Hello TFP crew!
I have read a few dozen threads and blog entries from TFP in an effort to self-educate prior to taking over maintenance of my pool, but I am interested in getting feedback on the approach I plan to take before doing it.
The broad problem is that I have had 2 pool maintainers and both have failed to consistently deliver a clean pool that my kids can swim in. I have multiweek periods with both maintainers where the pool is totally unusable, and I've become sufficiently fed up that I am going to take over the pool maintenance. I have done enough background reading that I think I should be able to do this without much trouble, thanks to TFP and other sources online.
I stopped using the first maintainer and cutover to the second a few months ago. The new maintainer has put all kinds of additives into the pool, e.g. alum, metal treatment, phosphate remover, etc, and only after the most recent application of a large amount of alum has the algae even temporarily subsided. After several weeks of the pool being full of algae and unusable, I decided to order a test kit and test the pool myself. I got a Taylor K-2006 kit and used it to test both my pool water and the well water that feeds the pool via an autofill valve. The results were as follows:
via Taylor K-2006
pool water - pH < 7.0, FC and TC were 0-1.0 ppm, TA 20, TH 280, CYA 0 (afaict)
well water - pH 7.4, TA 190, TH 180
via Hach HA-71A
well water - TH 15 gpg (258 ppm)
I was surprised to se the same well water give substantially different TH numbers via the 2 test kits. I was also surprised to see TH be substantially higher in pool water versus the well water when testing with Taylor kit. When I did the CYA test, the sample did not cloud at all and the black dot was fully visible the entire time. The pool TA was also bizarrely low, considering the higher number in the well water.
Considering the test results I have gotten and that I am on well water versus city water, I am inclined to drain and refill the pool so I can start fresh versus attempting to fix the current mess left by the prior maintainers. However, it is already pretty hot here, with highs in the low 90s, and I see suggestions online that a pool should not be drained when it is over 85 F outside.
AFAICT, I need to first balance the water before adding CYA and concentrated liquid chlorine, e.g. to SLAM the pool, but I am concerned this will be a rathole with mixed results using the existing water in the pool, given its history of maintainers just dumping chemicals in willy nilly.
I would appreciate input from more experienced maintainers before I start down either of the paths I outlined.
Thanks for reading!
I have read a few dozen threads and blog entries from TFP in an effort to self-educate prior to taking over maintenance of my pool, but I am interested in getting feedback on the approach I plan to take before doing it.
The broad problem is that I have had 2 pool maintainers and both have failed to consistently deliver a clean pool that my kids can swim in. I have multiweek periods with both maintainers where the pool is totally unusable, and I've become sufficiently fed up that I am going to take over the pool maintenance. I have done enough background reading that I think I should be able to do this without much trouble, thanks to TFP and other sources online.
I stopped using the first maintainer and cutover to the second a few months ago. The new maintainer has put all kinds of additives into the pool, e.g. alum, metal treatment, phosphate remover, etc, and only after the most recent application of a large amount of alum has the algae even temporarily subsided. After several weeks of the pool being full of algae and unusable, I decided to order a test kit and test the pool myself. I got a Taylor K-2006 kit and used it to test both my pool water and the well water that feeds the pool via an autofill valve. The results were as follows:
via Taylor K-2006
pool water - pH < 7.0, FC and TC were 0-1.0 ppm, TA 20, TH 280, CYA 0 (afaict)
well water - pH 7.4, TA 190, TH 180
via Hach HA-71A
well water - TH 15 gpg (258 ppm)
I was surprised to se the same well water give substantially different TH numbers via the 2 test kits. I was also surprised to see TH be substantially higher in pool water versus the well water when testing with Taylor kit. When I did the CYA test, the sample did not cloud at all and the black dot was fully visible the entire time. The pool TA was also bizarrely low, considering the higher number in the well water.
Considering the test results I have gotten and that I am on well water versus city water, I am inclined to drain and refill the pool so I can start fresh versus attempting to fix the current mess left by the prior maintainers. However, it is already pretty hot here, with highs in the low 90s, and I see suggestions online that a pool should not be drained when it is over 85 F outside.
AFAICT, I need to first balance the water before adding CYA and concentrated liquid chlorine, e.g. to SLAM the pool, but I am concerned this will be a rathole with mixed results using the existing water in the pool, given its history of maintainers just dumping chemicals in willy nilly.
I would appreciate input from more experienced maintainers before I start down either of the paths I outlined.
Thanks for reading!
