Just looking for a basic startup list

[atx78704pool]

Hi - we've had our pool for a year now and have been paying a service to maintain it. I have not been really happy with it - or the cost (about $400/month). Obviously I see on here how easy everyone says it is to do this myself, so I really want to get started on that. I'm just at a loss as to what I actually need to do with the readings I get. I have saltwater pool and the following test kits:

TF-100 Test Kit
K-1766 for salt

Last pool check we had (yesterday), my readings were:

CHLORINE - 7.0 ppm
PH - 7.4
ALKALINITY - 100 ppm
CYA - 80 ppm
FILTER PSI - 12

My SWG has a low light flashing on it. I've been told that my chlorine only needs to be in the 1-2 range with an SWG. I can start testing the numbers above weekly - but if one is off, do I just go with what something like the Pool Math app tells me to do? Is there stuff I should order to have on hand so I always have what I need? Sorry for all the basic questions - I just need a basic starter list of what to order, what to test each week, and what to trust in terms of adjustments to make based off those readings. Appreciate any help that can be offered!

 

[SJPoe]

I have saltwater pool and the following test kits:

TF-100 Test Kit
K-1766 for salt

Excellent start - You have everything you need to succeed

Last pool check we had (yesterday), my readings were:

CHLORINE - 7.0 ppm
PH - 7.4
ALKALINITY - 100 ppm
CYA - 80 ppm
FILTER PSI - 12

These numbers look good - your FC with a CYA of 80 using a SWG should be 6-11 - I'd look at being closer to 11 than 6 myself.

My SWG has a low light flashing on it.

Is it flashing low-flow, or low-salt ? I notice you do not list a salt reading in your test results.
If the pump is not running, it would not be unexpected to see a Low-Flow warning. A low salt warning is pretty self explanatory

I've been told that my chlorine only needs to be in the 1-2 range with an SWG

Depends who told you, but this isn't really correct. Review the FC/CYA relationship article :

The Free Chlorine and Cyanuric Acid Relationship

Managing your cyanuric acid and Free Chlorine levels is key to stabilizing your pool. Learn how these two items affect each other.

www.troublefreepool.com

I just need a basic starter list of what to order, what to test each week, and what to trust in terms of adjustments to make based off those readings. Appreciate any help that can be offered!

Here ya go :

Basic Pool Care Schedule

This basic pool care schedule can guide you in creating your own pool care routine. Regular pool maintenance will keep your water sparkling!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[wireform]

TF-100pro has the salinity test Included and I think the magnetic stirr too.

 

[SJPoe]

TF-100pro has the salinity test Included and I think the magnetic stirr too.

TF-Pro kits have the stirrer.
TF-Salt kits have the salinity test

So :
TF-100 - No Stirrer or Salt Test
TF-Pro - Stirrer, but no Salt Test
TF-100-Salt - No Stirrer, but has the Salt Test
TF-Pro Salt - Stirrer and Salt

 

[wireform]

Oh, and buy some spares of the stuff that disappears in front of your eyes like an extra stirr bar or two and while you're at it I'd grab an extra 2 scoops too.

 

[atx78704pool]

Thanks for the feedback everyone - much appreciated. I'll review that articles linked in the first response today. Is Pool Math a good app to trust and just follow what it says to do? I also have some Leslies Perfect Weekly left from previous owner - is that stuff worth using?

 

[proavia]

PoolMath is an excellent app - but it's just a calculator.
Don't blindly follow its recommendations. Learn what each parameter is and how some of those parameters interact with some of the other parameters. Ask questions here on anything you don't understand.

Perfect Weekly is a weak, watered down phosphate remover. Certainly not worth the price or effort.
And if you don't have algae, no need to worry about having possible algae food (phosphates).
So no, it isn't needed.

 

[Newdude]

Is Pool Math a good app to trust and just follow what it says to do?

Yes it's a great app. No it's just a calculator and we need a custom plan for you based upon you climate and fill source. We'll teach you what applies to your specific needs and what doesn't.

 

[pjt]

about $400/month

Wow, I had no idea service was that expensive. You'll save lots of money, time, and effort doing things the TFP way, and you'll achieve superior outcomes.

CHLORINE - 7.0 ppm

It's better to break this down to FC and CC.

What's your CH?

What's the CH and TA of your fill water?

My SWG has a low light flashing on it.

Which light? I would suspect low salt due to all the rain we've had recently. What's your salt level from your K-1766?

I've been told that my chlorine only needs to be in the 1-2 range with an SWG.

You weren't told that here. That's bad advice. Follow the FC/CYA chart linked above. Aim for the high end of the target FC range until you get some experience.

Is there stuff I should order to have on hand so I always have what I need?

You really don't need much. Since your SWCG provides your chlorine, the only chemical you'll routinely use is MA (Lowes, HD, Ace, etc. all carry it). A couple times a year you'll have to add CYA (I get mine from Amazon) and salt (Diamond Crystal Solar Naturals at HD or Ace). In the winter you'll need LC when your water temp is too low for your SWCG to operate, but your FC demand in the winter is almost nothing. Last winter I went through a grand total of two gallons of LC for the entire season.

Jandy CV460 Pump | Paramount UltraUV2 Sanitizer

The CV460 is a filter. What pump do you have?

The UV system isn't doing anything for you except depleting your FC. Consider unplugging/removing it. We get plenty of free UV from the sun.

Do you have a heater?

 

[atx78704pool]

Sounds like my first step will be to get out and take some fresh readings with the test kits I have. I'll report back what I have and hopefully y'all don't mind giving me some feedback on what needs to be done. I'll shoot to do that Saturday and will read up on the articles sent over earlier to gain some knowledge before then.

 

[SJPoe]

hopefully y'all don't mind giving me some feedback on what needs to be done

It's what we live for

 

[atx78704pool]

So I got a test done at Leslie’s just to have something to cross reference my tests, and issue I had a few days ago was barely any chlorine. Likely a result of the low salt alert - and low CYA levels (which I not understand the correlation between it and chlorine). Leslie’s has me add ½ lb Chlor Brite, a jug of Instant Pool Water Conditioner, 1 40lb bag of salt. Almost 48 hours later and my chlorine is still pretty much non-existent, CYA only is up to 20s (from 8), salt is good now. Water is cloudy today now. I assume I need to get more CYA into the water - and in turn the SWG will be able to get the chlorine levels up. Where I’m low (assuming that’s all correct), is how to do that without going to Leslie’s and buying their stuff. Help greatly appreciated!

 

[PoolStored]

Let's stay out of the pool store. Trust your test kit. You reported a CYA of 80 from your kit, and added more, when you didn't need to...

Retest your water with your test kit and post results
Test CYA using the instructions starting at #8 here:

CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test

Cyanuric acid (CYA) is the chemical name for the product commonly called “pool water stabilizer” … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

Let's use liquid chlorine to raise FC, SWCG to maintain it.

If you pool is cloudy, do this test tonight. Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

Sincerely,
PoolStored

 

[atx78704pool]

Let's stay out of the pool store. Trust your test kit. You reported a CYA of 80 from your kit, and added more, when you didn't need to...

Retest your water with your test kit.
Test CYA using the instructions starting at #8 here:

CYA - Cyanuric Acid Test

Cyanuric acid (CYA) is the chemical name for the product commonly called “pool water stabilizer” … Read more…

www.troublefreepool.com

Let's use liquid chlorine to raise FC, SWCG to maintain it.

If you pool is cloudy, do this test tonight. Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

Sincerely,
PoolStored

Those tests results were from the pool company - which I got rid of because I didn’t trust them. I should share the readings I got from my tests before I even went to Leslie’s - which showed very low CYA.

2 days ago:
FC - 0 (or close to it) vs .12 Leslie’s
PH - 7.8 vs 7.6
CYA - 8 vs 8
TA - 110 vs 114
Salt - 3000 vs 2586

Yesterday my readings were:
FC - 0 (or close to it)
PH - 7.8
CYA - 18
Salt - 3200

So CYA came up some, but still too low. I’ve got granulated shock 70 from previous owner and I’m thinking I need to shock but want feedback on here before I do anything else. Hopefully updated numbers make that easier.

 

[PoolStored]

With a cloudy pool, and no FC, Follow the SLAM process. Print it out and keep it with you. Link-->SLAM Process
Use liquid chlorine.

 

[SJPoe]

Leslie’s has me add ½ lb Chlor Brite, a jug of Instant Pool Water Conditioner, 1 40lb bag of salt.

Chlor Brite is just Dichlor. At $10/lb, not even cheap dichlor.
Instant Pool Water Conditioner is basically Cynauric Acid. Expensive, liquid CYA. $40 ?
And what, $12 for a bag of salt ?

So, you came out of the pool store after your "free" water test, with $60-70 of chemicals, which you could have purchase for about $25, and you're no closer to 'fixing' the pool.

1/2 lb of Dichlor in your pool would raise your FC by 2ppm, and CYA by the same. For the same price, 10% LC would have raised FC by 12ppm.
IPWC says 4oz per PPM in 10,000gallons. So you have 16500 gallons, so thats 6.6oz per ppm. Assuming we used the whole gallon (128oz) that would be roughly 19ppm of CYA
A 4lb bag of Chlorox stabilizer is $15. That would have raised your CYA PPM by 30. Takes an hour or two to dissolve usually.
Pool salt at the hardware store is about $7. You don't really need the pool salt tho, most of the 'normal' salt is fine as long as it is just salt - $5 isn't unusual for a $40 bag.


As @PoolStored suggests, stay out of the pool store, trust your kit, follow the process...it works

BTW - you see how our 'free' advice didn't result in you spending $70 ?

 

[atx78704pool]

Chlor Brite is just Dichlor. At $10/lb, not even cheap dichlor.
Instant Pool Water Conditioner is basically Cynauric Acid. Expensive, liquid CYA. $40 ?
And what, $12 for a bag of salt ?

So, you came out of the pool store after your "free" water test, with $60-70 of chemicals, which you could have purchase for about $25, and you're no closer to 'fixing' the pool.

1/2 lb of Dichlor in your pool would raise your FC by 2ppm, and CYA by the same. For the same price, 10% LC would have raised FC by 12ppm.
IPWC says 4oz per PPM in 10,000gallons. So you have 16500 gallons, so thats 6.6oz per ppm. Assuming we used the whole gallon (128oz) that would be roughly 19ppm of CYA
A 4lb bag of Chlorox stabilizer is $15. That would have raised your CYA PPM by 30. Takes an hour or two to dissolve usually.
Pool salt at the hardware store is about $7. You don't really need the pool salt tho, most of the 'normal' salt is fine as long as it is just salt - $5 isn't unusual for a $40 bag.


As @PoolStored suggests, stay out of the pool store, trust your kit, follow the process...it works

BTW - you see how our 'free' advice didn't result in you spending $70 ?

Thanks - helpful info in here. My struggle coming into this with no knowledge, is that I don't know things like Chloe Brite is just Dicholor, and Chlorix stabilizer is all I really needed to raise CYA levels. I'm learning... but also trying to not let the pool get out of control in the process, so I leaned on Leslies a little to help along the way. I know everyone on here hates that, but I also know my limits right now in the process of learning this stuff. Long story short - I've got a grasp of where my issue is now (low CYA causing all my chlorine to burn off) and some cheap Chlorix stabilizer sounds like the quick and easy way to get those numbers up so I can fix that particular issue. Then I can re-evaluate with my test where things stand. If I'm back in line with those numbers, then I'll use the Pool Math app to help keep things in line by following the recs in there.