Just reporting back in here. 3 pucks dissolved. I still seem to be having to dose with LC according to Poolmath to 9ppm every day but clocking in ~5ppm during my tests. (Yesterday I dosed much later in the day than I normally do hence the 6.5 this morning). Add more pucks? Or is this just the way it is if I want to follow TFP?
Hi from Texas
- Thread starter Maldravus
- Start date
Losing 3-5ppm of FC per day is norm especially as it gets warmer. Watch next week because weather states it will be HOT. So keep dosing to the 9ppm level to keep your FC in range.
If you continue to use pucks then test your CYA after 3-4 weeks of use to confirm your CYA level.
As some has said - your pool is like a puppy - it needs to be fed daily.
Does it register on the CYA test ? In the time it took, you may have added 9 and lost 5 to rain and/or degradation.
By trying to save money on using existing pucks, youre spending it on excess bleach.
Again, I get it, but you're robbing Peter to pay Paul here IMO.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,550
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Sorry, not following. I’ve only used 3 pucks following the suggestion here to raise my CYA by 10. I’m unsure how long that took but it’s probably been a couple weeks or longer. I had no plans to continue using pucks. Are you saying I should? I can retest CYA when my new reagents arrive.Does it register on the CYA test ? In the time it took, you may have added 9 and lost 5 to rain and/or degradation.
By trying to save money on using existing pucks, youre spending it on excess bleach.
Again, I get it, but you're robbing Peter to pay Paul here IMO.
We suggested you raise your CYA and you insisted on using the pucks you already had onhand, eventhough they'd be slow to make the changes.
OK great. It might not even register any different than it was, which would help explain why nothing changed with your daily loss.
Well it seems bizarre to spend even more money on CYA when the 50lbs of pucks I have add CYA. So is the suggestion to continue floating a single puck? Spend more money on CYA?
You're frustrated if you need to spend more money on CYA and you're frustrated if the other way takes time.
Only you can decide which way frustrates you less.
Either works but both have a +/-. Let's see what CYA test says when you get it and go from there.
We are just presenting data that help you make the decision. Each puck adds 3 ppm of CYA when it is fully dissolved. I think I remember you stating you add 1 puck at a time to your surface skimmer robot. How long does it take to dissolve a puck? 3 days, 4, 5? So if all took 2 weeks to dissolve then you can expect a maximum of 9 ppm increase in CYA. It may be slightly more or less depending on factors such as UV, or water exchanges.
Adding stabilizer directly will increase the CYA in a matter of days - not weeks.
Pucks will last years - I am still using pucks purchased 4 years ago. I only use them in winter or if I depart town for 7 or more days and put a floater in the pool as a backup to my SWCG.
Let us know what your CYA test results are. Continue to top up FC daily to maintain a properly sanitized pool.
I’m dosing to 9ppm every day but continuing to land ~5ppm on my daily tests. My last CYA test was ~60 (best I could figure, I am still awful at the dot test). I dosed to 9ppm yesterday and came in at 5.5ppm this morning. So I guess basically add a half gallon of LC a day which is outrageous in terms of cost savings or get the SWCG and see what issues I run into there? FWIW I dose over the recommended amount (for example today’s recommendation to hit 9ppm was 51oz, I went 64oz). I’m just really struggling to understand how spending ~$1000/year in LC is saving me money. I’ll take another CYA test when the reagent arrives tomorrow though I really don’t trust myself with that particular test.
I looked at your PM logs. It shows 1 puck added 3 weeks ago, another puck added 2 weeks ago and a 3rd puck added 6 days ago. You also tested CYA 6 days ago and it was 60ppm.
Each puck adds 3ppm of CYA per calculations.
Losing 3-5ppm of FC is about right for summer, high UV in Austin. Therefore continue to add LC daily to maintain the FC in the target range.
The use of LC will decline when the seasons change to Fall then to Winter.
If you were to use pucks on a continuous basis, you would need to put a stack of them in. Each puck adds 4.9ppm of FC (when fully dissolved). This would be one puck a day fully dissolved to meet your FC loss demand. They do not dissolve that quickly, therefore the need to have a stack of them to get the effect of 1 on a daily basis. This is why puck chlorinators hold 6-10 pucks. Then you add more weekly. However as you can see, you will also be adding 3ppm of CYA per puck. So that could be 15ppm or more a week increase and your CYA will be skyrocketing high in a matter of several months.
Based on the FC/CYA Levels, you need to keep your FC level higher and higher. If not, then you risk algae, plus you have to drain the pool to reduce CYA.
This is why liquid chlorine is preferred or even better install a SWCG.
Each puck adds 3ppm of CYA per calculations.
Losing 3-5ppm of FC is about right for summer, high UV in Austin. Therefore continue to add LC daily to maintain the FC in the target range.
The use of LC will decline when the seasons change to Fall then to Winter.
If you were to use pucks on a continuous basis, you would need to put a stack of them in. Each puck adds 4.9ppm of FC (when fully dissolved). This would be one puck a day fully dissolved to meet your FC loss demand. They do not dissolve that quickly, therefore the need to have a stack of them to get the effect of 1 on a daily basis. This is why puck chlorinators hold 6-10 pucks. Then you add more weekly. However as you can see, you will also be adding 3ppm of CYA per puck. So that could be 15ppm or more a week increase and your CYA will be skyrocketing high in a matter of several months.
Based on the FC/CYA Levels, you need to keep your FC level higher and higher. If not, then you risk algae, plus you have to drain the pool to reduce CYA.
This is why liquid chlorine is preferred or even better install a SWCG.
How much do you feel you should spend for a pool in a hot climate with long seasons ?
The pool store way may seem better at first but is way worse in the long run.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,550
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Yesterday logged 5.5ppm FC, recommended to dose 51oz to hit 9ppm (max FC for my range). I dosed 64oz. This morning clocked in at 5.5ppm again. Short of just dumping an entire gallon in every day, I am unsure what to do here.
My CYA reagent arrived this morning and it's forecasted to be a sunny day so I guess I will test again shortly and log results.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,550
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
Demand of 4.5 isn’t unheard of, but seems high for spring in tx
What is your cya? May be low.
Dose above range so you are IN range wwhen you test.
I’d also do an OCLT. Link—->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
What is your cya? May be low.
Dose above range so you are IN range wwhen you test.
I’d also do an OCLT. Link—->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
Best I can tell it's between 50-60. I am planning on retesting today. It recommended I add 51oz of LC again to hit 9ppm so I bumped to 70oz since 64oz did nothing yesterday. I did an OCLT not too long ago and it passed. I also seem to have no CC on my daily tests.
Yeah, I think it might be low CYA. I could still see if at a glance at 60, and I believe maybe even at 50 though I may have stared a bit. I took it all the way to 30 which is where I could not see the dot at all even if I stared at it in the daylight. So it is somewhere between 30 and 60.
- Jun 24, 2021
- 16,550
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-60 Plus
I edited my post - I meant to say 30 not 40. So it is somewhere between 30 and 60.