Yearly results and progress - Levels that change

[duraleigh]

Very nice pool. Very nice thread, and very nice work on your part. You have mastered TFP and your pool and spreadsheet reflect that.

I would let your CYA seek it's own level before you close. That will mean you may be just a bit lower but it really won't matter......that poses no danger to your pool, The creation of ammonia (which is over-sensationalized on our forum) is an easy fix and tends to show up in more neglected pools I doubt you will have any issues. If you do, you TFP knowledge will allow you to handle it easily.

 

[Swampwoman]

+1
I close my pool for mid October to late April. In the 4 seasons I've owned it, I've never had ammonia on opening, and I usually have FC left of about 3 - 4 ppm. Typically, the cya will not convert unless you zero out on FC. (I did have ammonia on taking over the pool in a foreclosure...and while it might be over-sensationalized on this forum, it is a total pita to address, though easier once you have an idea of what's going on )

If my cya has lowered at all, eg to 30, I might use pucks for the last few weeks of the season to bring it back up before closing, but only because I hate putting a sock over the return in the spring and this way I usually open ready to roll

 

[Catanzaro]

You don't. Your vinyl pool doesn't care; there's no plaster to etch.

However, low CH can allow the water to foam. I didn't believe it myself until after I collected a spa-full of rainwater and set things to filter the dust out and, yes, it foamed. It went away quick enough as soon as it started mixing with the high CH pool water, but I can attest it's true. So... if you start seeing bubbles on the surface and it bugs you, raise CH. You can watch for end of season sales and get some Cal-hypo to chlorinate with, which will raise CH for you. A 25 lb bucket of 73% cal-hypo will raise CH by 104. It will also add 148 FC, which should keep you going for a couple months.

I would rather put straight calcium chlorine instead of messing with Tablets. Too much experimenting, etc. It is fully understood that a vinyl pool does not care and I actually found a 5 lb. bucket from a few years ago (Do not know how much it would raise CH), in the basement which I could use. Too what level should I increase the CH to, if it drops to? , so there is no foaming possibility? I would rather nip this in the but sooner than later?

 

[Crackerjack4u]

At the bottom of pool math there is a Blue section that says "Effects of adding chemicals" that will calculate that for you. Just make sure your pool size is correct at the top of your calculator.

 

[Catanzaro]

At the bottom of pool math there is a Blue section that says "Effects of adding chemicals" that will calculate that for you. Just make sure your pool size is correct at the top of your calculator.

I am very familiar with Pool Math. Considering I am at 125 CH, should I increase my level to 200 and leave there? I do vinyl liners do not care, but I also do not want foaming over time. Considering the chemicals are in the basement, it is an easy addition. Also, at what levels should I allow CH to drop before adding any CH? Assuming that Calcium Chloride does not degrade with time.

 

[Richard320]

I am very familiar with Pool Math. Considering I am at 125 CH, should I increase my level to 200 and leave there? I do vinyl liners do not care, but I also do not want foaming over time. Considering the chemicals are in the basement, it is an easy addition. Also, at what levels should I allow CH to drop before adding any CH? Assuming that Calcium Chloride does not degrade with time.

View attachment 41784

If you want to get to 200, just go ahead and add it now. Don't get excited if the water gets a bit cloudy after you add it. That's normal. CH only goes away with splashout or draining via backwashing, so once it's there, it's there. You're safe to have CH anywhere from where you are now all the way up to 300 CH. The level is not critical in a vinyl pool so it really doesn't matter when you add it or what you target or when you add more. The foaming isn't like a mass of soapsuds. It's just surface bubbles that are slow to pop where the returns break the surface. They disappear when the pump is off. They may not bother you or you may not even notice them.