- Jul 10, 2018
- 1,149
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
This site has been such an eye opening experience and has turned into an obsession. I had a pool built in 1999 (see signature). At the time I knew absolutely nothing about the upkeep for pools. The PB opened the pool and I maintained it, or so I thought. In the beginning I'd brush the walls probably every other day and vacuumed weekly. I'd test the chlorine, ph and TA with my basic Taylor OTO kit.
Every 5 to 5-1/2 years I would drain and refill the pool based upon pool store advice. I read the Taylor OTO kit manual and would follow the guidelines for sanitizing along with pool store advice.
I read/heard about CYA but didn't test for it, so I didn't really know the ramifications. Worse, I used 3" pucks for day to day chlorination and supplemented with LC just because it felt like the right thing to do.
After my wife and I became empty nesters, the pool took a back seat. I would probably check the chlorine and ph once a week at best relying on the 3" pucks which I checked for and added weekly.
I missed the last pool drain/fill cycle which would have been my third so it had been about 8 years since the last time. With that in mind, the pool was out of sorts. For the past year, we didn't use the pool. Although, the water appeared clear, I ended buying an 18" stainless steel bristled pool brush which I used to brush. When brushing a greenish debris would be observed and I'd vacuum it up. In addition, the scale buildup was terrible and my wife was all over me to take care of it. Which now I know was caused by the water not being balanced.
Fast forward... at the beginning of July, I had the pool acid washed, the calcium blasted off and tile repaired at the spillover spa. The contractor performing the work mentioned at the start of the job that he did not line item opening the pool so it wasn't included and said to contact the pool store that referred me.
That is where TFP comes into the equation. While googling "how to's" on opening pools, I came across TFP. What a site. For 2 days while the contractor was here, I read and read and read. I ordered the Taylor 2006c and speedstir then had to patiently wait for them to arrive. While I waited for the kit, to open the pool, I added one bottle of Natural Chemistry's Liquid Conditioner, to get CYA up to 30 ppm or as close as I could without a test kit. I added a gallon of 12.5% chlorine. Then using the 18" nylon bristled brush, I brushed the walls. Since my Taylor OTO kit's reagents were expired, the next day I took a water sample to the pool store. I believed their test results for PH and disregarded the other results. So, I added 16 oz of MA which was all I had left on hand to get PH lower.
Finally my test kit arrived. First results below. I used pool math to begin dosing the pool.
FC .6
CC .2
PH 8.0
TA 110
CH 220
CYA 30
Two weeks later while testing obsessively (2x day) and utilizing pool math to adjust. Drum roll...
FC 3.0
CC 0
PH 7.6
TA 90
CH 260
CYA 30
Bottom line... I am so glad I found TFP and I wanted to support the site for the extremely useful information I have gleaned and how utilizing pool math has made my pool sparkling and trouble free.
Every 5 to 5-1/2 years I would drain and refill the pool based upon pool store advice. I read the Taylor OTO kit manual and would follow the guidelines for sanitizing along with pool store advice.
I read/heard about CYA but didn't test for it, so I didn't really know the ramifications. Worse, I used 3" pucks for day to day chlorination and supplemented with LC just because it felt like the right thing to do.
After my wife and I became empty nesters, the pool took a back seat. I would probably check the chlorine and ph once a week at best relying on the 3" pucks which I checked for and added weekly.
I missed the last pool drain/fill cycle which would have been my third so it had been about 8 years since the last time. With that in mind, the pool was out of sorts. For the past year, we didn't use the pool. Although, the water appeared clear, I ended buying an 18" stainless steel bristled pool brush which I used to brush. When brushing a greenish debris would be observed and I'd vacuum it up. In addition, the scale buildup was terrible and my wife was all over me to take care of it. Which now I know was caused by the water not being balanced.
Fast forward... at the beginning of July, I had the pool acid washed, the calcium blasted off and tile repaired at the spillover spa. The contractor performing the work mentioned at the start of the job that he did not line item opening the pool so it wasn't included and said to contact the pool store that referred me.
That is where TFP comes into the equation. While googling "how to's" on opening pools, I came across TFP. What a site. For 2 days while the contractor was here, I read and read and read. I ordered the Taylor 2006c and speedstir then had to patiently wait for them to arrive. While I waited for the kit, to open the pool, I added one bottle of Natural Chemistry's Liquid Conditioner, to get CYA up to 30 ppm or as close as I could without a test kit. I added a gallon of 12.5% chlorine. Then using the 18" nylon bristled brush, I brushed the walls. Since my Taylor OTO kit's reagents were expired, the next day I took a water sample to the pool store. I believed their test results for PH and disregarded the other results. So, I added 16 oz of MA which was all I had left on hand to get PH lower.
Finally my test kit arrived. First results below. I used pool math to begin dosing the pool.
FC .6
CC .2
PH 8.0
TA 110
CH 220
CYA 30
Two weeks later while testing obsessively (2x day) and utilizing pool math to adjust. Drum roll...
FC 3.0
CC 0
PH 7.6
TA 90
CH 260
CYA 30
Bottom line... I am so glad I found TFP and I wanted to support the site for the extremely useful information I have gleaned and how utilizing pool math has made my pool sparkling and trouble free.
