Hello. I am new to the forum and am very grateful for it. I've had a pool for most of my life but finally decided to take the plunge to manage my own pool after a bad experience with a pool man.
I just got my TF-100 and here are my readings:
FC - 1.5 (just added ~ 60oz. @10% liquid chlorine in the morning)
CC - 0.5
pH - 7.4 (my estimate, definitely lower than 7.5 but higher than the middle of 7.2 to 7.5)
TA - 250
CH - 600+ (I stopped after 60 drops - I ran this test twice systematically)
CYA - 100+ (definitely over 100 as I did this test numerous times)
WTH with that TA, CH and CYA readings!!!!
I started getting algae about 1 month ago. The pool man was useless. After I nixed him I started adding about 1/2 gallon of liquid every night for a week and kept the FC about 1.5 or so until I got my TF-100. My pool gets a lot of sun and the Sacramento area has been pretty hot the last week (we get 100F+). The algae has very much slowed coming back after I kept the chlorine at that 1.5 level. I'm afraid it's yellow algae because it's yellow/brown & mostly on the walls - initially I thought I couldn't scrub it off with my nylon/steel brush, but yesterday I was able to rub it off with my finger. Therefore, I thought I would follow the guidelines on shocking for algae, but wanted to get the pool chemistry right first.
It seems to me like my water is probably tired. Regardless, my understanding is that high CH or high CYA requires a pool draining.
1) How do I drain my AG/outdoor pool?
- Do I go rent a pump from Home Depot or something? Or should I try to siphon?
- My pool is pretty far from my front yard so do I feed the pump/water all the way to the street?
- How much water should I drain out and replace? I don't mind replacing it all if I need to (about 18k gallons).
- Do I need to constantly wet the plaster during the draining or something?
- How much time can I expect it will take to drain the pool?
- And how much time can I expect it will take to fill the pool?
- I have an auto-fill system that uses a float to fill the pool and keep the level constant - Do I just prop that into position so it doesn't start filling the pool?
- And should I put a hose into the pool to help it fill with water faster?
2) How do I get to a stable chemical balance once I fill it? Do I just go through the normal exercise of testing then using the pool calculator?
3) Algae
- I will start with cleaning out the filter cartridge. It's been 1 year since I bought the house and it was supposedly replaced. But the reading is weird as it's like only showing 1 lb of pressure - suggesting a hole in the element or something is off inside - I won't know until I open it up hopefully tomorrow.
- Do I start out by shocking the pool for days after I fill it - to ensure no algae and just starting out with new water?
Sorry for having so may questions but I'm obsessed with getting my pool right.
Thanks a lot in advance. Very cool of so many of you to offer your insights and expertise. :-D
I just got my TF-100 and here are my readings:
FC - 1.5 (just added ~ 60oz. @10% liquid chlorine in the morning)
CC - 0.5
pH - 7.4 (my estimate, definitely lower than 7.5 but higher than the middle of 7.2 to 7.5)
TA - 250
CH - 600+ (I stopped after 60 drops - I ran this test twice systematically)
CYA - 100+ (definitely over 100 as I did this test numerous times)
WTH with that TA, CH and CYA readings!!!!
I started getting algae about 1 month ago. The pool man was useless. After I nixed him I started adding about 1/2 gallon of liquid every night for a week and kept the FC about 1.5 or so until I got my TF-100. My pool gets a lot of sun and the Sacramento area has been pretty hot the last week (we get 100F+). The algae has very much slowed coming back after I kept the chlorine at that 1.5 level. I'm afraid it's yellow algae because it's yellow/brown & mostly on the walls - initially I thought I couldn't scrub it off with my nylon/steel brush, but yesterday I was able to rub it off with my finger. Therefore, I thought I would follow the guidelines on shocking for algae, but wanted to get the pool chemistry right first.
It seems to me like my water is probably tired. Regardless, my understanding is that high CH or high CYA requires a pool draining.
1) How do I drain my AG/outdoor pool?
- Do I go rent a pump from Home Depot or something? Or should I try to siphon?
- My pool is pretty far from my front yard so do I feed the pump/water all the way to the street?
- How much water should I drain out and replace? I don't mind replacing it all if I need to (about 18k gallons).
- Do I need to constantly wet the plaster during the draining or something?
- How much time can I expect it will take to drain the pool?
- And how much time can I expect it will take to fill the pool?
- I have an auto-fill system that uses a float to fill the pool and keep the level constant - Do I just prop that into position so it doesn't start filling the pool?
- And should I put a hose into the pool to help it fill with water faster?
2) How do I get to a stable chemical balance once I fill it? Do I just go through the normal exercise of testing then using the pool calculator?
3) Algae
- I will start with cleaning out the filter cartridge. It's been 1 year since I bought the house and it was supposedly replaced. But the reading is weird as it's like only showing 1 lb of pressure - suggesting a hole in the element or something is off inside - I won't know until I open it up hopefully tomorrow.
- Do I start out by shocking the pool for days after I fill it - to ensure no algae and just starting out with new water?
Sorry for having so may questions but I'm obsessed with getting my pool right.
Thanks a lot in advance. Very cool of so many of you to offer your insights and expertise. :-D