RiverbendPoolSupply.com - Todd's Blog - Episode 85

So I have not been out to the pool for about two weeks. I took some vacation time and let the pool alone to see if anything bad would happen if I didn't stop by for a while.
Turns out that by having your pool treated via this method not only reduces the need for chlorine, even in 100+ degree weather, it also seems to maintain a better balance, longer - without negative effects like algae or cloudiness.
Free Chlorine - .2 PPM
Total Chlorine - .2 PPM
I haven't added a tablet to this pool in two weeks, yet there is still a small chunk in the chlorinator and the pool is holding about .2 PPM.
That's pretty incredible that one tablet can maintain a chlorine residual at all in a 15,000 gallon pool for over two weeks.
There are a lot of pool care detractors on the internet. They don't believe in using anything but liquid chlorine (bleach) and grocery store bought products, despite all the science on the negative health effects of keeping higher levels of chlorine.
For example, many of these sites say you need to maintain 12% Free Chlorine per Cyanuric Acid PPM. So, if your cyanuric acid is 50 PPM you need to maintain a free chlorine residual of 6 PPM at all times.
Even the EPA says chlorine at 4 PPM is dangerous to humans. So why are chlorine alternatives decried so often on the internet?
I have no idea. The conspiracy part of my brain says these people are in bed with chlorine manufacturers to keep the masses afraid of using anything else. Perhaps though, these people are just angry at the pool industry because products cost money. I do not know.
Anyways;
PH - 7.5
Perfect.
Total Alkalinity - 70 PPM
Perfect.
Calcium Hardness - 275 PPM
Perfect.
Cyanuric Acid - 25 PPM
This is all that I need to maintain a .5 - 1.0 PPM FC residual regularly. With low chlorine maintenance there is no reason to keep your cyanuric acid between 30 and 50 PPM.
Phosphates - 300 PPB
This seems to be the typical level of phosphate I am seeing since I switched from CV-700 to Pool Perfect+PhosFree; again this is no big deal.
Borates - 60 PPM
This too, is perfect.
Everything seems to be holding very well and despite two weeks of no maintenance the pool looks great. See you next week!