Using the K-2006

[CarlD]

And I've never used the Pool Calculator. The formula for bleach is easy to use and there's even a short-cut, a rule of thumb so you can do it in your head:

1 gallon of bleach adds exactly its concentration to 10,000 gallons of water
So a gallon of 6% adds 6ppm of FC to 10,000 gallons
A gallon of 12.5% adds 12.5ppm of FC to 10,000 gallons
Therefore a gallon of 6% only adds 3ppm of FC to 20,000 gallons.

For everything else I usually start with a quarter of what I think I'll need. I can always add more, much more easily.

Carl

[AnnaK]

The Pool Calculator is an excellent tool for any and all additions and/or calculations for pool maintenance. While doing bleach is easy and pretty much idiot proof, calculating baking soda or borax or muriatic acid or CYA isn't quite that simple and the PoolCalc is a huge help.

[Manslick]

AnnaK thanks for the link to the pool calculator. I love to crunch numbers and that thing looks very cool.

It's kind of funny to me that after all these years I suddenly want to be proactive instead of reactive to pool maintenance. I was on vacation last week when I opened the pool and with a little extra time on my hands I found this place. Some years I'd get lucky and some years it'd be a nightmare. Now I'm going to fix It before it breaks.

I was even thinking of catching rain and testing it and if knowing the rainfall amount and the chemistry I could head off potential problems due to rain.

I'm keeping records for the first time too hoping to spot trends and again head off potential problems.

We'll see. It feels good to know that when I do get in trouble I have a place to go for help.

[Watermom]

It feels good to know that when I do get in trouble I have a place to go for help.

You bet! We'll be right here. Glad you joined us this year!

[AnnaK]

Heh! Two days ago you were intimidated by the testing process and now you want to test rain water. It happens to all of us, that desire to test any and all water sources . Before long, you'll find yourself taking the test kit along when you go to friends' pools, to public pools, to motel pools (and you'll probably not want to get into those . . . ).

One thing you do want to test is your fill water so you know how much chlorine, TA, and calcium you start out with when you have to top off your water.

Record keeping is essential. I used to keep a notebook in the pool house; now I record test results and make notes on the iPad. Knowing the 'clean' pressure of your pump/filter is good info to have, right after cleaning the system or backwashing it. You can see trends at a glance and yes, it totally helps you be proactive.

I'm glad you find the PoolCalc helpful. Next to my WallWhale brush it's my favorite pool tool.

[Manslick]

Guilty.

I did test my tap water a long time ago and was surprised how high the PH level was.

Yeah, I got plans to do my brother’s pool.

Gett’n all in touch with my inner chemist.

[CarlD]

I keep a record too. I used to keep it on a mini-excel spreadsheet in my PDA. Now I just write it on the cover of my old PS233 in pencil and erase it at the start of the new season. I'm SO lazy I use each column twice, dividing each row into an upper and lower entry.

I never use the pool calc. I know I have 19,000 gallons, so I figure 20,000. I know if I add half a gallon of 12.5% LC it will boost my FC by about 3ppm, and a full gallon by 6ppm.
My CYA was at zero, so I chlorinated with Tri-Chlor tabs until the week that CYA finally read over 30ppm.
I checked my pH and when it was low (like 6.8, 6.9), I dumped in a box of Borax. An hour later it was still low (and my T/A was VERY low) so I dumped in a box of A&H Washing soda. My pH up to about 7.6, where it has remained constant for almost 3 weeks, despite my TA never going higher than 60ppm.

But if the Pool Calc helps you, by all means, use it.

The B-B-B method is all about sensible and logical pool maintenance so that your pool can be what it's SUPPOSED to be: A Wreck Creation facility (if you have kids you understand this!)

Carl