Seem to be using a lot of stabilizer

[Cmelser]

Good evening,
Second time coming in for support. After battling trying to maintain chlorine levels it seems like I may have that fixed but now seem to have a different issue. Pool always stays fairly balanced but struggled with chlorine levels and we think it was a glitch in the salt system. I have cleaned the cell and was finally holding chlorine at about 3.5-4 for a week and then dropped to 1.5 with no adjustment. Had rain so I added salt and stabilizer and was in track. Yesterday chlorine hovering around 1.5-2, today I was at 1. I ran out of stabilizer test liquid so I had to have the pool store test it and I got more fluid while
There. They tested it at 15. So when I got home I tested it myself and got 20. My question is how often should I be adding stabilizer to the pool? It seems like I have to add more than what I would expect. I have added at least two gallons in a 4-5 months and just had to add 3lbs today.
I know you will want test numbers and I am using the TFT kit
FC-1.5

CC-.2

PH-7.8

CH-375

TA-90

CYA-20

Should I be adding every couple months or twice a year or what? I don’t appear to have a leak, no auto fill, salt level stays pretty steady, haven’t had to add that much salt since it was new maybe 40-50 pounds total in about 9 months. I am at a loss.

 

[woodyp]

Have you had to pump out a lot of rain water down there?

 

[Cmelser]

Had a few days of rain a couple weeks ago. It drained out the overflow. But I added salt and stabilizer a day or two later. I had been out of the test liquid for stabilizer so I was relaying on the pool store but was up at 50-60 this week at 15. Verified with my own test. Haven’t really added much water and no rain to cause any concern since last add

 

[Katodude]

How warm is your water? CYA degrades in warmer water. In SE Florida I have to add CYA monthly in the summer.

 

[Cmelser]

Temp is right about 90 if the salt system thermometer is correct. I cleaned my salt cell yesterday and the filter added 3lbs. Last few days I have been finding white flakes all over the pool so I thought the issues were my salt cell being dirty and finding stabilizer low again. Just wondering how often is normal to go through stabilizer.

 

[Katodude]

Your white flakes are indicating scaling which means your CSI is high. Post a new full set of test results. Check your CSI in pool math, you should try to keep it slightly negative. If you do that you wont have to clean your cell either.

90 plus all the rain we get is going to cause you to lose CYA. Test it monthly or even every two weeks and adjust accordingly.

 

[Cmelser]

CSI was good has always been just negative but according to pool math it’s come back good. PH is 7.5 , TA 90, CH 375. Chlorine been holding at 5. And CYA should be back at 80. Which before tests this is what I thought it was but CSI ok. Not sure if my filter is letting stuff pass or something else, salt? I had it again today

 

[kellyfair]

My pool isn’t much smaller than yours, volume-wise, and it sits in direct sunlight all day. No screen enclosure. Your CYA situation sounds a bit wonky to me... mine might drop from 70 or 80 to 50 over the course of the entire summer, but nothing like what you are describing. What type of CYA are you using, and how are you adding it?

 

[Cmelser]

Was using pinch a penny liquid. This round I used Leslies granulated and added per directions and putting into skimmer. Prior to adding this time the last couple times I pulled my filter out the water is milky in the housing and when I rinse the filter. Adding per the directions this time I can’t clean my filter for like 72 hours so it will all dissolve. I have never had my cya fall to 20 but seems to keep going from 80-90 to 40

 

[kellyfair]

Ok, so first... the liquid settles really quickly, so if you don’t shake the tar out of it, you may not have added as much as you thought.

Second, when you added the granulated, did you pour it directly into the skimmer, or put it in a sock and hang it, squeezing sock now and then? The granules take forever to dissolve, so I’m thinking if you added them directly, that may be the source of the white bits you see scattering around.

 

[Cmelser]

I followed the directions per the label, that and the video said to pour directly into skimmer and run pump for 24 and don’t clean filter for at least 72. Strangely the flakes were before the cya. I clean and balance the pool weekly. I thought the flakes were from the salt cell so I acid washed it that didn’t seem to be it. Pool is crystal clear. I run the pump 12 hours a day since I struggled keeping chlorine up without running cell at 70-80%. I thought maybe it was undissolved salt as I used a different brand recently but I brushed it in and every weekend I brush and vacuum pool. Between the cya changes, flakes and struggling with chlorine I am about to break down and higher a pool company

 

[kellyfair]

All that is likely to do is cost you more money while not solving the issues.

Can you post a fresh set of test results? Also, to verify that salt cell is producing, can you take a sample of water right at the return while pump is on, and test that for FC too?

Are you still seeing flakes or anything else, and what type of pool do you have?

 

[Cmelser]

I will be cleaning and will test all in the am. The cell appears to be producing ok. Just a couple days ago I did the first acid wash of the cell since I have had the pool. Cell really didn’t have much build up at all, all cells were clear, acid did bubble a lot in cell though. I have a concrete pool with quartz finish. PH never goes above 8 and PH is finally down from curing to 90. We swam today and after about 2min after being in we could see the flakes everywhere. I adjusted the suction last night to pull more from the floor and the pump ran all night. I think the cell is producing as I have has 4-5 ppm of chlorine for the last couple days. Pump is back on normal 12 hour cycle today so we will see if the level stays up.

 

[Cmelser]

Ok this morning I did the full service. Vacuumed, then brushed, vacuumed again, cleaned baskets, filter was already done this week. So here are a compete set of results from my water tests.
6/11
FC-4
CC-0
PH-7.6
CH-375
TA-90
CYA-60
CSI- .01
Granulated CYA has been in since Wednesday so I am sure that’s going to go up more since I added enough to go to 78-80. I am currently running filter for 12 hours and SWG at 45%. Heat index has been in the 100’s. I don’t know if the flakes are still there but I purposely vacuumed first to see if I could catch whatever was settled, then brushed and vacuumed again in case. I have not got in yet to see if they are there but could see from side. Have the pump pulling from drains more today to see if that helps.

 

[mknauss]

Results look fine. That SWCG setting should maintain your FC.

 

[Cmelser]

So it’s been a few days. In the evening seems that when I test for a few days I have been at 3.5ppm for chlorine. Had a couples afternoon rains this week. When I tested pool this morning after pump running for about 3 hours my FC was only 1.5......cleaned pool, ran for another two hours and still only 1.5. Pushed my cell to 99% so I could pull water from a return while cell is producing and it looks like I have about 4-5ppm coming out. There were less of the flakes last swim but still there. cYA finally seems to have come up after the 7 days to retest. The loss of chlorine randomly is getting annoying and It has been a struggle since spring started. The flakes, stabilizer all over it seems and chlorine loss different times. Did not check level last night when I got home from work as it was raining. My water level did come up in the last two days but not overflowing.
Here are today’s results. I am just wondering if I am chasing my tail and I ok or if I got some sort of cell issue or what.
pool is crystal clear, no smell.
FC-1.5~
CC-0
PH-7.8(added acid per app)
TA-90
CYA-70
Salt ppm-3000ish
Last CH level was 375
Pump is running from 7am-6pm and cell is set to 45% still. It seems I go from holding at 3.5-4 then one day down for 1-1.5 of FC. Today I set cell to 100% for an hour or two to bump up some. Filter is ok, haven’t rinsed in about two weeks since adding stabilizer and pressure good. I don’t know if I am running wrong hours, not enough, of cell is messed up. Cell was cleaned not but a week and a half ago and it was clean before the acid. The rain yesterday was right about time the pump shuts off for night. I am seriously trying to figure this out and about to just hire someone so I can enjoy the pool and not worry everyday. I follow just about everything on this site, no algae and clear just up and down battle with this stuff. For a smaller pool it’s kicking my butt.

 

[poolnoobgrandma]

So it’s been a few days. In the evening seems that when I test for a few days I have been at 3.5ppm for chlorine. Had a couples afternoon rains this week. When I tested pool this morning after pump running for about 3 hours my FC was only 1.5......cleaned pool, ran for another two hours and still only 1.5. Pushed my cell to 99% so I could pull water from a return while cell is producing and it looks like I have about 4-5ppm coming out. There were less of the flakes last swim but still there. cYA finally seems to have come up after the 7 days to retest. The loss of chlorine randomly is getting annoying and It has been a struggle since spring started. The flakes, stabilizer all over it seems and chlorine loss different times. Did not check level last night when I got home from work as it was raining. My water level did come up in the last two days but not overflowing.
Here are today’s results. I am just wondering if I am chasing my tail and I ok or if I got some sort of cell issue or what.
pool is crystal clear, no smell.
FC-1.5~
CC-0
PH-7.8(added acid per app)
TA-90
CYA-70
Salt ppm-3000ish
Last CH level was 375
Pump is running from 7am-6pm and cell is set to 45% still. It seems I go from holding at 3.5-4 then one day down for 1-1.5 of FC. Today I set cell to 100% for an hour or two to bump up some. Filter is ok, haven’t rinsed in about two weeks since adding stabilizer and pressure good. I don’t know if I am running wrong hours, not enough, of cell is messed up. Cell was cleaned not but a week and a half ago and it was clean before the acid. The rain yesterday was right about time the pump shuts off for night. I am seriously trying to figure this out and about to just hire someone so I can enjoy the pool and not worry everyday. I follow just about everything on this site, no algae and clear just up and down battle with this stuff. For a smaller pool it’s kicking my butt.

I have come to accept that at times the SWG won't be able to fully mitigate some impacts on FC. Large swimmer load, lots of rain, long, hot sunny days and/or a combo thereof will lead to the infamous "SWG isn't keeping up." I keep my FC level on the high end of the desired range to provide a cushion (and time to respond) when something is going on and the FC starts dropping. I add chlorine, either liquid or cal-hypo powder, to get the chlorine up where I want it (or a little higher) and bam - the SWG keeps it there! Until the next time. If that doesn't work, I do an OCLT and SLAM if necessary, but by never letting the chlorine get even close to the low end of the range, the quick add of chlorine nips it in the bud.
Also, here in hot, sunny FL, CYA is not a once a season add. Ours has dropped again, and more is on its way from Amazon as I type this. That's another reason that the SWG won't "keep up."

 

[Cmelser]

I have been struggling for a few months trying to keep my chlorine at 3-5. Some mornings it’s 1-1.5 some it’s 2-2.5. In the evenings it’s sometimes 3-4. I run 12 hours a day and now recently went to 50%. According to pool math I should be mKing
Almost 5ppm a day. I know it’s hot and sunny in Florida but have friends running less hours and % a day and holding higher. Per our builder we should only have to run between 25-35% but that’s not been the case. I knew it would be some work but just seems that I have to run our equipment longer and harder than expected. Oh well guess If cell fails early it is what it is. Pool has always been clear except for the white flakes so I guess I should be thankful.

 

[Cmelser]

I have been struggling for a few months trying to keep my chlorine at 3-5. Some mornings it’s 1-1.5 some it’s 2-2.5. In the evenings it’s sometimes 3-4. I run 12 hours a day and now recently went to 50%. According to pool math I should be mKing
Almost 5ppm a day. I know it’s hot and sunny in Florida but have friends running less hours and % a day and holding higher. Per our builder we should only have to run between 25-35% but that’s not been the case. I knew it would be some work but just seems that I have to run our equipment longer and harder than expected. Oh well guess If cell fails early it is what it is. Pool has always been clear except for the white flakes

 

[mknauss]

SWCG for 12 hours at 50% is 4.7 ppm FC per day. Not an unusual amount for this time of year for a small pool volume. My pool, similar volume, consumes right at that.