Test results

[mknauss]

The FC is consumed by sunlight and organics. You need to add chlorine every day. When you test pH, do so prior to adding liquid chlorine. Add acid as necessary to lower your pH in to the 7's.

 

[Michaelg90]

Well I thought the whole purpose of testing the FC over a period of time was to determine the loss so I can add enough to buy me a few days until I add more. Seems like a lot of work to have to come home everyday and add bleach. If my level needs to be 7-9. Couldn’t I add enough to get me to that point and let it drift closer to the reserve and then add more 3 days later. If at the time of test PH is solid and still is prior to the new addition of the bleach then nothing else would need to be done. It seems a lot to ask to have every person who wants to maintain the pool come home and add bleach or acid daily. How do the pool companies stay in business by only coming once per week? I would think all pools would have issues if that’s the case.

 

[mknauss]

Sorry to say, but most pool owners, during the summer months, whom use liquid chlorine, add it daily. Now, in time, you will learn your pool and you may be able to just add XX ounces of liquid chlorine each day and test every third day to check, but you need to add it daily.

Pool services use dump and run. They load your tablet feeder, dump a bunch of liquid chlorine or cal hypo 'shock', and leave. In 7 days they do it again. Until it no longer works. Then you, the pool owner, is told 'your TDS is too high' or you have 'chlorine lock' and you need to drain your pool.

Also - you will find many of us have SWCG's. They make our chlorine for us.

 

[duraleigh]

I am trying to think about the relevancy of that scenario.

Adding Bleach is adjusting your FC to account for a loss of FC and has no bearing on your pH.....the net result is neutral.

So, I don't think your question is pertinent......you add bleach if and when you need to raise your FC and you add muriatic if and when you intend to lower your pH.......they are separate and independent parameters so add them whenever you decide but give each 15 minutes or so (pump running) just to safeguard against any interaction.

 

[Michaelg90]

Gotcha. So with a CYA of 60 my range for FC is 7-9. So if I add enough to bring to 9, and my daily loss is 1-2, I should be adding enough bleach to bring back to 9 daily? I understand now that they are neutral. I added 70 ounces of Bleech and it raised it to 8 and lost 4 from yesterday already. So it seems here in ORL with the rising heat and warming water the loss is higher. I’m going to have to log agian daily to ensure I get the pattern. Thought I had it but appreantly not. I measured PH agian today from yesterday (was 7.6 yesterday) and was 7.8 today (no swimming or any activity). I try to keep it close to 7.5. So shouldn’t I place acid in first and then chrlorine?

 

[mknauss]

Why do you keep pH at 7.5? Most pool water likes to settle at 7.8 or so. When your pH rises to 8, do not lower it below 7.6 and see if that reduces your acid consumption.

On the FC, correct, dose each day back to your Target range. Most pools consume 1-3 ppm per day of FC. Mine here in the desert consumes a bit more. Just depends on your pool.

 

[mknauss]

Do you know if your Ozone thing is working? They consume a bit of the chlorine too. So if you want to take that out of the equation, unplug it. It is not doing anything for your pool water chemistry.

 

[Michaelg90]

Okay sounds good I’ll try that. I will log both everyday now for a month and see what happens. I can turn the breaker off on the ozone which I did to test that.

 

[mknauss]

Do you have the PoolMath app? It saves your test data if you subscribe to it.

You can even share your test data. Click on my Member name and you can see my Poolmath logs.

 

[Michaelg90]

Sorry and to answer your question earlier about 7.5. I figured I can’t go wrong in the middle. I have the app but haven’t signed up for the premium service. As a financial advisor I tend to always fall back on excel lol however for $8 that saves me from having to do it seprately as I use the app for measurements anyway. The internet is just such a double edged sword because I have conflicting numbers on maintence levels from the builder, this site, and other popular sites like swim university. I like this one the best as you guys (particularly you) have always responded fast. I added enough FC just now to get me to 9 FC and will check again Tommorrow. I’ll also check PH Tommorrow. It was 7.8 today.

 

[mknauss]

Good to hear.

Realize that our recommendations on pool chemistry are based on science. Other's may not always be. They have advertisers and chemical company management to appease.

 

[Michaelg90]

So I test the fill Water and the P/H is 6.8, CH 100 and TA 120. I was asked earlier if I had done this. I wanted to submit my results.