Once a week pool maintenance, how?

[sterfry1988]

I have a friend who hires someone to take care of their pool. The guy comes once a week to treat the pool.

Given the pool care basics of checking chlorine every day, how is he able to maintain the pool by only checking it once a week?

 

[Texas Splash]

Given the pool care basics of checking chlorine every day, how is he able to maintain the pool by only checking it once a week?

Several factors apply such as:
- Method of chlorination
- Hardness of water
- Chlorine demand
- Water exchange
In many cases, owners who use a weekly service either have a relatively short season and can use tabs/pucks without the CYA getting too high, or they may have an automated chlorinating system (i.e. SWG). Sometimes they are just lucky and the FC/CYA ratio hasn't caught-up yet to allow algae to grow. No matter what, proper testing will tell a pool owner where he/she stands.

 

[sterfry1988]

Several factors apply such as:
- Method of chlorination
- Hardness of water
- Chlorine demand
- Water exchange
In many cases, owners who use a weekly service either have a relatively short season and can use tabs/pucks without the CYA getting too high, or they may have an automated chlorinating system (i.e. SWG). Sometimes they are just lucky and the FC/CYA ratio hasn't caught-up yet to allow algae to grow. No matter what, proper testing will tell a pool owner where he/she stands.

Yeah, I don't have any details of my friends pool. Admittedly testing the chlorine everyday gets a bit cumbersome. So when I heard their pool maintenance only happens once a week it had me wondering.

 

[Jimrahbe]

1988,

There is no "requirement" that you test your FC each day... There is a requirement that you understand how your pool functions...

After testing for a couple of weeks you should get a feel about what your pool needs.. If your pool uses 20 oz. of chlorine each day, Then use that as a guide and add 20 oz. each day and see where you are on the third day.

Pool care is more like hand grenades than it is a game of darts.. You do not have to hit the bull's eye everyday. Close is close enough.

Most pool guys throw a half dozen 3" pucks into the skimmer and hope they last a week.. But why would they care, it is not their pool and most likely get paid more to fix it, if things go South...

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[splashpad]

Yeah, I don't have any details of my friends pool. Admittedly testing the chlorine everyday gets a bit cumbersome. So when I heard their pool maintenance only happens once a week it had me wondering.

My question would be, how old is the pool? How often do they have "issues" with the pool?

As Jim noted, once you have learned your pool's "needs", you can adjust testing to "check" the status of your pool

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I test my pool maybe twice a week in midsummer (more often if I've changed something ). I have a SWG which obviously helps. I also have developed an eye for just looking at the pool and knowing it may need more attention. For example if my pH is a tad too high I can see it by noticing a certain lack of sparkle. This is learned over time.
In 8 years I've never once had algae so this has worked well for me. I *trust* my TF-100 test kit like no other.

Maddie

 

[setsailsoon]

Sterf,

I had pool service for the first 2 years due to extensive travel, we were finishing up a consulting gig in Houston and only got home every month or two. When I was home the pool "looked good" to me... meaning no green algae but I didn't really know what good was. After I went to school here and started to understand what KimKats meant by "you'll get to know your pool" and Maddie mentions above I realized the pool was a mess even though it was clear. FC was always off the chart and pH was 8.2 plus. Luckily for me the guy did not load it up with CYA from pucks but the only way that worked was to stay in perpetual SLAM mode. I had a 2-speed pump but he never used low speed so it ran 16+ hours per day on high resulting in very high pH all the time. Not to mention the power bill for an unoccupied house! Turns out low speed was wired incorrectly and wouldn't even work. Funny the pool guy never noticed!

I terminated the pool guy and signed up for TFP over 3 years ago. Wife was scared to death that I'd mess up the pool but she gained confidence quickly. I started off with just the basics of vacuuming, cleaning the walls and monitoring/balancing. All of a sudden neighbors raved about the pool. And we moved back in so we ran AC a lot more but the power bill barely increased. I was surprised much my "over-circulated" pool was costing me. I could go on but you get the picture I'm sure. The pool guy was a nice kid and hard-working but he didn't have the training needed. There are ways they can avoid an algae pool but that doesn't always mean it's really in good shape. I worry a little about what the brutal chemistry did to my finish but last 3 years my CSI has been +/- .3 most of the time under TFP balancing and I'm hopeful that offsets the first 2 years.

Chris

 

[sterfry1988]

Thank you all for the replies. I think you're right about the looks can be deceiving part. I'll see if I can sneak a water sample this summer and report back