no chlorine reading

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appaloosastar

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May 29, 2015
49
Pleasant Gap Pa
I can honestly say I have never had this problem in 20 years. Opened a fairly clean pool a month ago. 2 weeks in we had a nasty wind storm and all the whirligigs from my neighbors maple tree landed in my pool. I cleaned them out pretty well, had another wind storm, more whirligigs. I vacuumed again. Water was clear. Then we had a nasty rain storm my pool turned GREEN and I have had problems since. My chlorine level never gets above .5. My Ph is 7.6, TA is 140, CYA is 50, CH200. I have dumped a lot of shock to no avail. I tried floc didn't drop anything down. Any suggestion??? I need to get this cleaned up. I've already spent a ton of money. And I added a quart of algaecide.
 
Well, time for some Pool School. We teach a different process than traditional pool care. No floc, no clarifiers, and seldom do we use algecide.

Lisa has explained that you need one of the recommended test kits, and the best one is linked in her signature.

So, murky green - algae.

I will propound the usual questions:

What "new" test kit are you using now?

What do you use to chlorinate on a routine basis?

Did the algecide you used contain copper?

Do you have a full set of test result, including:
FC
pH
TA
CYA
CH

And, where are my manners - Welcome to TFP!
 
appaloosastar, if you've owned a pool for 20 years, you may be sent in your ways on some things, like how you test, and what chemicals you put in the water, etc. If you're new to TFP, then might I suggest going into it without the pool store advice, products, and any possible bad habits. :) That's what I had to do. Don't waste your money on floc, 3" pucks, algaecides, or bags of shock. More than likely your chlorine (FC) is getting obliterated as soon as you put it in the pool because there's not enough to combat the algae. Just like the others said above, you probably need to follow the "SLAM" process and read a few of TFP's most important pages (links below). Most importantly, if you don't already have one of TFPs recommended test kits (i..e TF-100 link below), you MUST get one. Obtaining the readings you need for TFP can only be achieved from these type of kits, and they serve as the foundation for everything you will do.
 
Not a Taylor Test kit, can't remember the brand off hand. It tests chlorin, .5, ph is 7.6, TA 130, CYA 50, CH 200. Algaecide did not contain copper. And yes I am trying to go BBB method but wondering if thats where I got into trouble. I recently added 2 tri-chlor tablets to my chlorinator to try to raise the chlorine level. Nothing. More bleach??
 

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Ok I'll order the test kit today and I'll go for more bleach. I'll trash pump out the floc somehow, add fresh water. You are probably right I'm set in my ways. I owned and operate a pool business with my husband for 30 years. I had a salt water system until 2 years ago and we decided to do chlorine. Guess I'm starting all over. Thanks for your help.
 
Those "tabs" will cause more pain than they're worth - suggest you turn it off or empty it. Stick with "regular" bleach only. The TFP-recommended test kits are a must. Other kits on the market are either inconsistent or do not provide the high-level readings needed. Take a moment to digest the info from the links below and you'll be in a much better position to keep your levels accurate.

- - - Updated - - -

Our pleasure! We're just like you ... pool owners who want to get the most out of their investment. Summer is almost here, so we all want a sparkling pool when friends come over. :)
 
What we teach here is a little different than what you're used to probably but it really works very well. I commend you for being open to our suggestions after so many years. I'm not faulting you for getting away from salt, but it makes me curious about why. Lots of people really love it, but I'm very happy with just manual Bleach addition myself. I hope you stay around and enjoy our forum. After that long in the business I'm sure you have some good stories to share with us too.
 
appaloosastar said:
I have added 17 gallons of bleach and 3 bottles of tri-chlor shock. Never goes above .5. New test kit.
Click to expand...

I'm new to having a pool this year, but this sounds like my situation when opening. I was dumping gallon after gallon of bleach in, and nothing registering. I came here and it was suggested that the CYA turned to ammonia over the winter, which I believe was the case. Finally, about 50 gallons of bleach later, I have a reliable measure of FC and CC.
 
Based on the vast amount of experience from TFP'ers on this site, I don't think we'll ever know everything there is to know about pool maintenance. But in my opinion, this is the best place to learn. Lots of knowledge and lessons-learned from people wiling to share. We all learn something new in TFP. :)
 
almost ready to start over

Since my last visit I have trash pumped all the floc from my pool and re-filling now. I probably emptied half the water. After owning a pool company for many years and owning a pool for 20+ years I believe that even an old dog can learn new tricks so here we go.....

I have 20 gals of bleach on hand to start my SLAM. I know that I first need to raise my CYA to at least 30 and my PH to 7.2...right? My new Taylor test kit K-2006 should be here Tuesdayish so until then I can use the OTO to get started.

I still have my SWG and probably a year left on the cell so I may get that up and running once I get the pool stable and blue. Can't use it anyway until things are ready to go. We'll see.

I have many stories after being in the pool business with my husband for 30+ years and I never thot I would need a forum to help me with a chemical issue, boy was I wrong.

Any suggestions and advice is always appreciated.
 
Re: almost ready to start over

Definitely need to get some CYA in the water, but the question is how much. You should have some CYA in the water already since you only emptied about half the water in the pool. As far as getting started on the SLAM with the OTO, I don't think you will be able to properly SLAM until your kit arrives in a couple days. Off the top of my head, if I remember correctly, SLAM level for CYA of 30 is 12ppm FC. I don't think the OTO goes that high. You'll also need the CYA test thats recommended from tftestkits.net so you can accurately test your CYA (I believe that is sold with the Taylor kit you ordered. Not sure as I have the TF100).

I'd stick to just adding some bleach everyday until your new kit arrives and you can get some accurate test results. Good luck and welcome to the forum.
 
Re: almost ready to start over

Welcome to TFP. The advice on this forum works really well. You will be happy that you came here for help. The test kit you order will be helpful, but you might run out of reagents during your SLAM. You should consider ordering a few refills, especially the FAS-DPD. I suggest that you order this refill so that you don't run out:
TFTestkits.net

Until your Taylor kit arrives, you can safely add one jug of 8.25% bleach a day until your kit arrives. This will keep things from getting much worse.

In the mean time, check these out:
How to SLAM: Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain

Play around with pool math so you know how much chems to add:
http://www.troublefreepool.com/calc.html

Chlorine/CYA chart: Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart
 
Re: almost ready to start over

Appaloosastar, I seem to remember you visiting us a day or so ago. Welcome back. Nice to see you are all geared-up and ready to SLAM. You've already received some outstanding advice, so press-on with pride! Let us know when your kit arrives and re-post a new set of numbers for us. Everyone here will be more than happy to assist if you have any questions.
 

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