I have been reading a lot on the forum, and started using PoolMath a few days ago. Our pool is approximately 22K gallons with a hot tub that flows over a short stone waterfall into the pool. The pool was completed mid-June 2023. It has been very hot in Houston since June. Our pool is full sun most of the day, then partially shaded by the house for a few hours in the evening. Lately the water temperature has been about 92F during the day, and 90ish or a little below at night.
I bought a Taylor K-2006 test kit when the pool was filling. I enjoy doing the testing. I just added a PH60 meter as I couldn't always tell the pH color, and want to make sure I have the correct pH. My test results tonight were: FC 3.5, TC 3.5, pH 7.55, TA 110, CYA 70, and CH 210. The water has been crystal clear since launch date, but we also have only had a tiny bit of rain since June. My CSI is +.04 as per pool math with the current 90F water temperature.
The builder said to hold off on adding calcium as long as possible, so I have only added several packages of Cal-hypo shock over the month, and the calcium hardness has been between 190 and now 210. I did drain about 1/3 of the pool, while filling from the other end, to get the CYA down from 95. I turned the chlorinator off, after emptying it, and add 12.5% bleach each night. My FC only drops about 2 ppm between tests each evening. That is how much it drops during the next day. I couldn't see any drop overnight. Tonight, after reading more on TFP, I upped my 40 oz of nightly bleach up to 80 oz, to get the FC up to 7 or so.
I had the hardest time trying to figure out the TA or adjusted alkalinity to use in the various LSI or index calculators. I am glad I found PoolMath, as that is easy to understand. The biggest issue I had was a lot of things I read said you must use carbonate alkalinity in the LSI equation. That didn't make sense to me as you would adjust the TA with the CYA to get it, but according to the LSI formula, you subtract out the CYA factor. Seemed like double-dipping. I made progress when I read about that on Orenda's site, and then found PoolMath, and it is clicking and making sense.
I was having to add about 325 oz of MA to keep the pH down around the first week, but now add about 150 oz a week, and have a couple of weeks it was only about 120 oz. I am figuring since the pool is new, this will be the case. What I wonder is whether the aeration from the water flowing out of the hot tub into the pool over the stone waterfall is pushing the pH higher faster than "normal". The builder said we needed to run it that way, at least for a while, but I am expecting that is normal operation so the water circulates in the hot tub.
Sorry about the long post. I love the site, PoolMath, and appreciate any and all help I can get. The good thing, so far, is that the water is still super clear so I feel like I have accomplished something.
I bought a Taylor K-2006 test kit when the pool was filling. I enjoy doing the testing. I just added a PH60 meter as I couldn't always tell the pH color, and want to make sure I have the correct pH. My test results tonight were: FC 3.5, TC 3.5, pH 7.55, TA 110, CYA 70, and CH 210. The water has been crystal clear since launch date, but we also have only had a tiny bit of rain since June. My CSI is +.04 as per pool math with the current 90F water temperature.
The builder said to hold off on adding calcium as long as possible, so I have only added several packages of Cal-hypo shock over the month, and the calcium hardness has been between 190 and now 210. I did drain about 1/3 of the pool, while filling from the other end, to get the CYA down from 95. I turned the chlorinator off, after emptying it, and add 12.5% bleach each night. My FC only drops about 2 ppm between tests each evening. That is how much it drops during the next day. I couldn't see any drop overnight. Tonight, after reading more on TFP, I upped my 40 oz of nightly bleach up to 80 oz, to get the FC up to 7 or so.
I had the hardest time trying to figure out the TA or adjusted alkalinity to use in the various LSI or index calculators. I am glad I found PoolMath, as that is easy to understand. The biggest issue I had was a lot of things I read said you must use carbonate alkalinity in the LSI equation. That didn't make sense to me as you would adjust the TA with the CYA to get it, but according to the LSI formula, you subtract out the CYA factor. Seemed like double-dipping. I made progress when I read about that on Orenda's site, and then found PoolMath, and it is clicking and making sense.
I was having to add about 325 oz of MA to keep the pH down around the first week, but now add about 150 oz a week, and have a couple of weeks it was only about 120 oz. I am figuring since the pool is new, this will be the case. What I wonder is whether the aeration from the water flowing out of the hot tub into the pool over the stone waterfall is pushing the pH higher faster than "normal". The builder said we needed to run it that way, at least for a while, but I am expecting that is normal operation so the water circulates in the hot tub.
Sorry about the long post. I love the site, PoolMath, and appreciate any and all help I can get. The good thing, so far, is that the water is still super clear so I feel like I have accomplished something.
