New pool owner - how often is it ok to check and treat your pool?

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lauriealebrun

0
Jun 28, 2018
2
Hutto, Texas
Hello,
I'm a new pool owner and am trying to balance the water....I have a water testing kit and strips, using the testing kit mostly, but use the strips in between the days where I use the kit. I've been testing my water every other day or so and the PH always seems to be on the higher end of normal.....I'm just wondering how much testing is too much? and how much acid treatment is too much? I mean if I test every other day, and the PH is at a level where it's calling for acid, is adding acid every other day too much?
Thank you!!!!
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!

We generally recommend testing and chemical adjustments on a daily basis. At least for chlorine and perhaps pH. What test kits do you have? Is it one of the recommended test kits listed in Pool School?
 
I highly recommend the first link I sent to you as a way to decide on a proper test kit. I have the TF-100 and you can go here tftestkits.net or if you choose one of the others check Amazon...

Trying to maintain your pool/investment with test strips or pool store advice/chemicals will not lead to a Trouble Free Pool....
 
First - get one of the recommended test kits, not what you have. You really need one in order to be able to maintain your pool

Second - As to how often to test, well that depends. When I first started I tested every day, a full battery of tests, and I wrote down the results. Over time, I cut that back to FC, CC, and pH every day, and a full test weekly. Now, I test FC about 6 times a week. pH maybe 4, and every so often a full test just to check on things.

Why do I test so little? Because I know my pool. I know how it behaves, I know what parameters tend to get out if whack. I know that if I leave the solar cover on for 3 days straight I am going to have CC approaching 0.5 ppm. I know that after a monsoon rain (such as just happened) that I am going to have to turn my salt cell up from 70% to 100% for a day to get the FC back up to where I want it. I know that if I have a party and a lot of people use the pool that before the party I run the cell on super chlorinate for an hour or so. I know that if my pool is at 4.0 ppm of FC and I run my filter for 4 hours with the cell at 100% my pool is going to be at 6.0 ppm FC.

You, on the other hand know next to nothing about how your pool behaves. However, over time you will. Until that time, you should be testing at least for FC, CC, and pH every day, and a full battery of tests a few times a week.

That is how I do it. I am sure there are those out there that test everything every day, and have been doing so for years.

-dave
 
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