Water Chemistry & Dosing
FC/CYA, pH, TA, CH, CSI, startup chemistry, scale control, and buying chemicals wisely.
Included Playbooks
Adjust chemistry priorities for UV loss, debris, ventilation, humidity, and chloramine control based on where the pool lives.
Understand why saturation indices matter and why CSI is often preferred for cyanurated residential water.
Protect fresh plaster during the first month with careful brushing, documented chemistry, and builder/manual alignment.
Understand FC/CYA, pH, alkalinity, calcium, and CSI without turning pool care into folklore.
Match stain, scale, startup, and calcium guidance to the actual surface instead of treating every pool like plaster.
Estimate how rainfall changes volume and why you still need to retest CYA, salt, and chlorine after a storm.
Use CSI, brushing, and measured adjustments to stay ahead of scale on tile, heaters, and SWG cells.
Buy commodity chemicals more carefully, read labels, and avoid paying premium pricing for repackaged basics.
Test the water you are adding so recurring hardness, metals, and TDS problems stop feeling mysterious.
Use hose-end filters, alternate fill sources, softened-water caveats, and repeat-fill strategy intentionally when refill water keeps reintroducing the same burden.