Good Calcium hardness number?

[lstinthot]

Normally I am fighting a pH that is lowering. Just tested this morning pH is 7.4 and FC = 4ppm CC = <.5. Did the .5ppm per drop and it was just slightly pink after I added the stuff to test for CC. I figured I was on the aggressive side, that is what made me start looking into the borax and how much to add. Thank you for the help.

[waterbear]

Normally I am fighting a pH that is lowering.

Are you by any chance using tabs in a feeder or floater? Normal tendency for a pool with a TA of 110 ppm would be rising pH unless a stabilized form of chlorine (trichlor tabs or dichlor), or other acidic oxidiers (MPS-non chlorine shock or bromine tablets) are being used. If you are using bleach or liquid chloirne (sodium hypochlorite), cal hypo (calcium hypochlorite), or lithium hypochlorite for your chlorine source then you would see a rising pH.

[lstinthot]

I am only using bleach now. About 1.5 gals per day and keeps FC around 4 when I check it in the morning. I add at night before the pump is turned off. I am working nights so my kid is adding while I am at work so I am not sure what level the FC gets to at night. Not sure of the drop over night. At this rate it is going to cost us about $100/month for chemicals. We are starting to get a lot of leaves in the water, Polaris is cleaning them up during the day. Pump only runs one cycle due to pump not maintaining prime, I have to babysit it till it gets going. We run it during the day so if the power goes out or something happens we can help it get back started. We look into fixing the priming issue wants work slows down.

[chem geek]

The chlorine costs are on the high side due to the pool being large at 36,000 gallons. Not much you can do about that except possibly getting a mostly opaque cover since most of the chlorine loss is from sunlight.

[lstinthot]

We keep the solar cover on all the time except when the kids are swimming. Not sure how much more swimming they will be doing this year, temps at night are getting in the 40s. Pool is still staying pretty warm, not sure for how much longer.