Unexplained FC Consumption - SOLVED - although the Mystery Remains

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Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

do you have a water auto fill?
just wondering if you have a mighty leak somewhere? looking into the twilight zone now for an answer
i assume the stenner is plumbed in correctly and not injecting half your bleach down the drain
in three days you went from FC16 to FC4 with 15gallons bleach, is that even possible?
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

I do have an auto fill...but I have it turned off. HOWEVER I never checked that for algae. Yet another mystery.

I am so lost, but the only thing I did not do is 100% switch to another store for bleach. Meaning I buy 5.5% from Marc's, they are a local discounter. All last year I never had an issue...

Even though I've bought different date codes/different stores, perhaps there is a massive issue with their strength.

Yesterday I dosed a gallon manually, and went from 4 PPM to 5 PPM :eek:

This morning I tested and I am at 5 PPM - at least my OCLT is doing ok, but not at SLAM level so not sure it is valid.

I will just have to find a new source of bleach to 100% rule this issue out. Maybe once in a while I get a good gallon, and perhaps that is what is fooling me. I will also check if I have monsters in the autofill.

Thanks all for hanging in with me....
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

Lost a total of 12 PPM today...was not able to start a new SLAM process and time to leave town again....I will be dosing about 3 gals a day to try and stay green free when I return 5 days from now. All with a perfectly clear pool.
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

i dont know how you are still sane, but when you do find the answer you will be so happy
dont give up, never surrender
i was also thinking last night when i should have been sleeping
with the stenner adding all the time you may not ever be reaching slam levels
maybe it is getting eaten before it reaches a high enough level
when you get home next try slamming manually
that you passed oclt again makes me wonder about that cya level
you say you lost 12ppm during the day, you only lost 2.5ppm up to 2pm then lost 9.5ppm in afternoon? is that right?
order that cya solution and test again when you get home
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

There is ONE THING I've never considered...what about my solar cover. Even though there has never been algae on it, I wonder if SOME HOW it is growing "on the under of the cover"...Mmmmmmmmm

I will push to SLAM again tonight and see what happens. I am home for 3 days straight (a record) so maybe I will finally beat this invisible beast!
Click to expand...
I just read your complete thread. Sounds like you could be introducing something/algae back into the pool daily - somehow. solar cover? brushes? floats? noodles? swimsuits?

As an FYI, don't swim in your pool with suits that you wear in lakes, ponds, etc. That is an easy way to introduce algae into the pool.

Having the dust not only on the floor but also on the walls points to mustard algae. MA is easily reintroduced into the pool . Because of your schedule, I suggest you treat this as MA and follow the more aggressive MA process.

btw, that light fixture needs to be removed :wink: from the niche and cleaned and exposed to SLAM level FC.

Have you checked your filter? You might need to do a deep cleaning: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/73192-Deep-Cleaning-a-Sand-Filter

Good luck and keep us updated :smile:
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

I am not sure how I am sane...but you guys are certainly helping me stay that way.

Yes, I lost 9.5 PPM in the afternoon - I think everybody is right, because I am SLAMing trying to use the Stenner, I am not getting high enough to keep it sustained.

When I left this AM I did another test.

FC = 5
CC - 0
pH = 7.2 (never raised after trying to SLAM)
TA = 140 (yes a bit high, could this have any effect?)

We do swim in a lake, so that is another thing I never thought of...and will eliminate.

I mentioned Solar Cover earlier...how can I tell - it looks clean on the bottom and no signs of Algae, the top has a few spots of caked on dirt...but nothing that seems to be growing.

The filter sand was just changed last week, finally won my battle and got ECOsmarte to refund all the money for the overpriced and worthless glass media, so doubt it is the sand.

My only option is to try and find a window when I am home and do my best to SLAM at MA levels. In the meantime I limp along...with a crystal clear chlorine eating pool !
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

What kind of plaster do you have? I have PebbleTech and it is very rough. The roughness makes for holes that algae can grow int. Also makes brushing very hard. Do you by any chance have "spa" or therapy jets? If so I suggest that that you try and back flush the air pipes with pool water.
 

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Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

dschlic1 said:
What kind of plaster do you have? I have PebbleTech and it is very rough. The roughness makes for holes that algae can grow int. Also makes brushing very hard. Do you by any chance have "spa" or therapy jets? If so I suggest that that you try and back flush the air pipes with pool water.
Click to expand...

Pool is actually Fiberglass, not a rough spot.

Yes I do have some spa jets, but have been running all those pipes to flow water....I will try the back flush the air pipes, yet another new angle...AWESOME.

Thanks!
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

Back for a day...stenner dosed nearly 15 gal over this last trip.

Water is crystal clear until I brush like mad and then I get a bit of "cloudiness", but then the pool was not used for 5 days so maybe that is normal.

Tested when I got home and had 7.5 PPM at 1 PM
After brushing and dosing another 4 PPM had 5.5 PPM of FC at 9:30 PM
Then did a OCLT and at 7:30 AM had 5.5 PPM of FC

So I "passed" this test, while not at SLAM levels, so most likely not applicable.

Bottom line is that until I can get 3 - 4 days at home to do another REAL SLAM I will be drinking chlorine at insane rates.
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

toofast said:
Back for a day...stenner dosed nearly 15 gal over this last trip.

Water is crystal clear until I brush like mad and then I get a bit of "cloudiness", but then the pool was not used for 5 days so maybe that is normal.

Tested when I got home and had 7.5 PPM at 1 PM
After brushing and dosing another 4 PPM had 5.5 PPM of FC at 9:30 PM
Then did a OCLT and at 7:30 AM had 5.5 PPM of FC

So I "passed" this test, while not at SLAM levels, so most likely not applicable.

Bottom line is that until I can get 3 - 4 days at home to do another REAL SLAM I will be drinking chlorine at insane rates.
Click to expand...

Did you test for CC?

Did the sand filter get a deep cleaning? :smile:
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

I was not able to confirm CYA - simply ran out of time. Had to go run out and fill up the Stenner, back on a plane again.

As for CC - sorry yes I did, the 3 tests results were:

0 CC, then
0.5 CC after brushing and my kid swimming then back in the am before I left
0 CC again.

I did not deep clean the sand as it is barely 2 weeks old (finally got PB to replace the ECOsmarte glass media)
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

toofast said:
I was not able to confirm CYA - simply ran out of time. Had to go run out and fill up the Stenner, back on a plane again.

As for CC - sorry yes I did, the 3 tests results were:

0 CC, then
0.5 CC after brushing and my kid swimming then back in the am before I left
0 CC again.

I did not deep clean the sand as it is barely 2 weeks old (finally got PB to replace the ECOsmarte glass media)
Click to expand...
Actually, things sound pretty dang good overall :goodjob:

Have a good trip and let us know what you find when you get back :D
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

Butterfly said:
Actually, things sound pretty dang good overall :goodjob:

Have a good trip and let us know what you find when you get back :D
Click to expand...

I agree....water looks great, numbers look fine...but I am still BURNING through 3x the FC consumption vs. last year at what I believe are SLIGHTLY HIGHER CYA levels (to be tested tomorrow when I get home for a short day.
 
Re: Unexplained FC Consumption (updated title)

CYA = 30 (had a ton of rain since I last checked and dumped a bunch of water, so must be enough to lower from 40)
FC = 7
CC = .5

This trip my calculations say I've consumed about 7 PPM per DAY of FC - or 2.5 Gallons of 5.5 bleach

Last year I consumed less than 2 PPM per day over the entire season...running at CYA of 30.

My water is so sparkly you can't believe it.

Bottom line though is I must have some invisible algae slowly growing and I am dosing enough to hold back the green monster, but since I can't proper SLAM (it is the maintain that is killing me) over 3-4 days I am in this endless pit of h**l.
 

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