Greetings from California

[ChrisA76]

Hi all, after some issues communicating with my chem and basket guy over the last year and a half, I decided to do weekly pool maintenance.

No disrespect to the people who have been doing this for years or decades, but I figured I could quickly get up to speed enough to do it myself and then learn as I go. I realized there are going to be things I don't know, but I was ready to do it.

So I spent the last three weeks reading up and devouring as much information as I can about the care of my 14,400 gallon salt water pool, from blogs, YouTube channels, a few books, and then also going back and forth with my own Taylor test kit as well as getting readings from Leslie's pools. With the help of Leslie's I solved a pretty serious algae problem and since then I've been keeping the chemicals pretty well balanced.

I joined the forum because I still have some doubts about CYA levels and how I'm going handle the chlorine generation from my SWG once it's summer.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Chris,

Welcome to TFP, but I really doubt that Leslie's has done anything to get rid of your algae.

I'm sure they helped you to make it less visible, by having you add a ton of stuff to your pool that just keeps algae at bay, but does not really kill it.

Let me guess, they still are having you add weekly bags of "shock" and plenty of FosFree, plus other pool store magic potions.

If you really want a dirt simple way to maintain your pool, then our TFP pool care program is for you. The problem is you need to erase everything that you think you have learned about pool care and start over. You can't combine our pool care process with what you learned at Leslie's or Facebook or any other process and make it work.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Welcome to TFP, Chris

Sounds like you know what you want to do. We can help you if questions arise.
Have you read this? --> Pool Care Basics

Some SWG info --> SWG How It Works - Further Reading

SWG Generation Cycle Times - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Maddie

 

[ChrisA76]

Welcome to TFP, Chris

Sounds like you know what you want to do. We can help you if questions arise.
Have you read this? --> Pool Care Basics

Some SWG info --> SWG How It Works - Further Reading

SWG Generation Cycle Times - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Maddie

I will certainly read these! Thank you, Maddie

 

[Newdude]

Did you see the payoff ?

How Clear is TFP Clear?

Good times. The first few times you glance out back and think the pool emptied causes you to sprint out there. You chuckle on the walk back to the house that the water just looked invisible. It never gets old.

 

[ChrisA76]

Thanks for the welcome Jim!

If you really want a dirt simple way to maintain your pool, then our TFP pool care program is for you. The problem is you need to erase everything that you think you have learned about pool care and start over. You can't combine our pool care process with what you learned at Leslie's or Facebook or any other process and make it work.

Most of what I've learned hasn't been from Leslie's honestly. Most of what I've learned has been from reading websites, the Pool Guy Podcast on Youtube, Bob Lowry's book, Orenda Tech Blog and videos, and other sources. I'm not the kind of person to just go with one source (even including TFP). I prefer to assimilate what I've learned and come up with a coherent concept in my mind.

I only used Leslie's to help "get rid" of the initial algae. It was a few cycles of Leslie's Green to Clean and then adding cal hypo. But I think their recommendations in general don't teach. They seem to have the mentality of measure and sell chemicals each week. That doesn't work for me which makes me happy that I found TFP.

That said, I now believe that the algae (or something) is still there and that my chlorine is still fighting it. I'm going to do the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to check this out.

 

[ChrisA76]

Did you see the payoff ?

How Clear is TFP Clear?

Good times. The first few times you glance out back and think the pool emptied causes you to sprint out there. You chuckle on the walk back to the house that the water just looked invisible. It never gets old.

Very cool.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Chris.... you can "shop around" all you want on pool care, but unless you settle on one method you won't get the results you want.

Pool stores sell chemicals. They test water for free because you'll "always need to add something" usually. Its how they pay the rent. I can't count the times people come here with a pool full of mess and say they did what the pool store said to do and its only worse ....

We use a minimum of chemicals and save folks hundreds to thousands of dollars by NOT buying or even needing many chemicals. Our method is based on owner testing with a proper test kit. Our method was devised and kept updated by chemists and pool experts who aren't looking to sell anything. We are all pool owners who have learned the secrets and are happy to share them.

Maddie

 

[Jimrahbe]

I'm not the kind of person to just go with one source (even including TFP). I prefer to assimilate what I've learned and come up with a coherent concept in my mind.

Chris,

Nothing wrong with that... My point was that you need to decide which program you want to follow and use that one program. Mixing and matching different programs will just not work in most cases.

I have three saltwater pools that have been TFP pools for over 25 years (in total). In all that time I have never added any pool store magic, nor have I added any bags of chlorine shock, or green to whatever. In all that time I have never once had algae.

I suggest that you pick what you think will work well for you and stick with it. For me this turns out to be the TFP pool care process. I am simple and the process is simple, so it works for me.

Keep in mind that almost all of your other sources are trying to sell you something. We have nothing to sell. We are all volunteers that are just passionate about how we maintain our pools. Already having a SWCG gives you a big step up on making things easy..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[PoolStored]

Somebody called me?? Looks like it!!!, but you are getting plenty of help already. My recommendation is to not mix and match. It would be a strain on my brain to count the number of people we (and I) have helped because the mixed and matched.

Welcome to TFP!!!

 

[Newdude]

but unless you settle on one method you won't get the results you want.

you need to decide which program you want to follow and use that one program. Mixing and matching different programs will just not work in most cases.

To put the above in another context, I love Oreos and I chocolate chip cookies. But you can't mix and match baking either. If I used half the oreo recipe with half the ccc recipe, it'd be a disaster.

 

[ChrisA76]

I appreciate the advice that everyone has given and I don’t want to make it seem like I intend to continue adding things from Leslie’s. Getting the algae initially cleared happened three weeks ago and since then I’ve learned a lot more and discovered this forum.

I think the trouble free pool method as I understand it is what I have evolved towards after most of my reading anyway. My purpose is not to shop around as much as it is to learn.

 

[ChrisA76]

I also will say that after the first week, I have not added anything to my pool without fully understanding it as I quickly realized that Leslie’s model was based off of always having to add something to your pool.

This is why I appreciate the simplicity of the trouble free pool method. I intend to follow it, but I also want to learn as much as possible to know how to handle all the situations that come up.

 

[PoolStored]

This is why I appreciate the simplicity of the trouble free pool method. I intend to follow it, but I also want to learn as much as possible to know how to handle all the situations that come up.

Then stick around! Lots of experts, guides and members with more experience than you can even imagine at this point...

 

[ChrisA76]

Let me guess, they still are having you add weekly bags of "shock" and plenty of FosFree, plus other pool store magic potions.

Actually, I had gotten to the point where I was just adding liquid chlorine only per week. The weekly bags of "shock" only lasted two weeks.

Previously they had me add other products that were specialized oxidizers and nonsense to help clear up the algae, including what's effectively cal hypo and what's effectively dichlor. I really don't want to add any of them to my pool.

But I was adding a magic potion, Leslie's Perfect Weekly, for the last two weeks. That has some amount of phosFree and enzymes for "bather waste" apparently.

However this week I didn't put it in because I was having more success with liquid chlorine alone (very in line with the TFP philosophy so it was nice to stumble upon TFP.) I got an FAS-DPD test and realized that my combined chlorine was high, and thus didn't need to do an overnight chlorine level test, so I just started a SLAM according to the TFP calculator.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Chris,

Is your cell working? Not sure if it gets cold enough where you are to shut off the cell due to the water being below about 53 degrees.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ChrisA76]

Is your cell working? Not sure if it gets cold enough where you are to shut off the cell due to the water being below about 53 degrees.

No, my cell isn't generating anything. My salt level is at 2400 about and I have an Pentair IC-40 which needs about 3200 ppm salt. Plus my water is about 48-52 F right now so I'm not going to add salt either until mid to late Feb.

Should I explicitly shut it off? Or is that not necessary?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Chris,

When your cell shuts off due to cold water, there will only be one red light on the cell.

You can turn the cell off if you want, but just setting the output to zero is good enough.

You don't have to do anything if you don't want too, as the cell will not make chlorine when the red "cold" light is on.

I just did not realize your water would get that cold.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[ChrisA76]

I just did not realize your water would get that cold.

Where I am in the East Bay has a lot wider temperature fluctuations than, say the SF peninsula or Southern California. We have a small mountain range in between us and the ocean so even though we're close there are microclimates. While it gets very hot in the summer (sometimes 110's F) it does drop down to 30-32 F so the water stays around 50 F for at least a couple months. But yeah if I had higher water temps I'd just use my SWG.