Hello all, I’ve been following the TFP method for almost 3 years now with great success after all the help to get started by many in this group. Other than the constant necessity to add acid, my pool is pretty low maintenance. My question is this: if I’m monitoring my cya levels is there any reason I should be wary of using Trichlor tablets during the winter instead of liquid once my SWG cuts off due to low water temp? My rationale is I’m constantly having to add more CYA year around due to all the rain here in Louisiana. So if I use Trichlor tablets instead of liquid chlorine, not only is it less frequent chlorine maintenance, but it also keeps my cya levels up until I switch my SWG back on in the spring. In theory, I’d be making a little less work for myself in the summer as well since I wouldn’t need to add quite as much cya as usual with the levels maintained over winter. Am I overlooking something?
Trichlor tablets during the winter
- Thread starter GeauxTigerz
- Start date
Using tabs in the winter can be an all around good idea. With proper monitoring and testing, you can chlorinate, add CYA and even lower your pH all just by using tabs. IF you use your test kit to make sure you are within norms
Appreciate the reply! Those were my thoughts but I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something. Of course everything is reliant on me continuing to monitor and adjust as needed, but it seemed specifically for my situation it covers all my needs. I know I see a lot of my ph volatility from using my SWG which will be off during the winter, but the additional acid from the trichlor on top of maintaining my chlorine and cya seemed like a win-win to me.
Note that any pH volatility isn’t from the SWCG. It’s more because your TA is high. If you lower it to around 50-60 the pH won’t rise so fast.
The SWCG does have that reputation sometimes but it’s more likely because when someone stops using acidic trichlor that lowers the pH, they assume the resulting pH rise is from using the SWCG instead of coming from NOT using trichlor.
Thank you. My pool has always had a pretty high acid demand even when I run my TA on the lower side of the ideal range. I’ve hoped it would improve as my gunite matured but it still requires almost 1/2 gallon per week
If you don’t try and force it down to 7.4 it’ll probably be happy right around 7.8. I have brand new plaster and haven’t added acid over a month.
I wish! If I’m not adding acid 1-2 times per week it blows past 8 like it’s nothing!
i wish! I’ve had to add acid 1-2 times per week since my pool was built or the ph cranks past 8.2 like it’s nothing!
Your current TA is not making it slower.
Got a picture of what your pH test look like when you think it’s high? I’ve noticed some people read the color higher than it actually is.lol yeah I know but honestly whether my TA is 90 or 50 my pool has always had a constant acid demand.Your current TA is not making it slower.
I don’t have a current picture but I can take one this weekend when I check out. I’m sure it will be 8+ like it always is after a few days. There’s no mistaking the reading because it will get bright maroon
- Feb 6, 2015
- 6,123
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
When you do the pH test next, try only adding 4 drops instead of 5 drops. That will something help discern the color better - sometimes not so much, but worth a try.
Get the TA down to 50-60 and keep it there. Let pH run around 7.9-ish.
Test your fill water and post the results here. Only pH, TA and CH.
Bright maroon is only 7.8 depending on the person. Make sure to compare the color shade and not the intensity. I get fooled by it sometimes
- Dec 13, 2020
- 751
- Pool Size
- 19600
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
I do this. Let CYA drift down toward 50 in the fall. Shut down the salt cell at 50F in November. Use pucks in a floater through the winter. Note they also lower Ph.) By April when the cell can start working again it's about 70. Perfect. Works great for me.
Also the wisdom above of letting TA drift down to 60 and Ph up toward 8.0 made my pool much simpler to maintain than trying to hit "ideal" values. Ph tweaks went from 3x per week to once every 10 days.
This thread was a good read for me, and my sanity. It answered some of the same issues I was having. Thanks.
Hello, I am in SoCal. Pulling my SWG out today (water dropping below 52), I am a little low on CYA (40/50) side and typically we get rain months of Jan thru March . I have bunch of 3" pucks on hand (don't normally use) and I was debating on using liquid chlorine (need to buy) and then again would need to buy/ add stabilizer is in spring. For a 22k pool how pucks would you recommend adding to floater (1 or 2) ? And do you only add replace once they are nearly fully dissolved? Or do you just add 1 per week ?
Your CYA is fine. Just stick with liquid. Save the pucks for an out of town vacation.