Went to the pool store....

[Sunnydaze]

Yeah yeah, i know. I needed a fine mesh skimmer and Leslie's had one for a decent price. Since i was going anyway, i was curious what numbers their fancy testing machine would spit out so i took a water sample. Of course, i had no intention of using their recommendations but I've never had a pool store test so i wanted to see just how inaccurate they were. This morning, i ran a full set of tests with the Tf100 and tested FC immediately before i left for the store..

My results on the left vs theirs on the right:
FC 7 - 5.56
PH 7.5 - 7.8
TA - 80 - 83 (not accounting for their cya adjustment)
CH 350 - 192
CYA 60 - 72
Phosphates 1183ppb

The thing that really irks me is that we have hard water in AZ and high evaporation so CH is a worry. and they recommended i add 11 pounds of calcium chloride. How many people go in with high calcium, are told its low and add more causing them to have to drain much sooner than they'd normally have to?

Anywho, this might be a good example for those who are hesitant to spend the money on a quality test.

 

[AK-]

Yeah yeah, i know. I needed a fine mesh skimmer and Leslie's had one for a decent price. Since i was going anyway, i was curious what numbers their fancy testing machine would spit out so i took a water sample. Of course, i had no intention of using their recommendations but I've never had a pool store test so i wanted to see just how inaccurate they were. This morning, i ran a full set of tests with the Tf100 and tested FC immediately before i left for the store..

My results on the left vs theirs on the right:
FC 7 - 5.56
PH 7.5 - 7.8
TA - 80 - 83 (not accounting for their cya adjustment)
CH 350 - 192
CYA 60 - 72
Phosphates 1183ppb

The thing that really irks me is that we have hard water in AZ and high evaporation so CH is a worry. and they recommended i add 11 pounds of calcium chloride. How many people go in with high calcium, are told its low and add more causing them to have to drain much sooner than they'd normally have to?

Anywho, this might be a good example for those who are hesitate to spend the money on a quality test.

I’m bookmarking this post to use as example.
There was another one I’m having hard time to find again that the lady had way more FC than TC on a test strip… I wish I had bookmarked that one too.

 

[Newdude]

Yeah yeah, i know. I needed a fine mesh skimmer and Leslie's had one for a decent price

They, or the local small pool shops can be awesome for many things. Especially small parts like if you need an O-ring on a Sunday. Who cares it’s $8 if it gets fixed right there on your day off. Chlorine is usually cheaper and better strength from them as well.

Now that you’ve seen first hand what their tests can do, and that one wasn’t nearly as terrible as we usually see, never play with the devils candy again.

 

[Sunnydaze]

Oh, the guy almost poo'd himself when he saw my phosphates. He said my pool was a breeding ground for algae and it could bloom any day now...then told me to bring my chlorine down

 

[Newdude]

then told me to bring my chlorine down

Speaking of………. You are about 3 FC below where I like to be. Aka minimum target level. Minimum target level is one step closer to the cliff that is minimum FC level. You never ever want to look off that cliff, or anywhere near it.

I targeted slightly above target range so when I lost my daily FC i would drift back *INTO* target range and still be well covered. Long story short the SWG was an overachiever and I never even fell into target range, but that was my plan at least.

 

[Sunnydaze]

Speaking of………. You are about 3 FC below where I like to be. Aka minimum target level. Minimum target level is one step closer to the cliff that is minimum FC level. You never ever want to look off that cliff, or anywhere near it.

I targeted slightly above target range so when I lost my daily FC i would drift back *INTO* target range and still be well covered. Long story short the SWG was an overachiever and I never even fell into target range, but that was my plan at least.

The chart shows 5ppm being the minimum for a cya of 60. I bump it to 9 each night and it doesn't go below 6 by the next evening. Is that not high enough?

 

[AK-]

The chart shows 5ppm being the minimum for a cya of 60. I bump it to 9 each night and it doesn't go below 6 by the next evening. Is that not high enough?

As long you can guarantee that you will never ever be below the minimum it is Ok, but that is easier said than done.

Since there are tons of things that can impact FC levels I read the lower end of the target as target minimum (I prefer to call it the minimum of the ideal range).

There are no maximums on those charts, but anyone who read enough knows the maximum to be safe to swim is the SLAM target. So it is easier/safer to overshoot and ensure your minimum is within the target at all times.

 

[Newdude]

The chart shows 5ppm being the minimum for a cya of 60. I bump it to 9 each night and it doesn't go below 6 by the next evening. Is that not high enough

6 is below target, and 1 FC from DEFCON 5, all hands on deck, minimum.

I HATE the word minimum. It sounds ok. It is not ok. Not even close to ok. As Marcellus Wallace once said….. ‘I’m pretty ******** FAR from OK’.

Bumping to 9 is awesome but not if you end up at 6 after your daily loss. Aim to never be below target *after* the loss and we will never discuss your green pool.

 

[magiteck]

Maybe we could rename “minimum” to “The Great Wall of Algae”. On the North side, algae cannot grow. On the South side, there’s an open invitation.

 

[mguzzy]

This is the way I look at it.. depending on the conditions that your pool is in, you can easily loose close to 5ppm/day of FC just due to the Summer heat, bathers, splashout.. etc. all pretty common in the peak of the summer. So if you are running at 7ppm, it just takes one regular 5ppm demand day and you are at 2ppm and Will Robinson's robot is screaming in your ear...

I run at 10ppm min, so if I loose 5ppm due to a pool party I am at the bottom of the target range.. not at DEFCON 5

 

[Katodude]

I have a new mantra.

Amateurs run their FC on the low side of things.
The pro’s and mods here run FC hot. ie on the high side.

Guess who has fewer problems.

 

[bmj0928]

Maybe we could rename “minimum” to “The Great Wall of Algae”. On the North side, algae cannot grow. On the South side, there’s an open invitation.

Especially with those phosphates!!!

 

[Sunnydaze]

I have a new mantra.

Amateurs run their FC on the low side of things.
The pro’s and mods here run FC hot. ie on the high side.

Guess who has fewer problems.

Guess I'm an amateur.

 

[mguzzy]

Especially with those phosphates!!!

Wanna hear a secret? I run my FC at 10ppm, My pool looks like your standard run of the mill TFP clear pool.... According to my Taylor phosphate kit, my phosphates are 2000ppb.shhhhh

 

[Newdude]

Guess I *was* an amateur

There. I fixed it for ya.

 

[bmj0928]

Wanna hear a secret? I run my FC at 10ppm, My pool looks like your standard run of the mill TFP clear pool.... According to my Taylor phosphate kit, my phosphates are 2000ppb.shhhhh

I have no idea what my phosphates are. I run my FC at 7.5 (swcg... range is 3-9) and mine is also your run of the mill, TFP clear pool.