New Guy Pool Chemistry Question

[LOME4]

Hi all,
Our in-ground pool was completed in December. It is 15.6k gallons, using a chlorine system, and has a pebbletec finish in central TX.

I’ve started with the pool math app and like it so far, but have a question on the target ranges in the app.

The pool builder and pebbletec chemistry targets are shown below. Overall most targets are aligned, but The pool math app gives a target range for TA of 50-90 and CH of 250-650 which is different than the pebbletec recommendations.

Is one option more correct than the other and if so, why?

PebbleTec Pool Chemistry Basics
Next, it’s time to test the water to determine the current state of your pool’s chemical levels. For a balanced pool, these are the ideal ranges you want to see during testing:

1. pH: 7.2 to 7.6
2. Free Chlorine: 2 to 4 ppm
3. Total Chlorine: No higher than the Free Chlorine
4. Total Alkalinity: 80 to 120 ppm
5. Calcium Hardness: 200-400 ppm
6. Cyanuric Acid: 30-50 ppm

If your pool is above or below the numbers above, you need to restore your pool’s balance.”

thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! When you say chlorine system, what exactly do you mean? Manually chlorinating (i.e. liquid chlorine), salt water generator, or something else? Also please update your signature with all of your pool and equipment info. That data helps us to determine the best chemical values for your pool. Lastly, check your Poolmath profile. There should be a box you can check to allow others to view your Poolmath logs. That will help us as well.

With that info, we can give you a good answer to your TA question and any other level differences you will find between generic pool industry standards and TFP recommended levels.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[duraleigh]

Our numbers in pool math are the result of thousands and thousands of private pool owners reporting what works for them Pebbletec takes some "industry standards" and assumes they are valid. While they are valid for the most part some are more than 50 years old. Pool Math is current and accurate and will be the best guidance for you by far.

 

[LOME4]

Welcome to TFP! When you say chlorine system, what exactly do you mean? Manually chlorinating (i.e. liquid chlorine), salt water generator, or something else? Also please update your signature with all of your pool and equipment info. That data helps us to determine the best chemical values for your pool. Lastly, check your Poolmath profile. There should be a box you can check to allow others to view your Poolmath logs. That will help us as well.

With that info, we can give you a good answer to your TA question and any other level differences you will find between generic pool industry standards and TFP recommended levels.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

thanks for the feedback.I’ve updated my log sharing.

As far as the chlorine system, the pool has an inline chlorinator that uses tablets.

 

[LOME4]

Our numbers in pool math are the result of thousands and thousands of private pool owners reporting what works for them Pebbletec takes some "industry standards" and assumes they are valid. While they are valid for the most part some are more than 50 years old. Pool Math is current and accurate and will be the best guidance for you by far.

Got it. thanks for the feedback.

 

[Texas Splash]

thanks for the feedback.I’ve updated my log sharing.

We'll give it a few. It's still not showing as shared yet for some reason. Maybe copy & paste your test results for now? Also be sure to show in your signature which test kit you are using.

Tabs are fine for now. Short-term use. Each tab increases stabilizer (CYA), so that's something you'll need to watch closely for the first month or so. But we'll help you through all that. For now we just need to see your full test results.

 

[LOME4]

We'll give it a few. It's still not showing as shared yet for some reason. Maybe copy & paste your test results for now? Also be sure to show in your signature which test kit you are using.

Tabs are fine for now. Short-term use. Each tab increases stabilizer (CYA), so that's something you'll need to watch closely for the first month or so. But we'll help you through all that. For now we just need to see your full test results.

Here’s a picture of my measurements. My current test kit doesn’t measure CH or CYA, so I had to pull those results from the pool store’s water test. I plan on relying on my results going forward once my new kit arrives, but the other measurements were aligned with my home results.

I started raising the CH yesterday and will keep on adding over the next couple of days to bring that in range.

I figure the CYA will continue to increase, so I wasn’t going to force that up at this point.

My TA is high per the pool math app,but inline with the builder’s recommendations which is what prompted my original question. I can bring that down with more muriatic acid and my next test.

if I’m missing anything else, let me know.

 

[Texas Splash]

Your numbers aren't too crazy, but until you get your own TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C, be very careful about making any big changes. Pool store testing is often flawed. For now, keep the CH at the minimum of about 250 or so. You can leave the TA alone for now as well since I'm guessing your water is chilly like mine at around 60 degrees. Let the pH stay in the 7.8 - 8.0 range as well for now.

Once you get your test kit, and using the PoolMath APP, you can fine-tune levels to maintain a good "CSI". I don't see it on your pic, so you may need to select that as an item to monitor. For the first 30 days of your Pebble cure, you want a slightly positive CSI (0.1 - 0.3). After 30 days, it can be slightly negative. Most of everything you need is in that link I gave you in Post #2. That and the PoolMath APP will keep you straight.

For now, keep things simple and once you can post a full set of your own results, we'll really be able to get specific and help guide you. But if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

 

[LOME4]

Hi all, so I’ve tested again with the tf-100 kit and it looks like the CH adjustments have landed where I wanted.
My FC however dropped significantly to .3-.5. I have the inline chlorinator, but to raise the chlorine levels should I just add liquid bleach (per pool math app)? The app also has a SLAM recommendation, but I’m not sure if this is overkill at this point.