Newbie - White Mold + So many questions

[vanellya]

Vanellya, great work so far! Welcome to TFP.

I've been following this thread, since I too, battled the white mold demon a few years back. It's encouraging to see a "newbie" ask for help, receive the help, then follow the advice. (It doesn't always go that way!) LOL. The most important thing is patience and a positive attitude from here on out. BTW, I see that you've got some of the best of the best at your side on this venture.

As for your SLAM, yes, they can drag out. It appears that you have embraced the TFP methodolgy completely. That's fantastic, because barring some kind of disaster outside of your control, this might be your one and only SLAM! (If not, no biggie.) Having TFP knowledge and knowing where to find more, is a BIG deal! When life decides to get in the way in the future, you can just laugh and let it happen. 'Cause you'll know, "I Got This!!!"

Have a great "rest of the summer!"

Thank you so much for the encouragement! I appreciate your message <3 I always prefer to learn from the experts and not risk issues with such a big investment and I am so lucky to have the help I've gotten from these veteran pool geniuses! Hopefully I can get this under control and it will be trouble free pooling from now on! Lol

 

[vanellya]

Ok my SLAM is over! YAY!
Last night I added FC but it only went up to 10, this morning it was 9.5. CC 0.5. Pool crystal clear.

Now... I've turned my salt cell back on, but how do I know what setting to put it on to maintain FC of 5? Should I do an OCLT tonight with the salt cell on and see what the results are? For now, I have it at 45% and my pump runs 24/7. I also noticed that my salt reading on my app is now up to 4300 from 3950 last week (also pool store was reading 2700 to my 3950...). Could that higher reading be from adding chlorine or from keeping the cell off for a few days?

 

[HermanTX]

Do you have the PoolMath app?
Go under effects of adding in the pull down menu.
I put in 13000gals, SWG with 0.7 output (for IC20), and 24 hr run time, at 45% it will provide 2.9ppm of FC in that 24 hr period.
At 65% it is 4.2ppm Remember these are calculated values - actual results may differ.
Hope this helps.

 

[HermanTX]

To maintain 5ppm then it needs to run 24hrs set at 77%

 

[vanellya]

Do you have the PoolMath app?
Go under effects of adding in the pull down menu.
I put in 13000gals, SWG with 0.7 output (for IC20), and 24 hr run time, at 45% it will provide 2.9ppm of FC in that 24 hr period.
At 65% it is 4.2ppm Remember these are calculated values - actual results may differ.
Hope this helps.

Ok this makes more sense, thank you! I was trying to do this under a different section and it wasn't making sense. So if I run at 77%, it will keep my FC at 5. We use the pool rather heavily, do I have to adjust at all?
Also - in terms of maintenance, how often do I run a full panel of tests? How often should I be checking FC and pH on their own? What testing schedule do others usually follow to keep the pool trouble free?

 

[HermanTX]

Ok this makes more sense, thank you! I was trying to do this under a different section and it wasn't making sense. So if I run at 77%, it will keep my FC at 5. We use the pool rather heavily, do I have to adjust at all?
Also - in terms of maintenance, how often do I run a full panel of tests? How often should I be checking FC and pH on their own? What testing schedule do others usually follow to keep the pool trouble free?

The 77% setting is to replenish 5ppm. So if start at 7ppm and lose 5ppm to sun and bather load you should be back to 7 in that 24 hr period. If you only lose 3 then you be up to 9 (7-3+5). So you need to test a couple of days straight just to see where you are ending up. Try to test about the same time each day. Also, remember, these are calculated values - your SWCG may be not 100% efficient.

In the summer or swim season - you really should test your water every 2nd day for FC, CC and pH. Some test daily - I know I did when I started several years back. I found it very beneficial to understand how the pool functioned based on sunny days or rainy days. Some after they get to know their pool and how hot days affect it, may stretch that out some.

CYA should be tested monthly or 2x per month. This does not move much unless you use trichlor pucks. TA is impacted by changes you may make to pH results so should test that at least every second time you test pH. CH doesn't move much unless you have a lot of evaporation, and you fill with hard water. You can test weekly or 2x per month.

Truely every pool is different, and you should find what works for you. Over testing now will give you that confidence and experience to know if you can skip a test.

You should only adjust SWCG several times a year to account for temperature changes and bather load.

Suggest you review Pool Care Basics as there will be some insightful information on chemicals and testing.

 

[vanellya]

The 77% setting is to replenish 5ppm. So if start at 7ppm and lose 5ppm to sun and bather load you should be back to 7 in that 24 hr period. If you only lose 3 then you be up to 9 (7-3+5). So you need to test a couple of days straight just to see where you are ending up. Try to test about the same time each day. Also, remember, these are calculated values - your SWCG may be not 100% efficient.

In the summer or swim season - you really should test your water every 2nd day for FC, CC and pH. Some test daily - I know I did when I started several years back. I found it very beneficial to understand how the pool functioned based on sunny days or rainy days. Some after they get to know their pool and how hot days affect it, may stretch that out some.

CYA should be tested monthly or 2x per month. This does not move much unless you use trichlor pucks. TA is impacted by changes you may make to pH results so should test that at least every second time you test pH. CH doesn't move much unless you have a lot of evaporation, and you fill with hard water. You can test weekly or 2x per month.

Truely every pool is different, and you should find what works for you. Over testing now will give you that confidence and experience to know if you can skip a test.

You should only adjust SWCG several times a year to account for temperature changes and bather load.

Suggest you review Pool Care Basics as there will be some insightful information on chemicals and testing.

This is very helpful! Thank you! I will recheck CYA as well once it is sunny. Is it ok to stay at 30-40 even though it says it should be higher for a salt pool?

 

[HermanTX]

This is very helpful! Thank you! I will recheck CYA as well once it is sunny. Is it ok to stay at 30-40 even though it says it should be higher for a salt pool?

It is your pool and since you are way up north, how the UV affects your pool may be fine. The goal of a higher CYA in a salt pool is that the SWCG produces a tiny amount of chlorine every minute. If your CYA is too low then you may lose more to UV then if CYA was higher. Again this is a variable for you to figure out for your pool. If you have CYA of 40 and find you are losing more FC then you anticipated then up the CYA to try to protect it.

 

[Britali]

Congrats on completing SLAM! If you can maintain FC with your SWG at 40 CYA go for it. The CYA helps the SWG’s maintain FC instead of getting burned off more than they produce.

I do not have a high end SWG so my cell at 100% all the time (had to ask here what percent it was when I started lol) so I just adjust run time hours. I check my FC daily because I am learning my pool…and I learned that my cell likes to develop calcium buildup even if pool CSI good lol…which affects it’s FC production.

You can check your FC daily. Adjust your cell to more or less per those checks to find your sweet spot to maintain FC. You can supplement with LC to raise when your SWG does not keep up. If you are working your SWG hard or max …add CYA to help it keep up.

 

[vanellya]

Thank you! I think I will definitely be checking FC 1-2 times a day especially since it is easy and convenient. I really would like to keep a good grip on this so things don't get out of hand and I have to slam again! I'm so lucky for all this help getting me on track!