Howdy! -- managing a commercial pool & spa

Hi folks! I'm a newly-minted CPT responsible for a 33,000 gal pool and a 1350 gal spa, both commercial.

Right now I'm taking our spa to dichlor/bleach. The pool's essentially hopeless with a CYA of a billion or so and a green color although it isn't cloudy. Gotta work on the owner...

We're sorta unique in that the spa and pool might have four person/hours on the weekdays while on the weekends they're both full all day and most of the night. Getting through the weekend without burning through FC down to zero is a challenge. And the dead frogs don't help.

So...

Once I get the spa balanced and at FC 5 or so using bleach, how do you suggest I handle the bather load on Friday and Saturday?

Thanks in advance!

Commercial pool/spa operation is a whole different ballgame than residential, and there are only a few folks around this forum that are going to be able to help you with your questions. I'll shoot Pooldoc an alert to look into this thread and see if he can offer you some advice.

Welcome to the forum!

Today's numbers according to my ColorQ are:

FC 5.19
pH 7.2
CH 111
TA 93
CYA 37

Operating temp 98F
Note that this spa doesn't have operating jets so it's just a hot tub for now.

Ok.

I had to look up the CPT -- it appears that's new this year, and is the brainchild of a "Tom Donaldson" about which I can only discover that he's involved with the APSP. I can't find any other information about him, so I have no idea how knowledgeable he is.

Let me make two suggestions:

1. Read the Best Guess page, linked in Janet's (aylad) blue signature bar above. That is CRITICAL information for you.

2. Read Chem_Geek's corrections to the CPO manual, here: http://richardfalk.home.comcast.net/...uggestions.pdf


I'll further make this observation: there are only 3 possible ways I know for you to keep the sort of pool and spa you describe sanitary, during high use periods:

1. Install ORP/pH control systems on BOTH the pool and the spa, with bleach and muriatic feed using carefully maintained pumps. Check and calibrate these at least 1x per week. (SWCG's could be used instead of bleach feed) OR

2. Test and adjust the pools 2x daily during low load periods and hourly during high load periods.

3. Run the pool and spa with VERY high CYA levels, and correspondingly high FC levels (per the Best Guess page). Caution: depending on bather load, this may NOT be sufficient with the spa.


*** I will not help you 'get by' in the typical hotel/motel/apartment complex manner. Those pools are almost NEVER sanitary. ***

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PoolDoc

Ok.

> I had to look up the CPT -- it appears that's new this year, and is the brainchild of a "Tom Donaldson"

All I know is it's perhaps the only online course and it's acceptible in Georgia. That said, I'm right now learning what I don't know.

> Let me make two suggestions:

I've read the Best Guess pages and Chem Geek's pages, and I'll read them again and again. It takes a few passes for it all to sink in. <g>

> I'll further make this observation: there are only 3 possible ways I know

We're going to drain the pool next week and regroup. We're Ok on the spa tonight; we hit FC .9 and I nuked it (bleach) to FC 8 or so, which I hope wil hold to noon. We're not going to fade swimsuits since we're a nudist park. <g>

*** I will not help you 'get by' in the typical hotel/motel/apartment complex manner. Those pools are almost NEVER sanitary. ***

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I don't want to "get by" and the owner who is an MD doesn't want to get by either. We're going to do ths right and we're not going to make people sick.
The facilites were mismanaged in a totally lackadasical manner for somewhat more than a year. I took the CPT course and volunteered not knowing what I was getting into, but I think that's it's my pool and my hot tub so I'd better get with it.

Thanks for any help you can give.

This is my first big weekend and it appears to be successful so far. This morning the spa FC was 2.8 and the pool was 9+, so I tossed a puck into the spa at about 2 pm and later six pucks went into the pool. By experience I know that a puck results in FC 9+ initially for the spa and it doesn't drop below 1 in 24 hours and six pucks in the pool get FC 9.8 decreasing to around FC 5.

I know this is "getting by" but we can't close down on Labor Day weekend.

I understand that, and can accept it.

But you'll need to get BOTH a K1000 (or an HTH 6-way) and a K2006C to manage those properly. If you've read the Best Guess page, you should have some idea why CYA levels are so critical. Order links for the kits can be found on the kit info page linked in my blue signature bar.

First question..will my ColorQ be sufficient?

The first day after a big weekend..

Spa
FC 10
pH 6.8
ALK 39
CH 62
CYA 14

I dumped in approx 16oz sodium bicarbonate.

I don't have any fears of recovering the spa. We just had a tremdous overload over the weekend with an outrageous splashout and refill. FC 10 is resulting from a puck; tomorrow I'll go back to bleach.

The pool's bothering me.
FC 6.75
TC 7.52
pH 7
ALK 113
CH 128
CYA 125+

I used approx 3 pounds generic dichlor shock. I believe we can either dump the pool or wait a couple of weeks and it'll be to cold to swim.
My problem is that I say dump the pool. Even the pool store says dump the pool. But the trusted pool contractor says to wait it out and CYA will decline.

+ You need to switch to bleach. Period.
+ You need to maintain OTO DARK yellow (ie FC > 10 ppm)
+ You need to re-test your CYA using a 1:1 dilution with distilled water.
+ And, no, your ColorQ will not be sufficient, because it cannot measure chlorine levels above 10, which is something you have to do IF you want to run the pool well AND plan to have CYA levels above 40 ppm.
+ Your CYA levels *will* decline once the pool gets winter-slimed. It will NOT decline if you maintain a clear water chlorinated pool all winter. CYA is rapidly bio-degraded by a variety of bacteria that apparently typically make up a component of winter pool slime. The problem is, the end point of this process can be one of three things: nitrogen gas, nitrates (algae fertilizer), or ammonia. If it's ammonia, you will have a nightmare start-up next spring, unless you drain and refill.