OK, REALLY - you're adding Bleach on a DAILY basis ?

[cody21]

3 weeks ago I removed the "puck" and went with this BBB method and a TF100 kit ..

I do the "major" TF100 test once per week, I do the "blue kit" that came with the TF100 test kit almost every day for the CL & PH - as a sanity check.

This is the 3rd week ... results below .. Clearly the FC is way too low @ 1.5 .. I've had it up to 4.0 just 2 days ago (blue test kit) biut didn't add any since ... So I JUST added 354 oz bleach to the system (6%) ... I am amazed at just how much bleach I'm putting into the pool on a daily basis - anywhere from 80 oz to 250 oz. Is that normal? (Previous "pool service" used the Trichlor pucks - she showed up to "adjust" with liquid just once per week!!!) I am not adding anything else based on PC-... e.g., MA, Soda, etc... I removed the PoolRx mineral thing from the filter 2 weeks ago. The CYA is still hovering at 60ppm ... and I continue to add water to dilute things & bump up the water skimmer water level about every 3 days. I would have to add that I *think* the pool is a bit cloudy .. but not sure what "normal" crystal clear is ... Could be clearer, not sure. I'm *this close* to dumping in a "crystal clear adjustment solution" sold by the pool store - what am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance....

Last TF100 test :

TC = 1.5
FC =1.5
CC = 0.0
PH = 7.4
TA = 110.0
CYA = 60.0
CH = 260.0 (has slowly come down fron 300 over last 3 weeks)
CSI = -0.01
Temp = 90.0

 

[Vette]

You need to shock. Read up how in Pool School.

Don't dump in a pool store chemical, it doesn't fix the underlying problem. Treating symptoms costs more than fixing the problem. If you have cloudy water, 99% of the time its a chemical problem. In your case, I think your chlorine was too low for too long and you have organics in the water.

 

[JasonLion]

For a 30,000 gallon pool averaging about 1 gallon of bleach a day would be considered normal. Bleach is more carrying than other forms of chlorine, which is more noticeable with a larger pool.

Your low FC levels are why the water isn't getting to really sparkling. Recommended FC level is 5 to 9, and never below 5. You are letting the FC level get too low, so somewhat higher chlorine consumption is to be expected. With CYA at 60 you want to add enough chlorine today so that the FC level is at least 5 tomorrow. Letting FC get down to 1.5 at any point means algae is likely to get started.

Shocking probably isn't required, as long as FC never went to zero and the water remains clear (even if not sparkling).

 

[PAGirl]

Try finding the liquid chlorine that is 12.5%. It averages around the same cost, but you don't have to add as much, since it's twice as strong. I get mine at a local Agway store.

 

[Vette]

If you post a pic, we can probably tell if its "need to shock" cloudy or "not perfect" cloudy.

 

[Richard320]

30,000 gallons will use in the neighborhood of a gallon of 6% bleach every day. Maybe more if a lot of people are swimming, a little less if its cool and overcast.

Secondly, with CYA = 60, your chlorine should never drop below 5. Which makes that color-matching test pretty useless, because I know for myself that anything between 4 and 8 looks like 5 to me.

Cloudiness is likely caused by dead algae in your water. Not a lot, because the bleach is killing it, but you're not using enough bleach to get ahead of its reproduction. It's a stalemate. It may also be caused by poor circulation. Without a main drain, you need to make sure you have at least one return jet aimed down to stir the water up where the skimmer can actually catch it and filter stuff out.

It's worth comparison shopping for bleach. Sometimes you can find 12.5% bleach at Lowes and it works out cheaper per %-gallon than chlorox. Or a local pool store might have returnable jugs of 12.5% at a good price.

 

[Vette]

It's worth comparison shopping for bleach. Sometimes you can find 12.5% bleach at Lowes and it works out cheaper per %-gallon than chlorox. Or a local pool store might have returnable jugs of 12.5% at a good price.

I went to Leslie's to buy some o-ring lube and a measuring cup today and looked for liquid chlorine, but apparently Trichlor or Baqgoo is what every pool owner on the face of the planet uses. It always strikes me how Trichlor is all places sell, then they act hostile when somebody uses an alternative that they choose not to carry.

 

[mpacheco72]

It typically takes me about 2-3 minutes every day to test my water and add bleach.

 

[techguy]

It's worth comparison shopping for bleach. Sometimes you can find 12.5% bleach at Lowes and it works out cheaper per %-gallon than chlorox. Or a local pool store might have returnable jugs of 12.5% at a good price.

I went to Leslie's to buy some o-ring lube and a measuring cup today and looked for liquid chlorine, but apparently Trichlor or Baqgoo is what every pool owner on the face of the planet uses. It always strikes me how Trichlor is all places sell, then they act hostile when somebody uses an alternative that they choose not to carry.

I think you to ask about liquidCL at L. I asked and the sales guy asked how many, I asked for a price, he said $10 for two gallons, I asked what percentage h said 10%', I said no thanks, I can do better on the price, he asked where? I said $6.47 for two at Walmart., he said we have great prices on solid, I said liquid only for me. Sorry for the shorthand.. On iPad

 

[Vette]

It's worth comparison shopping for bleach. Sometimes you can find 12.5% bleach at Lowes and it works out cheaper per %-gallon than chlorox. Or a local pool store might have returnable jugs of 12.5% at a good price.

I went to Leslie's to buy some o-ring lube and a measuring cup today and looked for liquid chlorine, but apparently Trichlor or Baqgoo is what every pool owner on the face of the planet uses. It always strikes me how Trichlor is all places sell, then they act hostile when somebody uses an alternative that they choose not to carry.

I think you to ask about liquidCL at L. I asked and the sales guy asked how many, I asked for a price, he said $10 for two gallons, I asked what percentage h said 10%', I said no thanks, I can do better on the price, he asked where? I said $6.47 for two at Walmart., he said we have great prices on solid, I said liquid only for me. Sorry for the shorthand.. On iPad

I'll keep that in mind. I didn't ask anything mostly because the kid in there was probably the same age as me (17) lol. Now I need to find a reason to go back to scout it out for Liquid Chlorine prices. I was wondering, because they do have it listed on their site.

I do love the full shelf of PhosFree and zero shelf space for test kits (they are all on a little spinning rack in a tight space between 2 shelves)

 

[techguy]

As to your consumption, I use about1/3 of a gallon. My CYA is near 40 and it's been over 100F this week... And dog pooped in pool twice this weekend...gotta love her.

 

[techguy]

I would nt drive, just call.

 

[frogabog]

Some of us enjoy adding bleach every day. I for one, actually miss it with the SWG. It was a nice peaceful whole 2 minutes.

I noticed that you said you're adding water to dilute. I will assume this is due to evaporation and you're refilling. This won't lower CYA for you at all, as evaporation does not reduce CYA. You'll need to actually drain some of the water to reduce the CYA.

I think also, that because you're continually falling below minimum that you may be consuming more chlorine than you would if you kept the water above minimum. The easiest way to do this is to dose the pool at night to the high target for your CYA level, after all swimming is done and the sun is off the pool. Assuming no chlorine is lost overnight, you then begin the next day with enough chlorine to lose ~50%, leaving you still above minimum. Rinse and repeat each evening. Easy peasy :~}

 

[cody21]

Thanks to everyone for your posts on my issue ...

- FYI, 3 jugs of 6% @ Costco runs me $9 ... Walmart has their brand for $2.87 ea, so not a huge savings and in fact would be more expensive due to gas to go out of the way to go there for me. I have yet to see 12% ANYWHERE - Walmart, Lowe's, Costco ..

- When I wrote "cloudy", I probably had a hard time explaining the clarity .. It reallty looks very very good .. The deep end is about 9
deep - and I can see the bottom just fine ... but I don't know what 100% "clear" means vs. normal difraction due to the depth (or whatever you call it). In bright sunlight it looks great. I'll try to snap a pic later and see if I can post it here for all to see.

- I'll arrange a OCLT in the next day or 2 ... But based on everything I'm seeing, and your great comments, I think I'm just discovering that I must add Bleach on a dailyi basis due to the size of the pool and my CYA .. (I have NOT drained water and refilled in an attempt to lower my CYA - I had assumed (me bad) that evaporation & topping off every few days would eventually lower the CYA .. (Clearly the CYA amounts is probably due to the "pucks" the pool service used.)

- And if all that doesn't do it, I'll bite the bullet and shock it ... I just hate losing days or a week of swimming after just coming into ownership of a pool in the middle of summer. :-(

Thanks all ..

 

[RobbieH]

Here's what clear looks like. The black spot at the bottom is the main drain, 9 feet down.

 

[techguy]

I have seen that many here use a coin test. You place a coin on the floor of the pool and see if can tell what side is up. My avatar is the result of that test, in a 100 pixel square with low quality. I can read what year my coins are in 48 inches of water.

PS...Apple's spell checker is aggressively wrong.

 

[fast1971chevelle]

I do love the full shelf of PhosFree and zero shelf space for test kits (they are all on a little spinning rack in a tight space between 2 shelves)[/quote]

You have to be talking about leslies pool store. I went to the one by the Dayton mall and the old guy in there is a (insert bad name of your choice here)........lol

 

[techguy]

All I noticed at the last L store I went to was the pyramids of trichlor buckets, the really expensive toys, the $150 float mat, and i asked for liquid chlorine but its more than 50% more than WM.

I left with my money in my pocket. My wife said, WOW, that place was expensive. There are good people at L but they would appear to only a few of them and it requires too much effort for me to find a good, honest one.

 

[Isaac-1]

Like others have said it does sound like you have something trying to grow in your pool which is causing your chlorine to be consumed. If you don't like the idea of adding chlorine everyday, consider investing in a chlorine injection pump with a timer, most people here use some type of peristaltic pump, cost is usually around $400-$600 if you install it yourself. I am using a metering pump on my pool, but that is just because I found one new in the box on ebay fairly cheap ($150 give or take), however it requires annual rebuild kits that cost around $60 because the chlorine eats the seals.

Ike

 

[cody21]

I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out -- e.g., (64 oz) 1 Gallon per Day for a 31K gal pool is "normal" (one suggestion) vs. is the balance "off" to the point something *IS* growing ... I think the OCLT will shed more light on that and I plan to do it tonight or tomorrow (since weather is turning cool for a couple of days anyway). I mentioned this somewhere before -- I took over this pool from a "pool service" who was all about "pucks" and weekly additions of liquid bleach for minor adjusts. I also removed the PoolRX device from the filter .... I'll report back my results. Thanks everyone !