Opening my pool and want to do it real nice this time

[Newdude]

I will test my fc tonight again after coming home from work and see just how much fc I did lose so I will get a better grasp on what I am losing on a daily basis.

That's what we need. How much do you lose per day ? Preferably averaged over several days, because no two days are the same.

Generally speaking though, next week should be similar to this week so we will take the average of the week before you leave, to guess the week you are away. Then we'll add 1 ppm a day extra for wiggle room.

 

[Kaylee34]

By the end of this year I will be a pro .

Haha! Yes you will!

I will test my fc tonight again after coming home from work and see just how much fc I did lose so I will get a better grasp on what I am losing on a daily basis.

Perfect. Better yet, check it a little later in the day if there’s still sun on the pool.

 

[Newdude]

By the end of this year I will be a pro

Let's see here..........

You already fully understand the importance of testing yourself.

You're doing your best to understand what your pool actually needs.

You're fully understanding what you *don't* want to add. (And have resisted the urge so far)

You're almost there, my friend. It'll be second nature soon.

 

[monsterman]

That's what we need. How much do you lose per day ? Preferably averaged over several days, because no two days are the same.

Generally speaking though, next week should be similar to this week so we will take the average of the week before you leave, to guess the week you are away. Then we'll add 1 ppm a day extra for wiggle room.

I do not get home till around 6-- I will test around then and now you see why I want another jar of powder --- But what I think I am asking is if my fc is being maintained at 16 and I put my cover on and so the fc may NOT lose the 3 -5 ppm as you say- but maybe less- let us say 2 ppm so after 5 days my fc would be 16-10= 6 ppm(correct?)- what should I add in my pool above the 16 before I leave so that when I return my fc will be at or around the initial 16 before I left(in liquid chlorine amounts?--- how do we figure that out-- if that is the proper way to do it?

 

[Mdragger88]

If its 5 days at 2ppm/day thats 10ppm+ a little more for buffer that you would want to add just before departure. So if you’re sitting at 16 ppm you would aim for 26ppm + a few ppm extra.
PoolMath will tell you how much bleach that is.
16 would be your “current” & lets call it 30 for your “target”

 

[monsterman]

If its 5 days at 2ppm/day thats 10ppm+ a little more for buffer that you would want to add just before departure. So if you’re sitting at 16 ppm you would aim for 26ppm + a few ppm extra.
PoolMath will tell you how much bleach that is.
16 would be your “current” & lets call it 30 for your “target”

View attachment 508281View attachment 508282

Thats exactly what I needed

 

[monsterman]

How many FC are you losing a day at the higher CYA level ?

Are you averaging a half gallon a day ?

Where are you buying the chlorine ? Walmart has 10% for $5.67 in the pool section.

I want to thank you-- I am picking up 7 gallons tonight of Walmart- Pool essentials chlorinating bleach for $5.67---saves me a ton- now I do not feel so bad about putting in so much LOL

 

[Mdragger88]

I want to thank you-- I am picking up 7 gallons tonight of Walmart- Pool essentials chlorinating bleach for $5.67---saves me a ton- now I do not feel so bad about putting in so much LOL

Fantastic
One other good place to look is ocean state job lot if you have one in your area.

 

[wireform]

Fantastic
One other good place to look is ocean state job lot if you have one in your area.

But then he'd have to adjust the percentage to 12.5% in poolmath .....

 

[monsterman]

I just tested my fc - it is 12 ppm- so I lost 4 ppm today so that might be my baseline loss per day

 

[Newdude]

so I lost 4 ppm today

Is that with the cover or without?

 

[monsterman]

Is that with the cover or without?

without the cover- I have not used the cover this year yet.

 

[monsterman]

But then he'd have to adjust the percentage to 12.5% in poolmath .....

My sister-in-law lives near one about 10 minutes away- maybe when I go to visit them again I will buy a few of them it may mean less chlorine needs to be added since the strength is greater by 2.5%

 

[monsterman]

I just added 84 ounces of liquid chlorine- I am trying to raise my fc to 18 and maybe even 20 by the next day or so and then maintain it at that by adding every other day once it hits 20 ppm. Again once I go onto pool math and ask how much to put in with the parameters I give it- I can log that addition- but when I go into logs to the right of the + sign- I cannot add anything? Can someone give me a step-by-step on how to add logs

 

[Mdragger88]

I just added 84 ounces of liquid chlorine- I am trying to raise my fc to 18 and maybe even 20 by the next day or so and then maintain it at that by adding every other day once it hits 20 ppm. Again once I go onto pool math and ask how much to put in with the parameters I give it- I can log that addition- but when I go into logs to the right of the + sign- I cannot add anything? Can someone give me a step-by-step on how to add logs

I believe you have to delete the old ones to save the new one if you don’t have the subscription.
It’s been several years since I’ve been without a subscription so things may have changed. @Leebo can confirm that.
I gladly pay my $8 every April to save unlimited logs, notes etc. as it is an invaluable tool in my pool/spa care arsenal.

 

[Newdude]

without the cover- I have not used the cover this year yet.

So the cover will likely cut the FC consumption by about half for when you go away.

Can someone give me a step-by-step on how to add logs

Without the premium version, $8 a year, you have to delete the log before it let's you log a new one. Most people don't bother logging at that point.

 

[monsterman]

So the cover will likely cut the FC consumption by about half for when you go away.

Without the premium version, $8 a year, you have to delete the log before it let's you log a new one. Most people don't bother logging at that point.

I am doing it the old fashioned way. Paper and pen. Lets get back to basics

 

[Mdragger88]

I am doing it the old fashioned way. Paper and pen. Lets get back to basics

I did that for many years.
Just be sure to write down your test results as well as your additions so you can look back on them.

 

[monsterman]

good morning all. I just tested my water and here are my results--- fc after adding 84 oz of chlorine last night-- is 18
TA= 100
CC =NONE-- That's good right?
CH=150-- is that good also?
ph= I believe it is 8.2 or so-- little darker than the top color-- BUT I read your stuff and someone said that if the fc is over 10 then it skews the ph results and you should wait to get fc down below 10 before testing the ph again and then adjust? But MY goal here to counter my high CYA is to keep MY fc higher than 12 or more- so I do NOT want to bring my fc down- besides that will be a waste of all the chlorine that I have been adding to keep my pool properly sanitized as per your instructions that my minimum should be about where I am now so that when the sun makes me lose 3 ppm or so- I am still in a good sanitizing range. So testing the ph this way is kind of a double-edged sword. I want to keep my fc high so that when I go away I do not have to add an incredibly huge amount of chlorine. Any ideas?- Do you think I should put any dry acid in my pool to lower this POSSIBLY SKEWED ph result? Or just leave it alone. And if u recommend adding any dry acid-knowing my number is about 8.2 and you know the volume of my pool- what amount do you recommend me `adding to the water to bring the ph down if you suggest that. And if I do add it - how many hours later can someone swim in the pool? It is my day off and I may want to jump in.. or if I can wait till later- let me know- and if I can wait till later- how long after would I be able to add chlorine if I WANTED to?

Just let me know after all your replies- what you think of my results. Thank you - and by the way the pool looks really pretty this early in the morning. Looks really clear and clean.

 

[Mdragger88]

When are you going away? It won’t waste chlorine or harm anything to add it all to the target we mentioned the day you leave. Fc in the water is fc in the water whether you put it in slow a little extra each day or all at once. The fc gets consumed daily, the higher the fc the faster it burns off so you may end up actually using more with your plan if you have a while before your trip.
Let fc fall to 10ppm & check/adjust ph or get a meter.
Adjusting it now based on skewed results is a bad idea & you can accidentally overdo the acid.
When you do get to where you can adjust ph , circulating for 15- 30 minutes after the addition before swimming is sufficient. You want ph in the 7’s for swimmer comfort.