Why is it bad to keep FC lower than the recommended levels? Let's say my minimum recommend is 5, but I keep it at 2.5 and my water is crystal clear. Why would I want to being it up to 5?
Why not keep FC lower recommended levels?
- Thread starter alosito
- Start date
A,
Because algae can grow when your FC is below our recommended levels... Just because it has not formed yet, does not mean it won't start tomorrow.
It is much harder to get rid of algae than it is to prevent algae..
How are you currently chlorinating your pool? Do you currently throw in bags of pool store "shock" on a routine or weekly basis?
What is your current CYA level?
Why do you want to run at a lower level?
But... In the end, it is your pool and you can run it anyway you want...
Thanks,
Jim R.
Because algae can grow when your FC is below our recommended levels... Just because it has not formed yet, does not mean it won't start tomorrow.
It is much harder to get rid of algae than it is to prevent algae..
How are you currently chlorinating your pool? Do you currently throw in bags of pool store "shock" on a routine or weekly basis?
What is your current CYA level?
Why do you want to run at a lower level?
But... In the end, it is your pool and you can run it anyway you want...
Thanks,
Jim R.
Let me turn the question around on you: Why do you want to run lower? It risks algae (which I believe you have already dealt with this season), it doesn't save you any money, it doesn't improve the water feel, and it can potentially risk the sanitation of your water. So what benefit do you believe you are getting from running it lower than we recommend? Why do you feel those benefits are worth the risks it presents?
If your pool naturally loses 2 to 4ppm of FC a day to the sun gods, even if no one swims in the pool and no debris enters the pool, your pool is now devoid of all chlorine.
GOONiE
0
Purely for convenience. Go ahead and keep FC at a minimal level. You’ll be adding chlorine a couple times a day. If you keep it higher, you have more time in between dosing.
Don't you mean "inconvenience"?
Adding chlorine multiple times a day is inconvenient to me.
Edit: I see your grammar now. That period changes how I saw that. Still fun to point out.
I go out of my way to create any excuse I can to keep it on the higher side. Granted I’m using a SWG but the principle and end result is the same. If we get a pop up thunderstorm that dumps 2 inches tonight, I have a few ppm to spare. Or if the next 3 days are wicked hot, I’m ready for it. It doesn’t make me bulletproof but I’d rather have the head start than fall behind the 8 ball.
My question would be why not keep it at the higher end of the recommended levels? Reading through these forums it seems to me that most problems start because chlorine levels drop below the recommended level or pool owners do not keep enough chlorine in the pool based upon their CYA. It seems to me that many want the lowest possible chlorine level while keeping their pool sanitized and clear. Maybe it is because people still want to believe that 1-3 ppm that the pool industry shouts instead of believing the science presented at TFP. I keep mine at the higher end of the FC levels.
People are used to pools smelling of "chlorine", which we know is actually chloramines. Some are bothered by just that smell, others think chlorine is harsh on their skin. Again, chloramines. And probably pH issues as well. We know that eye burning isn't due to chlorine either. The world in general has spent more time in public pools than their own, and public pools are notoriously filthy. It gives chlorine a bad rap. This is why so many think salt pools are better, they think salt pools don't have chlorine. I can't count the times people have told me that they "want a salt pool". Each and every time I have to explain that salt pools are actually chlorine pools.
TFP pools don't smell of much of anything, especially chloramines, and there's usually 3-9ppm FC at any given time (depending on CYA). They don't irritate skin, or eyes as long as pH is in the 7s.
My tap water sometimes smells more than my pool water depending on what the city is doing to it and where it's being pulled from. When they mix the wells with the mountain water in the summer they're mixing high toxicity in (mercury and other contaminants) to make it safe enough to drink. I'm not guessing on this, my ex sold the very mixing pump to the city years ago. They treat this water with more chlorine than the mountain water and you absolutely can smell it when they do.
TFP pools don't smell of much of anything, especially chloramines, and there's usually 3-9ppm FC at any given time (depending on CYA). They don't irritate skin, or eyes as long as pH is in the 7s.
My tap water sometimes smells more than my pool water depending on what the city is doing to it and where it's being pulled from. When they mix the wells with the mountain water in the summer they're mixing high toxicity in (mercury and other contaminants) to make it safe enough to drink. I'm not guessing on this, my ex sold the very mixing pump to the city years ago. They treat this water with more chlorine than the mountain water and you absolutely can smell it when they do.
All I do as far as chemical is I pour about six cups of Walmart's Pool Essentials Chlorinating Liquid nightly. Do I also want to throw "shock" on a routine basis?
My CYA is 60, pH is 7.5, and TA is 80.
I am new at this, but over the past month I got a feeling that it is easier to keep FC above 2.5 than above 5 in terms of how much bleach I put and how often I do it. If I have an 18,000-gallon pool, how much would you say I am expected to spend on bleach monthly during summer?
No don't throw "shock" product into your pool on a regular basis. Or ever actually.
The question really is however, how much would you like to spend on SLAMming your pool with a week or few of 3-4 times what you would have spent, had if you'd kept your FC within TFP guidelines?
Your pool, you do what you want. We'll still be here when you need help clearing it up.
I keep mine on the lower side but run my pump 24x7 which seems to help. No facts to base it on just seems to work.If i run for 12 hours more likely to get algea.
I still have a puck feeder i keep on the lowest setting which seems to work. I was using a lot of powered chlorine until i learned here its full of CYA which explained why its high
But my CYA is 80 so still not too low. I also have learned to watch the color and when it changes i add a little more liquid chorline
I still have a puck feeder i keep on the lowest setting which seems to work. I was using a lot of powered chlorine until i learned here its full of CYA which explained why its high
But my CYA is 80 so still not too low. I also have learned to watch the color and when it changes i add a little more liquid chorline
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LoneWolfArcher
Bronze Supporter
Remember temperature has a lot to do with it too. But I'm guessing at $3.50/gallon you're looking at $60-70 a month in chlorine. So roughly $250-300 for the summer.
Again many factors, but I'm going based in my usage, which has been 15-20 gallons a month.
A,
In theory anyway, it should not cost more to keep a higher FC level... You only need to replace the FC that gets used up.. If your pool uses 3 ppm per day, that is the amount of chlorine you need to add each day.
The only additional cost is to initially bring your FC up from say 3 to 6. Once you get to 6 the pool should still only use the same amount it did before.
Please do not add any pool store shock.. I just wanted to know if that is what you were doing..
Thanks,
Jim R.
In theory anyway, it should not cost more to keep a higher FC level... You only need to replace the FC that gets used up.. If your pool uses 3 ppm per day, that is the amount of chlorine you need to add each day.
The only additional cost is to initially bring your FC up from say 3 to 6. Once you get to 6 the pool should still only use the same amount it did before.
Please do not add any pool store shock.. I just wanted to know if that is what you were doing..
Thanks,
Jim R.
LoneWolfArcher
Bronze Supporter
One other point. People spend $20k, 30k, 40k or more on a pool build, then want so skimp on LC and other things for the pool? Doesn't make sense.
iamnos
0
- Jul 23, 2018
- 67
- Pool Size
- 47000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-9)
Here's what happened to me, keeping it on the low side of of the recommended levels. CYA has been about 40 since our pool was finished and filled late May, following TFP methods from day one, though the PB did throw in some tablets originally.
I was going along fine for a few weeks, aiming for 5 FC (recommendation is 5-7). Water was always beautiful. Most days I checked, I was losing about 1ppm, so I'd often skip a day. One day it was down to 2.5ppm, below the minimum level. Added liquid chlorine as normal. That night, big thunderstorm, washed a fair bit of dirt into the pool, and the next day we had a bunch of people over. The following day, cloudy water. I originally thought it was just from the dirt. I had vacuumed it out, but it was till there, and had a greenish brown tinge. I realized it was algae. Went through the SLAM process, which fortunately only took a few days to pass all three tests.
Now I aim for 6.5-7 FC.
Yes, you can have a gorgeous pool at the minimum levels if you're VERY on top of everything. However, any variance in the normal day to day leaves you essentially zero room for error, which is what happened to me.
I was going along fine for a few weeks, aiming for 5 FC (recommendation is 5-7). Water was always beautiful. Most days I checked, I was losing about 1ppm, so I'd often skip a day. One day it was down to 2.5ppm, below the minimum level. Added liquid chlorine as normal. That night, big thunderstorm, washed a fair bit of dirt into the pool, and the next day we had a bunch of people over. The following day, cloudy water. I originally thought it was just from the dirt. I had vacuumed it out, but it was till there, and had a greenish brown tinge. I realized it was algae. Went through the SLAM process, which fortunately only took a few days to pass all three tests.
Now I aim for 6.5-7 FC.
Yes, you can have a gorgeous pool at the minimum levels if you're VERY on top of everything. However, any variance in the normal day to day leaves you essentially zero room for error, which is what happened to me.
Pool builds at $40K? What century are you living in?
Cheapest one I've seen lately lurking in the builds forum is $60k. Yikes!
Cheapest one I've seen lately lurking in the builds forum is $60k. Yikes!
LoneWolfArcher
Bronze Supporter
Pool builds at $40K? What century are you living in?
Cheapest one I've seen lately lurking in the builds forum is $60k. Yikes!
That makes my main point even stronger!
schatz
0
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