New Pool Startup - Chemistry

[ajw22]

Test how much better skimming you get if you run your pump for a few hours at 2200-2400 rpm daily.

Post pics of your water level, skimmer mouth, and weir door.

 

[reggiehammond]

Many folks here run their main drain almost completely closed off. It does very little for the pool - the skimmers do the hard work, so give them the most flow!

 

[BDY]

As I was taking pictures the PB showed up to fix the autofill and looked at the skimmers for me - they opinioned that I had added too much water earlier this week when I put the hose in, and that the skimmers would work better about an inch lower (also I'm lapping at the overfill drain right now).

Other PB comments FWIW (I am still going to experiment to figure out what works best for my pool)
- I should be cleaning at 2700 rpm, the lower running at 1500 does no skimming performance. Run 2 cleaning sessions per day and then can run lower the rest of the time for the SWGC when it is installed
- the skimmer sock will hurt more than help
- its pollen season.... it will be a pain to keep clean for another month.

I'm posting skimmer #1 and #2 separately - let me know if these are good pictures requested.

 

[BDY]

Skimmer #1

 

[BDY]

skimmer #2

 

[Newdude]

I should be cleaning at 2700 rpm,

You'll have to experiment to find your systems sweet spot. No two are the same. That said, it's probably in the general range he suggested.

the lower running at 1500 does no skimming performance

If it skims, it skims.

the skimmer sock will hurt more than help

Lol. It can't hurt unless the sock rips.

its pollen season.... it will be a pain to keep clean for another month.

True.

skimmers would work better about an inch lower

Probably. It's definitely high.

 

[BDY]

You'll have to experiment to find your systems sweet spot. No two are the same. That said, it's probably in the general range he suggested.

If it skims, it skims.


Lol. It can't hurt unless the sock rips.

True.

Probably. It's definitely high.

Yeah i think i calculated the amount of water i put in wrong as I was guesstimating garden hose flow… hopefully autofill can keep up with Houston summers and no more garden hose!

 

[Newdude]

Yeah i think i calculated the amount of water i put in wrong as I was guesstimating garden hose flow…

The best teacher is a well placed



Going forward, anytime you drain, or fill, whip out your phone and set a timer. At first, make it 30 mins or so until you get an idea how fast it's going. Ask me how I know. For both draining and filling.

 

[BDY]

The best teacher is a well placed



Going forward, anytime you drain, or fill, whip out your phone and set a timer. At first, make it 30 mins or so until you get an idea how fast it's going. Ask me how I know. For both draining and filling.

Well, i have a flowmeter on the house which insurance made me do (called Phyn, great device for peace of mind) and I was going by that. I calculated LxWx(2”/12”)x7.5 for water to add I just think I overestimated and didn’t measure. Next time I’ll measure on the pool tile AND I’ll stop early..

 

[BDY]

Good afternoon

Me again … sorry to ask so many questions

(also I think I figured out how to link PoolMath to my profile if that helps?)

1) they poured the salt today in advance of connecting the IC40. The tech dumped bags without testing and now I’m sitting at 4200 ppm per the Taylor. Given it’s a ways until pool is warm enough to use and we will get a lot of rain in Houston, is that ok to let
It work back down naturally?

2) from reading lots of posts on the Ic40 I am understanding I should target a running range of 3400-3600 even though Pentair says 3600? Or do I have that wrong?

3) i plan on running low rpm 24/7 on the VSF do people use a rule of thumb as to when to dial up the cell and dial down for the seasons or is it more trial and testing? Eg can i set a baseline and then know as the pool/air gets warmer to increase the salt cell for each 10 deg change in water or air?

4) my CYa and TA I think are in line but I’m still not trusting myself entirely using the test kit especially the CYA. Would you adjust either? CYA I think is 80 (could be 70) and TA 70.

5) Have note the CH is low but seems To be increasing significantly over the last month after the fill to 250. The fill water has zero CH so do you think I would be ok to increase CH now or wait until summer starts?

Thanks
B

 

[mknauss]

1 - overflow will lower it some. Do not go higher. The IC SWCG is pretty resilient.
2 - I keep mine at 3000 ppm. But I do not get overflow. So keeping yours at 3600 ppm will allow some overflow before you have to add more salt.
3 - Testing. You test your FC often. Then adjust the SWCG to keep the FC at or above target for your CYA.
4 - Both those are fine.
5 - Are you using softened water for fill water? I would not let CH go below 250 ppm in your area. You get rain so will get overflow and thus lowering of your CH.

 

[BDY]

1 - overflow will lower it some. Do not go higher. The IC SWCG is pretty resilient.
2 - I keep mine at 3000 ppm. But I do not get overflow. So keeping yours at 3600 ppm will allow some overflow before you have to add more salt.
3 - Testing. You test your FC often. Then adjust the SWCG to keep the FC at or above target for your CYA.
4 - Both those are fine.
5 - Are you using softened water for fill water? I would not let CH go below 250 ppm in your area. You get rain so will get overflow and thus lowering of your CH.

The fill water is softened yes couldn’t avoid that. It has a CH of zero and a TA of 150. I’m assuming given the rainy climate that i will more often get rain than autofill. Eg My skimmers i think work better when my pool is an inch below the overflow but the rain has been keeping it right at the overflow.

Re salt - that’s a good to know thank you

Re target I understand for a SWGC the min is 5% of CYA and target is higher per the FC/cya chart. And that aiming for target is better so as never to go below min? How much leeway is there to accidentally over chlorinate without little eyes feeling it?

Thanks
B

 

[Newdude]

The tech dumped bags without testing and now I’m sitting at 4200 ppm per the Taylor

It happens. Alot. Sigh.

And that aiming for target is better so as never to go below min?

Aim to never go below *target* At times you will make a bit too much. Accept that and you'll never have any issues. Dance the line close to minimum often and you're one car accident that knocks out power for an afternoon away from a swamp. You'll be at work and won't even know.

How much leeway is there to accidentally over chlorinate without little eyes feeling it?

At least up to SLAM (40% of your CYA / 28 FC for 70 CYA). That's how much leeway you have *over* target. Under target leeway is 2 ppm. If you are to goof, goof high.

 

[mknauss]

pH bothers the eyes. Keep it in the 7’s.

 

[BDY]

pH bothers the eyes. Keep it in the 7’s.

Got it.

I am in the 8.1-8.2 each morning and I add acid to reduce to 7.6 and repeat the next day. I know new plaster takes a lot of acid but is it normal to be adding acid everyday at this stage (30 day mark)

Thanks
B

 

[mknauss]

How much are you running the fountain? What is your TA?

 

[BDY]

How much are you running the fountain? What is your TA?

Fountain has been on once for a few minutes. TA is 70.

 

[mknauss]

Great. If TA is steady with the acid additions, it is due to plaster curing. It will slow overtime.

 

[BDY]

Great. If TA is steady with the acid additions, it is due to plaster curing. It will slow overtime.

You guys are a library of information… I’m so glad i found you

 

[BDY]

One more question - thanks for the patience. The PB when they were vacuuming on startup plugged the vacuum directly into skimmer without a plate. I see I have a lot of junk in the pump basket. Is any debris a cause for cleaning or is something like this ok to wait until the regular filter/pump clean?