillover waterfall.

Can your pool pass a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test? If not you need to follow the SLAM Process.

Post pics of the spa leak areas if you want to discuss repairs.

- Spa return jets still bubble a bit while the air blower is off

That can be normal.

- Limestone coping is eroding in spots, unsure whether it's worth trying to fill+seal

Probably low quality limestone.

 

[PoolStored]

- Haven't done anything with the heater. It sounds like I should descale annually? Is it worthwhile to aggressively bypass it when not heating? When adding chemicals?

Where are those sounds coming from? Why do you think you need to descale. Have you seen scale?
If you get your CH down and run your CSI negative, it should not scale.
You should bypass when not heating.
Depends on where you are adding chemicals. What chemicals are you concerned about and where are you adding?

- Calcium level is getting high (550+). Utility has pretty hard water, do people hire tankers for refilling? I'm on septic and along a ravine, I figure I just run a hose and let it run down into the trees?

Check the tanker water source...ask them for calcium content, iron content and copper content. Hose would be fine if the are can handle that amount of water.

- Apparent leaks and algae growth around the base of spa spillover waterfall.

Get some chlorinated water on the spillover.

- Spa return jets still bubble a bit while the air blower is off
- Limestone coping is eroding in spots, unsure whether it's worth trying to fill+seal

Can't comment.


Please post a full set of test results.

 

[jballer]

Thanks for the feedback!

Please post a full set of test results.

Whoops -
FC 4.8
CC ≤0.2
pH 7.7
TA 80
CYA 30
CH 575
Temp 79F
CSI 0.32

Any indication your heater is scaled up?

Why do you think you need to descale. Have you seen scale?

I have no reason to suspect heater scaling, aside from some waterline buildup, and the fact that my domestic water fixtures and tankless heaters get mineral scale. The heater's manual mentions annual maintenance and exchanger cleaning; I had assumed that included descaling.

Post pics of the spa leak areas if you want to discuss repairs.

Here you can see the buildup and moisture in the coping and flagstone adjacent to the spillway, along with some mineral buildup at the waterline.

Get some chlorinated water on the spillover.

As you can see in this more recent pic, neither the growth nor the moisture is quite so bad as when I started. But I don't think I've fully addressed it. All I've done is scrub it, maintain FC ≥ 3 (with occasional dropoffs), and lower the pump speed. (I run it 24x7, but keep it quite low.)

Can your pool pass a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test? If not you need to follow the SLAM Process.

I'll probably SLAM again now that we're back in the hot season. I lost track of how quickly I was losing FC and hit 0 in one of my tests.

If you get your CH down and run your CSI negative, it should not scale.

Thanks, I'll target a lower CSI and prioritize a water change.

What chemicals are you concerned about and where are you adding?

Muriatic acid freaks me out!

 

[PoolStored]

maintain FC ≥ 3 (with occasional dropoffs)

Yeah, too low. I also think your CYA is really low for TX, after SLAM, raise your CYA to 60.

Muriatic acid freaks me out!

Don't be afraid of MA. Be respectful. Wear eye protection, pour slowly in front of a return. If you get some on you, just dunk in the pool. No worries.

 

[jballer]

Yeah, too low. I also think your CYA is really low for TX, after SLAM, raise your CYA to 60.

Yeah it was closer to 60 when I started out, and I didn't mind it during the colder months when FC held easily. Think I can get there by loading my inline feeder with pucks? I usually chlorinate with 10% bleach from Home Depot, but inherited a bucket full of pucks with the pool and held onto them for the CYA.

Don't be afraid of MA. Be respectful. Wear eye protection, pour slowly in front of a return. If you get some on you, just dunk in the pool. No worries.

Thanks - I have gotten more comfortable with it. I pre-dilute pouring 4oz into a cup of 12oz pool water, then pour that in front of a return that pushes across the deep end. Just didn't know if I should worry about it eating up the exchanger while it's circulating at a higher concentration.

 

[PoolStored]

Think I can get there by loading my inline feeder with pucks? I usually chlorinate with 10% bleach from Home Depot, but inherited a bucket full of pucks with the pool and held onto them for the CYA.

No. If you are worried about the heater, the quickest way to kill a heater is a puck chlorinator. I don't care if you have a check valve.
I would recommend that you get an SWG and replace the puck chlorinator. Will be much cheaper to chlorinate.

I pre-dilute pouring 4oz into a cup of 12oz pool water, then pour that in front of a return that pushes across the deep end. Just didn't know if I should worry about it eating up the exchanger while it's circulating at a higher concentration.

We recommend reducing the number of times you handle MA. It is safer to do it once. Less risk. Just lower the jug down to the pool surface, allow it to "float" on the surface. This will support it so that you are bearing the weight, then just pour out "about 4 ounces." No need to be precise. You will get good at pouring out 4oz, once and done. In front of a return, pool buffering is so quick, it will never get to the heater. Your chlorinator is 100,000x more likely to damage your heater.