Somewhat new at this and need some advice.

Jump to latest Follow Reply
mac4lyfe said:
I pretty much only use the PH/CL drops 3-way test for normal use. I keep my CYA at 65 and my FC around 8 with a SWG. My pool stays pretty stable. The only thing I need to adjust is PH that drifts up every 10 - 14 days. The CL only goes up to 5 I think on the color scale but I have a good idea what 8 ppm is as it's a bit darker yellow. When I want an accurate reading or if I'm slamming I'll break out the FAS/DPD. KimKats has a link to test kits where you can easily order refills. I always make sure I have enough refills in case of an emergency.
Click to expand...

Understand, however, that the OTO test for FC isn't very good - JoyfulNoise, whom I trust with the chemistry side, says it's pretty much good for saying you have "some" FC in the pool, but not how much. I now use a high range comparator with a DPD test for daily FC testing (it goes up to 10 and is considered more trustworthy - look up Taylor 9056 test kit), but I still use the FAS-DPD test weekly to ensure I'm dialed in.
 
Yeah, I probably shouldn't recommend most people do what I do, especially new people. I've taken care of my pool for the last 13 years so I'm very in tune with what's going on. I can pretty much look at the water and tell if the PH is high or the CL low. LOL It's definitely not duplicatable for others. I just looked up the 9056 test kit. That will work very well for my purposes. Thanks much.
 
I catch on pretty quick. I have been calculating the FC ppm loss per hour. I lose less at night than during the day. I am even fairly up to snuff on how much chlorine I should be putting in without the calculator.

The process definitely does not run on an even sliding scale. The differences were a lot larger the last couple days. Now the loss is moving in fractions per hour. First test today yielded about a .66ppm loss an hour and the one I just did yielded about the same. Not changing as much as the last couple days.

I vacuumed and brushed really good this morning and the bottom and sides look really clean. Water is very blue. Real nice color BUT it is very cloudy still like there are tons of white particles.

Is this going to clear up when it's done or am I going to have to use some sort of bonding chemical to force it to filter out? Tested my CYA again and it is still about 40. Though it says I should keep shock level at 16 or above, I have been keeping at 20 or above. This is fine, right?

I did find a bottle of R-0871 at Leslie's and it's fine. But it was a lot more than at tftestkits.com. I just had to have it today. I will be ordering from tftestkits.com from now on. Prices are better.
 
The cloudiness is mostly dead algae. It should filter out with no other chemicals needed.

Being at a level above your shock level causes a lot more chlorine usage due to burn off. The higher levels can cause potential issues as well due to the excess of unbuffered free chlorine.
 
Extra amount of Chlorine should have no effect on plaster. Much higher levels shouldn't be an issue to the pool as well. I don't recommend swimming in very high levels but it will do a good job of sanitizing the pool for sure.
 
I think the timing worked out perfect for me. I am back to a long work day tomorrow from 4pm to midnight. So I will be gone for 11 hours or so.

Good news is I haven't even dropped 1ppm of FC in the last 4 hours. Sun is down now. So I get to leave it alone tonight and check it in the morning. I can feel comfortable about being away all day as long as the level is right before I leave and I don't have to give my wife a crash course on the test kit. AWESOME!!

She is already happy, even though it's mildly cloudy. The pool hasn't looked this good in a year and a half and I felt confident telling her that it is going to look even better when I am done.

Thanks!! I feel like have accomplished something already.
 
I only lost 4ppm of FC all day yesterday when I was gone for 12 hours. Tested at about 12:30 last night. Tested again at 7am and lost nadda. Does this mean I am done slamming. Pool is beautiful and clear.

I am assuming, since I live in Arizona, I am still going to have to use 2 or 3 gallons a week of chlorine. From a few posts I have read here, it seems losing 3-5ppm a day in the Arizona sun is normal even if CYA levels are good.

Does this sound right?

What's next? And should I keep the pump running while I let the FC drift to target level or can I set the timer?
 
Now Jimmy! You KNOW we need to see this pretty water before we can let you be done! I think this step 100 in the SLAM LOL

Could you see the heads/tails of a coin on the bottom of the deep end? Or can you see the screw heads of your main drain? If yes then you can set your time and let the FC drift down.

Kim:kim:
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
jimmycat said:
I am assuming, since I live in Arizona, I am still going to have to use 2 or 3 gallons a week of chlorine. From a few posts I have read here, it seems losing 3-5ppm a day in the Arizona sun is normal even if CYA levels are good.

Does this sound right?
Click to expand...
It' very hard to say how much chlorine you will use per week. It really depends on a lot of factors. How many times a week do you swim, do most of your swimmers have a lot of lotions, oils, etc., being brought into the pool? Do you have pets that swim in the pool? How about dirt, pollen, bugs, etc., falling into the pool? Do you have a cover? Your chlorine demand may be totally different from your next door neighbor. What I did was calculate what my FC loss was per day like you're doing. I'd then add enough so that it would not go below my minimum level for 3 or 4 days. That way I only added bleach twice a week. Some people add a bit every day while others add only once a week. What you don't want is to fall behind where you end up having to slam again because of an algae bloom which uses up much more chemicals than just maintaining proper FC levels. A few years ago, I was traveling a lot and it was tough maintaining. That's where a SWG is a life saver.
 
20170410_112856.jpg20170410_112914_Burst01.jpg20170410_112943.jpg

First time the plaster has been 'white' in a year and a half. Yes, I can see the screws in the drain cover and I can read heads or tails on a quarter in the shallow end. I didn't feel like fishing the quarter out of the deep end. Still not warm enough to swim.

I am not a photographer. Looks like it will take another day for the FC to drift down. It's still around 13ppm. I will test everything tomorrow and see where I am at - PH, FC, TA, etc. Looks good, though.

There is a lot of calcium on the water fall and around the pool light and where the water meets the tile around the edge. Is there anything I can use to clean that up? I am sure my water is still very hard. Hopefully, over the summer, the hardness will come down a bit as I am constantly replacing water between June and Sept due to the excessive heat. No more tabs or cal hypo for this pool. I will have to get some CYA soon, though.
 
That is such a pretty pool and area! Nice job!

For cleaning the deposits you can do 1:4 muratic acid/water to start. Put it in a spray bottle and use different brushes to see which one works. Rinse the area very well when you are done. Remember the m. acid could lower the PH. You will not being using much but I wanted you to be aware.

Kim:kim:
 
Great photos! Great progress! If you want even more specific advice, please share a couple photos of the calcium. As always, Kim has you on the right path. If it is your first time using MA like this, please take a few moments to educate yourself on it. There are threads on this website and manufacturer instructions. Bottom line is - gloves, eye protection, and air flow. Expect fumes and fizzing upon contact with the calcium/minerals. If the spray gets on not problem area stone, you might want to wet/dilute it so it doesn't eat at it. If you're doing this when you have a lot of time available, you could start with a 1:6 MA to water ratio, then go stronger from there if needed, but I don't think you should exceed 1:3 MA to water without sharing photos and getting more specific advice. As for brushes, any household cleaning brush could be a good place to start, perhaps a tile grout brush or scotch bright pad. I think this is usually done in 20 minute cycles of spray & brush, then hose off. Repeat as needed. Since MA sinks in water, brush the bottom of the pool to stir under any areas you spray with MA just to be extra careful.
 
I know this is an old thread. I just wanted to thank everyone for their advice. If you don't remember. My water was really hard. It still is. It was over 900 when I started. I haven't done anything to treat that but in just using Liquid chlorine and Myriatic Acid to keep things balanced according to pool school and keeping the pool vacuumed and skimmed. I seem to have the amount of the two chemicals to use down fairly well. I down to using my test kit every 10 days and everything checks out every time so far.

I have not had to add any CYA yet. It's still between 40 and 50 But I alrady have a couple pounds of CYA when I need it. The other good news is over time my water hardness has come down below 750 due to discontinuing the use of Calcium Hydro and the usual refilling from normal water use. So maybe by next Summer the water hardness will be at a fair level. Keep in mind, I live in Phoenix, Arizona. So my water from the tap is already around 240. So if I could get my pool water harness down to 400, I'd be happy.

So far so good. The water has been crystal clear since the slam in early April. It's been around 108 degrees and the humidity is kicking up. Forcast for Tuesday is a record 120. So if I make it through the next couple weeks, I would say I have this down. We will see what challenges arise.

Just to give you all a run down. Last Summer I spent aprox $240 a month from May through Sept and my pool was green or cloudy half the time.

So far this year, I spent $150 between the test kit and the slam and $50 over the last month on chlorine and 2 bottles of myriatic acid and I have had no issues whatsoever. The pool is gorgeous!
 
If that's not a TFP endorsement I don't know what is!
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply