My new Pool Devil Pro seems to be helping tremendously with keeping the pool cleaner. My chlorine pump is working well and last I checked FC was at 9, with my target at 8. Everything is going well!
New Pool Owner - Educate Me!
- Thread starter mwemaxxowner
- Start date
Once the invoice comes in, I believe I'll be buying us a Warrior SE from Margaret at Marina 
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.If I understand pool school correctly, I only really *need* to run my main pump long enough to circulate any chemicals that have been added. Any more than that is just up to us and whatever amount of filtering makes the pool clean enough for our liking. Is that correct?
If so, if this robot does a very good job of cleaning the pool (it filters too, no?), couldn't I possibly cut down on the amount of pump run time each day substantially? Could I potentially experiment with cutting it down to as little as maybe 2 hours a day, if I run the robot most every, if not every day?
As I understand it, the robot will consume a lot less electricity than my pool's pump. (Which is a Hayward single speed 3/4 HP for reference). I'm currently running my pump 5 hours a day. When we took it over the pump was being run 8 hours a day. Honestly there seems to be no difference in cleanliness or water clarity between 5 and 8 hours of running. We don't seem to need to vacuum any more or less either way.
If so, if this robot does a very good job of cleaning the pool (it filters too, no?), couldn't I possibly cut down on the amount of pump run time each day substantially? Could I potentially experiment with cutting it down to as little as maybe 2 hours a day, if I run the robot most every, if not every day?
As I understand it, the robot will consume a lot less electricity than my pool's pump. (Which is a Hayward single speed 3/4 HP for reference). I'm currently running my pump 5 hours a day. When we took it over the pump was being run 8 hours a day. Honestly there seems to be no difference in cleanliness or water clarity between 5 and 8 hours of running. We don't seem to need to vacuum any more or less either way.
All your assumptions are correct. That said, experience from other owners on this forum would indicate you are approaching the minimum amount of time needed to clean that fairly large pool.
Have you calculated how much it costs to run your pump? It may be that it costs perhaps 10 cents an hour to run........hardly worth cutting back much more and having a dirtier pool than you would like.
Have you calculated how much it costs to run your pump? It may be that it costs perhaps 10 cents an hour to run........hardly worth cutting back much more and having a dirtier pool than you would like.
Well, I have this booster pump now for the old Polaris rover. It's half hp, I think. Any reason y'all can think of to hang on to it?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 52,030
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I'm a bit of a rat-pack when it comes to things like that. I hate to get rid of something I could potentially use later. Just me. I'm hard headed.
I'm the same way, hence the question haha. But I'm trying hard to quit that habit and cut down on clutter.
I would think it would make for a phenomenal transfer pump with a few fittings mated to it, but it's 220v so that would make where I can use it extremely limited. I also wonder if there could sort of be a small auxiliary filter fitted between it and the return lines, but then that seems silly because just the filter I have now keeps it plenty clean.
I do wonder if it could ever be used to filter the pool in a pinch, but by the time I rig something up for it to go through the filter I could just as easily replace the pump that's there if it went bad. So basically every idea I have is just a pointless effort to make some sort of use out of the old pump.
It might be the sort of thing I just put up in an attic until a need reveals itself.
I would think it would make for a phenomenal transfer pump with a few fittings mated to it, but it's 220v so that would make where I can use it extremely limited. I also wonder if there could sort of be a small auxiliary filter fitted between it and the return lines, but then that seems silly because just the filter I have now keeps it plenty clean.
I do wonder if it could ever be used to filter the pool in a pinch, but by the time I rig something up for it to go through the filter I could just as easily replace the pump that's there if it went bad. So basically every idea I have is just a pointless effort to make some sort of use out of the old pump.
It might be the sort of thing I just put up in an attic until a need reveals itself.
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,282
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
The older you get, the fewer years you have where opportunities would present themselves to use such items. At 25, it will likely get used sometime. At 50, the chances of it's getting used have decreased by half or more.
Some thoughts after just over a year into TFP methods, and having maintained this pool for a couple of years before this.
To begin with I was hesitant to spend the money on the magnetic stirrer...just do it! I can't imagine doing much testing without it.
I was also hesitant to spend $700 on a robot. I looked for many other ways and even looked at using one rated for a smaller pool to save some money. Again, just do it! Absolute life saver, and the pool is cleaner than ever.
When I started the cya was 70-80. I just maintained chlorine levels to match it and it was never a problem. Upon opening this year, it was 20 or maybe even less. I've added cya to get it between 30 and 40. The dot disappears after 30 but before 40. I never did a water exchange. This just naturally occured over the past year from rain water, and having to top off the pool during the summer. Actually, maybe not from evaporation? I guess the cya doesn't evaporate out with the water.
So my advice on those with CYA in those ranges, don't panic. Just work it down over time. I was able to pull it down way more than I thought. In the meantime it wasn't hard to maintain the correct levels. I never had to do a SLAM, though. Now I'm going to start supplementing my liquid chlorine with tablets until it's back up to around 40.
My latest round of tests after adding some cya and baking soda are
FC 4
CC 0.5
PH 7.2 (I'm aerating to get that up)
TA 50
CH 125
CYA between 30 and 40. I'm going to chlorine dose as though it's 40, but try to get the CYA the rest of the way to 40.
To begin with I was hesitant to spend the money on the magnetic stirrer...just do it! I can't imagine doing much testing without it.
I was also hesitant to spend $700 on a robot. I looked for many other ways and even looked at using one rated for a smaller pool to save some money. Again, just do it! Absolute life saver, and the pool is cleaner than ever.
When I started the cya was 70-80. I just maintained chlorine levels to match it and it was never a problem. Upon opening this year, it was 20 or maybe even less. I've added cya to get it between 30 and 40. The dot disappears after 30 but before 40. I never did a water exchange. This just naturally occured over the past year from rain water, and having to top off the pool during the summer. Actually, maybe not from evaporation? I guess the cya doesn't evaporate out with the water.
So my advice on those with CYA in those ranges, don't panic. Just work it down over time. I was able to pull it down way more than I thought. In the meantime it wasn't hard to maintain the correct levels. I never had to do a SLAM, though. Now I'm going to start supplementing my liquid chlorine with tablets until it's back up to around 40.
My latest round of tests after adding some cya and baking soda are
FC 4
CC 0.5
PH 7.2 (I'm aerating to get that up)
TA 50
CH 125
CYA between 30 and 40. I'm going to chlorine dose as though it's 40, but try to get the CYA the rest of the way to 40.
Last edited:
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
My CYA levels always drop through the winter closing. I think CYA does degrade over time, just slower than FC drops.
About 5 ppm monthly on its own. The 36 inches of off season rain/ melted snow gives a lot of us a 1/3-2/3 free water exchange if we have permeable or no cover.
- Jun 8, 2019
- 4,581
- Pool Size
- 20000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
That's true too - I drain down below my returns, and that's CYA that's being removed and replaced with rain/snow water.
I just wasn't expecting to be able to work it down from 80 to 20 or less in only a year without any intentional water exchanges.
We didn't have any snow this winter, and less rain than usual. We still did have a wet spell, but not as bad as normal.
I was quite surprised at how low this was on my first test this year!
We didn't have any snow this winter, and less rain than usual. We still did have a wet spell, but not as bad as normal.
I was quite surprised at how low this was on my first test this year!
80 to 20 was my usual drop for 8 years. This year started real wet before drying up for Dec/Jan. We probably got the same amount of rain in the long run, which was usually 36 inches.