Seeking help for chronic pool issues
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
Teapot1 wrote: If you can get the calcium hardness and temperature with the free chlorine level info we can be a bit more precise.
Here are my latest results with temp and CH added:
pH: 7.2
TA: 120
CYA: Under 30
CH: 210
Temp: 15.5C
To be accurate my pool is oval shaped, not exactly round.
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
Thank you for the numbers, yes move your pH up the 7.5 by aerating the water is my recommendation, it will balance the water to near perfect from a calcium not aggressive not scaling point. As you increase the free chlorine a bit the pH will rise as it quite alkaline but your tabs are a little acidic.
I may not give you the answer you want to hear, but I will give an honest opinion of your situation as you decribe it.
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
Teapot1 wrote:Thank you for the numbers, yes move your pH up the 7.5 by aerating the water is my recommendation, it will balance the water to near perfect from a calcium not aggressive not scaling point. As you increase the free chlorine a bit the pH will rise as it quite alkaline but your tabs are a little acidic.
I failed to get the free chlorine number before it got dark. I will check that tomorrow.
Regarding aeration, I pointed one of the two jets up and it resulted in mild splashing of water and turned on the pump to run overnight. How long should I have to aerate to raise the PH from 7.2 to 7.5?
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
I don't think it will be that quick as other methods. Point the other one up as well, test daily
I use a a large pond aerator with 4 large air stones in the deep end which is really efficient
Another type of Aerator
I use a a large pond aerator with 4 large air stones in the deep end which is really efficient
Another type of Aerator
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
Here are the latest fresh test results:
FC: 2.5
CC: .5
pH: 7.6
TA: 120
It looks like the aeration over night really impacted the PH level. I stopped the process by turning the jet back down.
My pool still has a thin green layer of algae on the sides and floor of the pool. I have started vacuuming it up with my aquanaut and will start to brush the sides again. The water is getting clearer, but isn't crystal clear yet when looking at the deep end of the pool.
Should I shock the pool? or just keep the tablets topped off?
Thank you for all the help.
FC: 2.5
CC: .5
pH: 7.6
TA: 120
It looks like the aeration over night really impacted the PH level. I stopped the process by turning the jet back down.
My pool still has a thin green layer of algae on the sides and floor of the pool. I have started vacuuming it up with my aquanaut and will start to brush the sides again. The water is getting clearer, but isn't crystal clear yet when looking at the deep end of the pool.
Should I shock the pool? or just keep the tablets topped off?
Thank you for all the help.
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
If you still have algae the you need to Slam (Shock Level and Maintain) with relation to Chlorine / CYA Chart and Recommended Pool Levels
You will be best to use liquid chorine to get to the correct chlorine level using Pool Maths
You can safely swim up to your slam level for your CYA
You will be best to use liquid chorine to get to the correct chlorine level using Pool Maths
You can safely swim up to your slam level for your CYA
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
Oh my this is getting complicated. I underestimated and under appreciated my pool maintenance guy.
I reviewed all those sites and will start preparing to implement a SLAM protocol.
For a liquid chlorine plaster pool, I am seeing conflicting information on some of the metrics for what my local pool store says is ideal ranges.
Pool store:
Total Alkalinity: 80-120ppm
Calcium Hardness: 200-400ppm
TFP website:
Total Alkalinity: 60-80ppm
Calcium Hardness: 350-550ppm
Those are some big variances, I am going to go with what the TFP website says, but wanted to double check first.
I reviewed all those sites and will start preparing to implement a SLAM protocol.
For a liquid chlorine plaster pool, I am seeing conflicting information on some of the metrics for what my local pool store says is ideal ranges.
Pool store:
Total Alkalinity: 80-120ppm
Calcium Hardness: 200-400ppm
TFP website:
Total Alkalinity: 60-80ppm
Calcium Hardness: 350-550ppm
Those are some big variances, I am going to go with what the TFP website says, but wanted to double check first.
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
JCINAZ wrote:Oh my this is getting complicated. I underestimated and under appreciated my pool maintenance guy
Pool store:
Total Alkalinity: 80-120ppm
Calcium Hardness: 200-400ppm
TFP website:
Total Alkalinity: 60-80ppm
Calcium Hardness: 350-550ppm
Those are some big variances, I am going to go with what the TFP website says, but wanted to double check first.
I would expect you are already way above your pool maintenance guy's knowledge.
I was a very early advocate on TFP for lower TA as it stabilises the pH so much better than the higher TA promoted by the industry which is better for sales of pH minus, ChemGeek did the math and I did the pratical. On the hardness issue TFP are probably suggesting the higher figure to lower any aggresive water issues whilst maintaining the standard pH7.2 -7.4, the biggest change in the aggressive/non aggressive water is with pH hence why using a langlier saturation index as I do suggested keeping your pH around 7.5-7.6 so you dont have to add anything else to make the waters calcium hardness any higher.
You have done incredibly well I feel so follow Dennis's advice on Slamming and you'll soon have a perfect pool.
Note slamming with high chlorine will temporarily increase your pH, dont worry and dont adjust for this as the chlorine dissipates the pH will come back down on its own.
I may not give you the answer you want to hear, but I will give an honest opinion of your situation as you decribe it.
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
I was a very early advocate on TFP for lower TA as it stabilises the pH so much better than the higher TA promoted by the industry which is better for sales of pH minus,
This comment made me laugh. I just returned a bag of pH minus to the store last night. Don't think I will ever need it again.
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
made me feel all warm inside! Dont battle the pH too much if the pool keeps stable at pH 7.5 or 7.6 or 7.8 its fine. Just be aware any top up water maybe higher in TA, mine is up in th 180-200's so every couple of years I add a cup of muratic acid. A two pint bottle has lasted 3 years so far.
I may not give you the answer you want to hear, but I will give an honest opinion of your situation as you decribe it.
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- Pool Enthusiast
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- Joined: Mon 24 Oct, 2022 06:50
- My Pool: 17k round, Variable speed pump, Cartridge filter
Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
I am preparing to slam my pool. I have a question on calcium hardness as that is the only metric I haven't researched. Not sure if I should adjust this for SLAM, checking anyway.
My CH: 210
TFP says:
I do live in the southwest. Should I manually increase it to the ideal minimum of 350 or let the water evap and refill automatically solve it over time?
My CH: 210
TFP says:
How to Increase Calcium in Pool Water
You increase CH with calcium chloride, sold as a deicer and by pool stores, or calcium chloride dihydrate, sold by pools stores for increasing calcium.
In some parts of the country (the southwest for example), high water hardness leads to CH naturally increasing in pools when there is more evaporation than precipitation.
I do live in the southwest. Should I manually increase it to the ideal minimum of 350 or let the water evap and refill automatically solve it over time?
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
Don't panic about the CH, get your algae under control first
It might be a good idea to test your tap water first for CH
It might be a good idea to test your tap water first for CH
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
Its your call, its your pool but as I suggested earlier allowing your pH to settle around 7.5-6 makes that easier to maintain, chlorine will last a little longer, doesnt require the purchase of another product. Rest assured your water is safe from a calcium perspective you are not corroding equipment or calcium scaling. The addition of water hardener or not is making very little difference but my solution is nearer to zero point than going harder and running the pH lower. I would let things settle for now and get the sanitiser sorted from the SLAM perspective.
I may not give you the answer you want to hear, but I will give an honest opinion of your situation as you decribe it.
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Re: Seeking help for chronic pool issues
I am new here and have a pool problem and I can't figure out how to make a new post on this forum. Can anyone help me
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