How Often Should I Test My Pool?

[peggles0224]

How often should I test my pool? I was doing all the tests everyday and ran out of CYA very quickly. If I just do CL and PH every day and add Bleach as needed for CL, should I do the other tests weekly? What's a good CL level to maintain? I have AG - 8,500 - Sand Filter. I seem to be running about 2 - 2.5CL, with good PH -- just above 7.5.

[ScottS]

It is not necessary to check ALL the levels daily. It is good practice to keep a close eye on the Cl and pH daily though.
Most suggest the other tests be done weekly which for me only includes the Alk test since I am not concerned about the calcium hardness in my vinyl pool. The CYA level shouldn't fluctuate much at all unless you drain or backwash often, then you can loose some. I only test CYA level about every other month unless I add some intentionally by using pucks or straight CYA.

You are certainly on the right track by adding bleach as needed and testing Cl everyday. Your FC level may be a bit on the low side at 2.5 depending on your CYA level.

Use this to determine:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben's 'best guess' FC/Stabilizer table for algae free operation of OUTDOOR pools -- as of July 2003 --

Use the info in this chart to help you figure out what levels of chlorine you need to maintain in your pool based on the amount of CYA (cyanuric acid, also called stabilizer) that you have in your pool. (FC = free chlorine)

Stabilizer . . . . . . Min. FC . . . . Max FC . . . 'Shock' FC
=> 0 ppm . . . . . . . 1 ppm . . . . . 3 ppm . . . . 10 ppm
=> 10 - 20 ppm . . . . 2 ppm . . . . . 5 ppm . . . . 12 ppm
=> 30 - 50 ppm . . . . 3 ppm . . . . . 6 ppm . . . . 15 ppm
=> 60 - 90 ppm . . . . 5 ppm . . . . . 10 ppm . . .. 20 ppm
=> 100 - 200 ppm . . . 8 ppm . . . . . 15 ppm . . .. 25 ppm
__________________

Oh and one more thing to remember. The yellow drop based test gives you a TC (total chlorine) reading and NOT a FC (free chlorine) reading. It would be wise to test FC often but you can't do this if you only have the walmart test kit or one like it.


take care.

[Dr. Spike]

I test only FC, CC, and Ph daily. I test the Alk weekly. I don't test the Cal too often as I have a vinyl pool, but if I had a gunite pool I would test it weekly. The stabilizer I don't test that often either, my pool is indoors, I don't have any (well, very little since I opened the pool with pucks after being 'pool stored'). Oh yeah, I check the temp daily, because I like to know how cold I will be when I swim. :)

As for Cl levels, check Ben's Best Guess chart (http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=365).



Stabilizer . . . . . . Min. FC . . . . Max FC . . . 'Shock' FC
=> 0 ppm . . . . . . . 1 ppm . . . . . 3 ppm . . . . 10 ppm
=> 10 - 20 ppm . . . . 2 ppm . . . . . 5 ppm . . . . 12 ppm
=> 30 - 50 ppm . . . . 3 ppm . . . . . 6 ppm . . . . 15 ppm
=> 60 - 90 ppm . . . . 5 ppm . . . . . 10 ppm . . .. 20 ppm
=> 100 - 200 ppm . . . 8 ppm . . . . . 15 ppm . . .. 25 ppm


EDIT: Hmm, beat me to the post. :)

[CarlD]

Everyday: OTO chlorine test and pH test.

Once a week: The full suite of tests:
FAS-DPD FC and CC
pH
Tot Alk
CYA
Calcium (only for concrete plaster)
With vinyl pools I suggest only testing calcium once or twice a summer--unless your are using cal-hypo to chlorinate, then test weekly (not weakly;) )

[Watermom]

I agree with Carl's post above with one exception --- I don't test cya every week. I always lose my cya over the winter and have to add some every spring. So, I test it upon opening, a week or two after adding the initial spring dose and then probably only one more time mid-summer. However, I use only bleach for chlorination. If you are going to use dichlor or trichlor, you'll need to monitor that cya level more frequently.

[waterbear]

I agree with CarlD and Watermom except that I test my calcium and CYA monthly. I find that they don't change very much at all in my pool.

[CarlD]

Upon reflection I don't think testing CYA HAS to be done every week unless you are chlorinating with tri-chlor or dichlor. I just do it.
My point about CH is that it's not critical in vinyl pools.

[Gracy101]

From reading athe above responses, what I take away from them is that all of you have gone through a process of "getting to know" you pools in order to figure out how often to test. You each have developed a schedule somewhat individual to your pool and environment, not a hard and fast rule except for chlorine/ph.

I would offer up that as a newbie, I find I am most comfortable testing in the morning and at night. I've been doing all 5 tests twice daily and charting results since getting my Taylor2006 kit. Maybe I'm overtesting, but I see it as an investment in the long term and in educating myself about my pool. After 2 weeks I have stopped daily testing CYA and Hardness since they are not shifting. I've started noticing patterns in what the Ph/chlorine/alkalinity do as a result of weather/bather loads, etc. It is also helping me recognize cause and effects when adding chemicals.

Once my honeymoon with the pool is over, I'm sure I'll be able to get to that 2-5 minutes a day to stay ahead of my pool. For now, using the BBB method and with all of your support, I am pleasantly obsessed! ;)

[CarlD]

You cannot test too much. It just uses up your chems and your time.

You are EXACTLY right that we learn our pools and KNOW how they react to things without as much testing.

pH and Chlorine are good daily tests. But unless you see something funky happening, I think twice a day is a waste--just do it in the evening is best.

Alk, CYA, CH--These are weekly tests unless you are actively adjusting them substantially. Otherwise it's just a waste of reagents because even if they change noticeably, you don't have to react instantly.

Again, CH in a vinyl pool without a heater or SWG is a 2-3x/season test.

[medvampire]

Gracy
I was pleasantly obsessed for the first few weeks as well.:p I am at times still pleasantly obsessed. I do OTO, temp, and ph each day. I do a FC, TC, and ALK every 3 days and TH every other week. I do a CYA every month or when I am bored. I log and chart all results into my computer and get a graph every other week witch I put into a 3 ring binder.
Right now I am testing a bulk liquid solar cover so I am doing temps twice a day and graphing.
My girl friend knows I am little OCD :o but it helps in my line of work.
Steve