My pool is very stable and very well maintained. I have had it for about 10 years so, I "know" my pool. Thus, I don't need to run most of those tests very often. In fact, I normally just use my OTO kit to test my chlorine and use my FAS-DPD only a few times a month probably. I never let my cl drop too low so I know I don't have any CC. Also, my cya is low enough that my OTO kit (which goes to 5ppm) is high enough. If you have a high cya and thus have to run higher cl levels, you have to use the big test kit all the time. I run alk 2 or 3 times a summer (very stable) and run pH 2 or 3 times per week. I have a vinyl pool and do not use cal-hypo so I only run the calcium test probably once per summer. CYA I test several times at the beginning of the season until I get it where I want it and then probably only once more during the summer and then once more at closing.

If you don't have vinyl, you have to test your calcium hardness more often. Also, if you use trichlor pucks or dichlor powder you need to watch pH and CYA more closely.

I turn my pump on around 11:30 a.m. and off around 9:00 p.m.