What I learned my 1st year with new pool.

[tuke]

Well let me say it has been a learning experience. I owned a plaster pebble pool in AZ it had the same type pool pump pentair intelliflo so I had the basic knowledge of how to set schedules. It was sanitized with 3" tabs. It was in the high desert lots of evaporation. Pool service dropped the ball. Pool looked like Crud. Took control, got the water balanced with the exception of the CYA it was always high so I had to keep the chlorine levels up around 8-9 ppm. But that was then.

Today we are in FL new salt water pebble pool. Water is balanced, have a IC20 salt cell for chlorine. No real issues adding acid to keep pH in check adding liquid chlorine every now and again to keep up with demand, 2-3-4 inches of rain in a day or no rain for months. I wasn't real happy with the salt cell it didn't seem to be producing chlorine like it should. I was still adding chlorine to keep up with demand. Of coarse everyone has the answer how to correct the issue run pump longer do this do that. I would bring water samples to pool store, water looks great. But the chlorine demand, well maybe you need a bigger salt cell. Pool company that built the pool came out a couple times said everything is working, blah blah.

Then it happened a few weeks ago algae blooms. What's going on. Water is balanced, salt levels are a little low but still acceptable. Time to SLAM. How much chlorine do I need? Well what's the CYA level? Check that "0" what? Well going back to the AZ pool I couldnt get rid of the high levels of CYA even after doing a partial drain of the pool. It was always high. Well this is FL with all the rain, evaporation the CYA disapates and needs to be checked and adjusted. Who knew well not me, my brain says that CYA is there and it's not leaving. So I add CYA do a SLAM get the algae under control. Brush vac repeat. Doing the overnight chlorine test 0 chlorine loss. Ok so now it's time to let chlorine drop down to normal levels. I shut down the salt cell and start to monitor my chlorine levels 7 am, 3 pm and 8 pm and find my pool is using 2 ppm a day this was consistent for 3 days 2 ppm a day loss. Ok so no chlorine loss at night but 2 ppm during the day. I have a lightbulb moment, run salt cell at night. Well after a couple days of tweeking the % on the cell and the hours the pump runs at a higher flow rate at night I finally have the salt cell producing the 2 ppm the pool uses during the day.

Ok so what have I learned? I need to chlorinate at night. Keep checking CYA levels and adjust as necessary. You never stop learning. So keep plugging away you will get it. Hope my rant helps someone else. Thank you TFP for this forum and all the knowledge you give.

 

[anthonypool89]

So keep plugging away you will get it.

Yeah I keep telling myself the same. My aunt has told me over the years, "pools are alot of work". True and not true. IF everything is under control and going well, true....if such is not the case however, not quite as true. In the final analysis, there'd be no real need for this or any other pool forum if it (pool maintenance) was truly a piece of cake. No matter what system is used, a pool is not like a basically hands-off maintenance-free battery.

Then, too, there comes a time where at some point the owner simply gets tired of having to do it. I've known several people - a few in my relation - that, for one reason or another, e.g. pool no longer being used as much anymore as the kids grow up, etc., they just packed it in and got rid of it (above ground OR even inground!). Admittedly, after 33 years of pool maintenance (along with other typical routine home ownership maintenance chores and such ) if I'm honest with myself I can sort of see where some of the people I refer to are coming from and why the decision was made to (permanently) close the pool. Throw in some advancing health / medical issues and of course the decision(s) can often be arrived at even sooner. All that said, I still love swimming and so you take the good with the sometimes frustrating not-so-good however one does need to accept his/her limitations. To downsize to a community, for example, that has a pool that I'd have absolutely no responsibility for other than to simply enjoy it as desired and walk away from when I'm done each time starts to hold increasingly greater appeal! (along with alot less yard work and all that other stuff). Key is to recognize and admit to one's self just when it's time to move on to a different stage of life. Sounds like you're a devoted and very persistent never-give-up pool owner. I submit that those are the ones who experience the greatest success and thus fulfillment from having one. You're still VERY new at it and appear to have a great handle on the technical aspects.

Hope things settle down for you. A pool SHOULD be a party not a problem. The folks here truly ARE amazing for their willingness to help. Threads and questions are answered at a lightning-fast pace.

Best of luck...have a great swimming season, and...welcome to TFP!