Stabilizer with Salt Generator

[mraa1]

I have taken over from the twice a week pool maintenance company, since I am not using the pool until it gets warmer in South Florida. The maintenance guy never added anything but acid every time and salt a few times. Stabilizer may have been used at startup 6 months ago. One pool store told me it needed nothing, but my chlorine was high and I might need my chlorine generator adjusted. A few weeks later, a different pool store said I needed 3 cups of acid and 7 lbs of stabilizer. My chlorine is still high, total and free chlorine at 5. I am worried that the stabilizer is not a good thing when the chlorine is already high. My ph is 8. There is zero stabilizer in my pool water. Thanks.

 

[reggiehammond]

If you don't have a proper test kit, you don't know what your pool has or has not. Purchase one of the two recommended kits, first, before proceeding. Test Kits Compared

Don't adjust your SWCG yet until you can properly test. What the pool industry considers "high" is not what the TFP method is based upon. Chlorine is keeping your non-stabilized pool from turning into a swamp.

 

[Bperry]

I have taken over from the twice a week pool maintenance company, since I am not using the pool until it gets warmer in South Florida. The maintenance guy never added anything but acid every time and salt a few times. Stabilizer may have been used at startup 6 months ago. One pool store told me it needed nothing, but my chlorine was high and I might need my chlorine generator adjusted. A few weeks later, a different pool store said I needed 3 cups of acid and 7 lbs of stabilizer. My chlorine is still high, total and free chlorine at 5. I am worried that the stabilizer is not a good thing when the chlorine is already high. My ph is 8. There is zero stabilizer in my pool water. Thanks.

Some stabilizer is a good thing, but too much is a bad thing. Pool stores are terrible at giving good advice and so here’s some:
1. Don’t ever do anything based only on a pool store water test
2. Get your own reliable test kit. TFP only recommends the TF-100 or the Taylor K2006C
3. Your FC is not very high. You probably do have stabilizer in the water as it’s in nearly every form of chlorine except chlorinating liquid and cal-hypo. It’d be very uncommon to have zero and would also not be wise.

 

[newdude]

+3. Your target FC level depends on your CYA, but only if your data is good. Otherwise you're playing blind darts.

FC/CYA Levels
Pool Care Basics
Test Kits Compared

All levels on this chart are considered equal

 

[proavia]

Welcome to TFP!

Ok, you have a SWG. The better test kit options are:
TF-100 Salt testkit - add the stirring device.
or
TF-Pro Salt - comes with the stirring device and nice case.

While you may think the stirrer device is a gimic, anyone who has one won't part with it. It helps make thetesting easier, more consistent and repeatable.

@Newdude posted a comparision of the two kits, which I can't find right now. Chances are he will post it in the morning.

 

[newdude]

So the test kits fall into 2 price points.

K2006 : too small
TF100 : 2.7X the supplies
-------------------------------
K2006*C* : too much TA, CH and not enough FC, CYA

TFpro : sized better for how we do things
*fancy case
*includes $48 stirring device

Either tftestkits.net option is hands down a better value than the Taylor option. Both kits were created with our way of doing things in mind, from Taylor supplies.

Either TF kit can be bought in a salt version which adds the $30 salt kit for $20, making them even better deals versus the Taylor equivalent, plus a K1766 salt kit.