Recommended Levels- Trouble Free Pools Vs the Pool Company

[MKroonen]

Hi! We're new pool owners and have been going by the recommended levels for various chemicals as outlined by the pool company for their printout. We have a fiberglass salt water pool- so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. I see the alkalinity suggested by TFP is 60-80, but the pool company suggests 80-120? TFP also recommends 350-550 for calcium hardness and they recommend 200-300? Finally, TFP recommends 70-80 for CYA/Stabilizer and they recommend 30-60? Are these differences because of the type of pool we have? Thanks in advance!

 

[Newdude]

Hey MK !!!

TA can vary greatly from pool to pool. 70-100 is A-ok. Some even do fine to 60 and 110. If you end up in the 70-100 range it will usually settle in where it wants to be. Listen to it after it does and let it be.

The CH recommendations are really for plaster pools. Fiber/vinyl need some, but not nearly as much. Aim for 150 just to have some wiggle room with rain/draining and splash out.

The 70-80 CYA is recommended for all salt pools. The SWG only adds a little chlorine at a time so it needs more buffering/protecting or it will burn off as fast as it’s made. With liquid chlorine it doesn’t need as much buffering because a gallon or two is added for an instant spike in FC and it will decrease until the next day when more is added.

A 70 CYA should be more than fine all the way up north by you, but down south they sometimes need a little more. So there is some leeway in the recommended levels for location purposes.

 

[MKroonen]

Hey MK !!!

TA can vary greatly from pool to pool. 70-100 is A-ok. Some even do fine to 60 and 110. If you end up in the 70-100 range it will usually settle in where it wants to be. Listen to it after it does and let it be.

The CH recommendations are really for plaster pools. Fiber/vinyl need some, but not nearly as much. Aim for 150 just to have some wiggle room with rain/draining and splash out.

The 70-80 CYA is recommended for all salt pools. The SWG only adds a little chlorine at a time so it needs more buffering/protecting or it will burn off as fast as it’s made. With liquid chlorine it doesn’t need as much buffering because a gallon or two is added for an instant spike in FC and it will decrease until the next day when more is added.

A 70 CYA should be more than fine all the way up north by you, but down south they sometimes need a little more. So there is some leeway in the recommended levels for location purposes.

Thank you!

 

[BenB]

Hi and welcome and congrats on the first post

Traditional pool stores and builders will recommend ranges that differ from TFP methodology. In general, their advice is based on old science that the folks who came up with the 'TFP way' or whatever we want to call it, now understand a lot better than back-in-the-day.

The most important thing to understand is that you cannot mix the two. This isn't a cookie recipe where you can 'split the difference' when deciding how much of each ingredient to add, and you'll drive yourself crazy trying to.

There are absolutely differences in target levels based on what type of pool you have. Both in terms of plaster vs fiberglass, and manual chlorination vs. salt water chlorine generator (SWG). Check out this page:
Recommended Levels

 

[YippeeSkippy]

MK, have you read this- ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry It might help you understand.

For example if you have frequent needs to lower your pH, you'll see that the higher TA "pulls" that pH up. So we've learned to lower our TA a bit and that slows the pH raise.

Maddie

 

[BenB]

For example if you have frequent needs to lower your pH, you'll see that the higher TA "pulls" that pH up. So we've learned to lower our TA a bit and that slows the pH raise.

But.... but.... then we won't be able to sell both "pH Down Magic Potion #5" and also "Alkalinity Up Super Sparkle" (aka baking soda)?