Pool chemicals affected by nearby pesticides

[rdharrington1]

Hello,

We bought a house last summer with an in-ground pool. We used The Pool Calculator all summer to try to determine what to use for chemicals to balance the pool and were constantly having issues with low chlorine and CYA, along with constant algae growth. We have talked to our neighbors who also have an in-ground pool and found out that the pesticides that are frequently sprayed on the apple orchards near our yard "leech out the chlorine". Does anyone have experience with this and know how to adjust what we use for chemicals so that the levels will be where they need to be?
Our pool was just opened last Wednesday, 1 gallon of liquid shock was used, as well as 5 of the 3" trichlor tablets. Another 2 of the 3" trichlor tablets were added on Saturday as most of the original 5 were already dissolved. On Sunday, the chlorine level was at 0.5 ppm and the CYA was below 20 (the lowest reading on the TF100 test kit). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,

Robin

 

[tim5055]

If your CYA is less than 20 I would think that a lot of loss is due to sunlight. Your pool is in the same size range as mine and even with a CYA in the 80 range I have to add a little less than a half gallon of bleach a day. Chlorine is a consumable item, test & adjust daily.

You need to get the CYA up to recommended levels and test your water every day (at least pH & chlorine). Five days is a long time for a gallon of "liquid shock" (just another name for liquid chlorine, slightly higher %) and a few tabs to last

 

[Divin Dave]

Hi Robin,
the CYA so low is why you are going through so much Chlorine.
Recommend to get your CYA up to about 40-50.

Recommend you study up on the ABC's to understand the CYA to FC relationship.
http://www.troublefreepool.com/content/123-abc-of-pool-water-chemistry

Also please read other posts in the water and balancing forum to see what issues some other folks have *and are* having and how they were solved. I think it would be great benefit to you.

 

[duraleigh]

The advice from Divin' Dave and Tim5055 is very solid.

We have talked to our neighbors who also have an in-ground pool and found out that the pesticides that are frequently sprayed on the apple orchards near our yard "leech out the chlorine".

Your neighbors advice is worth absolutely nothing. ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry should give you some insight into what you need to learn to get your pool clear.

 

[Donldson]

My dad had a real issue with clearing his pool after opening this year. He spent a couple weeks fighting to clear it using his pool store method, which involved dumping enough cal-hypo to raise his FC to about 150, and was told it is because his pool is next to a corn field. I finally made it over there, he had 0 FC and 0 CYA (pool store told him not to put the trichlor sticks in until it was cleared up). Took me 1 day of SLAMming and DE in the sand filter to see the deep end.

So file pesticides with fields and rain as reasons pools seem to go cloudy for everyone but TFPC followers.

Or not, since my dad still thinks that the pool store owner must know what he is doing since he has been in the business for twenty years

 

[duraleigh]

Took me 1 day of SLAMming and DE in the sand filter to see the deep end.

Hijacking just a bit but Donldson's results are typical for experienced TFPC users.

This stuff works and long-time member Donldson understands how to put the principles to use. Not singling him out....just sayin' to the newbs that a guy armed with a good test kit and the knowledge to know what to do with it is indeed a lethal dude around algae. :bowdown::bowdown:

 

[Donldson]

a guy armed with a good test kit and the knowledge to know what to do with it is indeed a lethal dude around algae.

Well my jugs of bleach are registered downtown

No no Dave, please feel free, my ego appreciates it! I want to add one addition, the results are typical for someone who has had a lot of experience. With the test kit and the procedures here a newbie will accomplish the same results, just probably not as fast.