Hello,
Our pool is in a vacation home, so I'm not present to test/correct every day.
We have a pool service company that services the pool every 2 weeks, they last serviced on 5/10.
Their report is attached.
We visited starting 5/12, I did a test for levels using the TFT-100 test kit and noticed CC were testing at 2.5 (and the water was slightly cloudy) and proceeded to SLAM for the 3 nights I was there
The last morning before we left results were as follows:
FC: 13.5
CC: 1
pH: 7.4
TA: 170 (not really sure how this is getting that high, considering an aerator, kids splashing, jumping isn't cutting it)
CYA: 40
I added 63 oz of 10% chlorine per the poolmath app before I left.
I asked the pool tech why they don't test for CCs (I've included their report) and his response is below.
I've also attached some of the ridiculous stuff the company is adding and charging every few months.
Questions:
- What would explain the discrepancy between the TFT test I did for CC and the pool tech's statement of 0 detected (still not convinced they do test but want to make sure I'm accounting for something that could change between his visit on 5/10 and my test on 5/12)
- I've noticed they add things like "clarifiers, enzymes, stain removers" and charge a ton for those so I've told them not to add anything other than Chlorine and CYA if needed (if level is below 40). What would you folks recommend?
- Overall the issue is we're there only every other weekend in the summer. This company is there every 2 weeks as well. The first year I wanted to have the company to manage the pool and let them "have at it". However I paid about $6,000 in service and chemicals, more importantly, I don't trust all the stuff being added to the pool. I want to reign it in this year and only add chlorine and clean the pool so we can enjoy it. If the readings are right why add anything to the pool? What would you folks do in this situation?
Pool tech's response (I haven't modified the set points but that's besides the point):
I will check on the pool/spa autofills when I'm there again! So, I think that there may be some confusion on your end as far as what combined chlorine is, what the function of chloramines, and how organics grow within water systems, but not to fear I would love to educate further! We do test for combined chlorine, but there aren't any testable combined chlorine (chloramines) in your water that I am aware of!
It is possible that since the last maintenance stop, and with the addition of swimming taking place, that swimmer wastes such as blood/sweat/tears/ammonia/urea/peptides/skin cells have made their way into the pool and added into that combination bank. Chloramines do have sanitational properties to them, and they are used for the sanitation of most municipal water sources for residential/commercial plumbing systems country-wide. What I have tried to do in the past for your pool/spa is to ride a higher free chlorine/oxidized level closer to a 4-5ppm through your automation, but everytime that I have made those changes, I return and numbers have been rearranged, targets/set points have been adjusted, etc... I am still using the oxy-brite in the pool as I have discussed with you in the past, the overall benefits and why we insist on the use of that product, especially in lower sanitizer-level bodies of water. I will refrain from using any ancillary products such as stain/scale inhibitors, enzymes for the swimmer-released organic materials, and clarifier for the micro particles being released into your pool from underneath the coping between your pool deck and autocover tracking.
Stabilizer will continue to be maintained as it needs to be when we are there, and aside from all of this I will be happy to reset the target levels on the intellichem for both bodies a final time to ride that elevated chlorine level that you're describing, but I do expect the setpoints to stay where I set them going forward! With elevated chlorine levels and the introduction of oxy-brite to burn off any excess/added organics, and then the filtration system working optimally, the pool simply will not allow for the buildup of organic materials/pathogens/viruses/etc. The only time there would ever be potential for these things to grow is if the chlorine levels drop below 0 ppm and the pool water fails to be shocked/oxidized/treated properly! I hope this sort of helps shed some light on that portion of the pool industry for you, and I am absolutely happy as usual to hear any other suggestions you may have for the pool/spa! I will also reach back out to you the next time I'm there for maintenance and report all of the readings via text message
Our pool is in a vacation home, so I'm not present to test/correct every day.
We have a pool service company that services the pool every 2 weeks, they last serviced on 5/10.
Their report is attached.
We visited starting 5/12, I did a test for levels using the TFT-100 test kit and noticed CC were testing at 2.5 (and the water was slightly cloudy) and proceeded to SLAM for the 3 nights I was there
The last morning before we left results were as follows:
FC: 13.5
CC: 1
pH: 7.4
TA: 170 (not really sure how this is getting that high, considering an aerator, kids splashing, jumping isn't cutting it)
CYA: 40
I added 63 oz of 10% chlorine per the poolmath app before I left.
I asked the pool tech why they don't test for CCs (I've included their report) and his response is below.
I've also attached some of the ridiculous stuff the company is adding and charging every few months.
Questions:
- What would explain the discrepancy between the TFT test I did for CC and the pool tech's statement of 0 detected (still not convinced they do test but want to make sure I'm accounting for something that could change between his visit on 5/10 and my test on 5/12)
- I've noticed they add things like "clarifiers, enzymes, stain removers" and charge a ton for those so I've told them not to add anything other than Chlorine and CYA if needed (if level is below 40). What would you folks recommend?
- Overall the issue is we're there only every other weekend in the summer. This company is there every 2 weeks as well. The first year I wanted to have the company to manage the pool and let them "have at it". However I paid about $6,000 in service and chemicals, more importantly, I don't trust all the stuff being added to the pool. I want to reign it in this year and only add chlorine and clean the pool so we can enjoy it. If the readings are right why add anything to the pool? What would you folks do in this situation?
Pool tech's response (I haven't modified the set points but that's besides the point):
I will check on the pool/spa autofills when I'm there again! So, I think that there may be some confusion on your end as far as what combined chlorine is, what the function of chloramines, and how organics grow within water systems, but not to fear I would love to educate further! We do test for combined chlorine, but there aren't any testable combined chlorine (chloramines) in your water that I am aware of!
It is possible that since the last maintenance stop, and with the addition of swimming taking place, that swimmer wastes such as blood/sweat/tears/ammonia/urea/peptides/skin cells have made their way into the pool and added into that combination bank. Chloramines do have sanitational properties to them, and they are used for the sanitation of most municipal water sources for residential/commercial plumbing systems country-wide. What I have tried to do in the past for your pool/spa is to ride a higher free chlorine/oxidized level closer to a 4-5ppm through your automation, but everytime that I have made those changes, I return and numbers have been rearranged, targets/set points have been adjusted, etc... I am still using the oxy-brite in the pool as I have discussed with you in the past, the overall benefits and why we insist on the use of that product, especially in lower sanitizer-level bodies of water. I will refrain from using any ancillary products such as stain/scale inhibitors, enzymes for the swimmer-released organic materials, and clarifier for the micro particles being released into your pool from underneath the coping between your pool deck and autocover tracking.
Stabilizer will continue to be maintained as it needs to be when we are there, and aside from all of this I will be happy to reset the target levels on the intellichem for both bodies a final time to ride that elevated chlorine level that you're describing, but I do expect the setpoints to stay where I set them going forward! With elevated chlorine levels and the introduction of oxy-brite to burn off any excess/added organics, and then the filtration system working optimally, the pool simply will not allow for the buildup of organic materials/pathogens/viruses/etc. The only time there would ever be potential for these things to grow is if the chlorine levels drop below 0 ppm and the pool water fails to be shocked/oxidized/treated properly! I hope this sort of helps shed some light on that portion of the pool industry for you, and I am absolutely happy as usual to hear any other suggestions you may have for the pool/spa! I will also reach back out to you the next time I'm there for maintenance and report all of the readings via text message
