Recommended levels


Jan 5, 2021
Melbourne, Florida
Good morning, I've recently fired the pool company and taken over the care of my pool- it certainly is an education! It's become clear to me that TFP is an authority on pool care and I'm grateful for this resource. One question- why are the TFP recommended levels different than what I see widely elsewhere on the web? For instance, TFP recommends ideal Alkalinity levels at 60-80 whereas everywhere else I see 80-120. TFP recommends ideal PH 7.6-7.8 whereas elsewhere I see 7.4-7.6. And so on with differences in CH, CYA, FC, etc.

I am using the TFP recommendations and pool looks great but I'm curious why everywhere else (including pool stores) I see different recommendations. Thanks for any insight!


Gold Supporter
TFP Guide
Jun 16, 2019
Hey DY and welcome !! Most everywhere else, including the pool stores are using the government guidelines that haven’t been updated since the 70s/80s. Let that sink in for a minute and imagine healthcare, technology, or most anything else if it was still done the same way.

TFP has evolved with the times and is ahead of the pack by a mile. Between science and user results, TFP methods have been fine tuned to work in any pool, anywhere in the world regardless of climate or pool type. Sometimes supplies are limited geographically, like proper test kits in Canada/Asia, but that’s a customs problem and not TFPs fault.

Anywho glad to have you. Read up onABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and post away any questions. We have tons of folks to guide you that get nothing but the warm and fuzzies from helping another pool enthusiast.


Gold Supporter
Bronze Supporter
Jul 17, 2019
Prosper, TX (DFW)
Pool Size
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
The short answer is that TFP uses newer science that sets your FC range in proportion to your CYA level. Most of the industry is still using the older way of thinking that does not account for CYA.

There are some other differences like TA levels, since TFP does not recommend as high of a TA since the regular use of pucks is not recommended with TFP (they are acidic and need a higher TA to help keep the pH from dropping too much). I'm sure other members can go into more details and specifics, but those are the 2 main differences.


TFP Expert
LifeTime Supporter
Jul 21, 2011
Eastern Ohio
Pool Size
Liquid Chlorine
First and foremost......WELCOME TO TFP!!!
Yo help explain the TA levels, take a look at this short video......
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