After couple weeks, our pool is still green. It is a 20x40 vinyl liner pool. The pool store said levels look good--except for chlorine--zero. She recommended that we use 6 gallons of bleach and let filter run for few hours and to floc. I'm worried this much bleach will fade liner. Should I be concerned?
Pool Green?? Six Gallons of Bleach!!!--Will it Fade?
- Thread starter lhayes1976
- Start date
You should be concerned. About the six gallons, but mostly about letting the pool store test your water.
The problem is that without good test results (CYA specifically) we don't know if six gallons is way too much or not nearly enough.
How do you normally chlorinate your pool?
The problem is that without good test results (CYA specifically) we don't know if six gallons is way too much or not nearly enough.
How do you normally chlorinate your pool?
They're a pretty reliable source, not a L@#lies. They have built and installed pools for many years--50 in fact. I actually called another installer as well, and they pretty much said the same thing. They assured me that the chlorine level would not stay high very long because of the algae in the pool. Both places said I need to triple shock the pool.
We'd love to help, but we can't in good faith, recommend adding that much chlorine at one time without good test results to back it up.
It's your pool and if you're willing to take a chance on the blind advice you're getting, then you're free to do what they advise. Will they replace your liner if they're wrong and it fades it out? I doubt it.
It's your pool and if you're willing to take a chance on the blind advice you're getting, then you're free to do what they advise. Will they replace your liner if they're wrong and it fades it out? I doubt it.
Without knowing your CYA, they have no idea what the proper dosage should be for your pool. What does "triple shock" mean?
oh, triple shock! well...
heh, folks here will tell you, you either test your own water and put in what the pool needs, or you let the pool store run your pool. Trying to do both will not work for your pool.
You would get a recommended test kit, post the results, and likely start a SLAM process to eradicate the algae. Then keep your pool chlorinated appropriately (based on your test results) with a daily dose of liquid chlorine.
See the shortcuts at the top of the website. Or just browse the Algae-treatment or TFPC forums, there are threads just like yours appearing daily. You can also see the results for yourself.
heh, folks here will tell you, you either test your own water and put in what the pool needs, or you let the pool store run your pool. Trying to do both will not work for your pool.
You would get a recommended test kit, post the results, and likely start a SLAM process to eradicate the algae. Then keep your pool chlorinated appropriately (based on your test results) with a daily dose of liquid chlorine.
See the shortcuts at the top of the website. Or just browse the Algae-treatment or TFPC forums, there are threads just like yours appearing daily. You can also see the results for yourself.
If, and only if, your CYA is 40, then you need to maintain a shock level of 16ppm FC. That would take approximately 3 1/2 - 121oz jugs of 8.25% bleach to reach that number from 0 FC. You will need to maintain that 16ppm level at a minimum for a period of days (possibly weeks).
Again, as others have stated, pool store testing is often suspect and it's best to test using your own kit. I might add that their recommendation of 6 jugs with 40ppm of CYA would put your FC at roughly 27ppm (again from 0), well past mustard algae shock #s and could possibly fade the liner.
I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but you should strongly consider doing your own tests. The CYA # you posted could be accurate, but it might not be at which point you're shock/SLAM will not be (as) effective or you run risks of damaging the liner. Also, you will need the FAS-DPD chlorine test to measure FC levels above 5 (in some cases 10).
Again, as others have stated, pool store testing is often suspect and it's best to test using your own kit. I might add that their recommendation of 6 jugs with 40ppm of CYA would put your FC at roughly 27ppm (again from 0), well past mustard algae shock #s and could possibly fade the liner.
I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but you should strongly consider doing your own tests. The CYA # you posted could be accurate, but it might not be at which point you're shock/SLAM will not be (as) effective or you run risks of damaging the liner. Also, you will need the FAS-DPD chlorine test to measure FC levels above 5 (in some cases 10).
Why would I not trust a pool company's test results? They run it through a computer, would it not be more accurate than a test kit?
Well, it could be the hundreds of people a year that come to the site, buy a good test kit, do their test and say "Wow, the pool store numbers were way off!" Or the many examples where someone has taken the same sample to several different pool stores and gotten different results at each one. Doesn't matter what they use to test, we have seen inaccurate results from every type of pool store test there is. Sure, you might have the rare one that does offer good testing. They are out there, but how do we know if you don't have any way to verify the results with a kit we know is accurate?
Also, you never answered Dave's question, what does "triple shock" mean?
I'm insulted and I do not understand the animosity towards me. I am not an expert and was relying on the experts on this site to give me some answers. I was concerned about what the pool store said and was asking for nothing but advice. I have been hit with nothing but condescending remarks. Most people who own pools, trust the pool companies, yes maybe we are incorrect to do so, but to be made a fool for doing so is just wrong. Sorry, for bothering you, I guess I just misunderstood the purpose of this forum.
You would think so but, in fact, the opposite is true. Hope you get a chance to read some of the threads within our forums and you'll see what we mean.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,757
- Pool Size
- 17888
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- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
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- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Ihayes, something else I learned (from TFP) is that many of our tests are ideally read in indirect sunlight. Indoor lighting skews the results on some of those - especially CYA. So when these people test our water indoors, they already have one strike against them. When I started-up my pool, I put all my trust in the local pool store and my pool builder. One used test strips, the other quick and fancy stirrers and gizmos, only to learn later everything they told me (and sold me) was inaccurate. Almost immediately after receiving my TF-100, and doing my first half-dozen tests on my own, my pool became clear and I could see a coin on the bottom of the deep end for the first time since it was built.
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If you are still willing, I hope to see you give the TFP method a try.
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If you are still willing, I hope to see you give the TFP method a try.
I'm sorry you were insulted. We are really just trying to help and sometimes some of us come across the wrong way in written form.
Pool stores often don't do the tests well because their staff is temporary summer hire help that are not experienced, or even if they are they don't often clean out the vials well between tests so get cross-contaminated or false readings from dirty vials, don't check to make sure the reagents are fresh and not expired, don't calibrate the photometer against clear cells or standards, etc. The fact that they are read by a computer does not make them more accurate at all. The testing itself is still a "wet test" meaning adding chemical dyes to the sample and then reading the color in a machine.
There is a reason this site has more than 80,000 registered members and gets around half a million unique visitors per month during peak swim season. The advice from many (not all) pool stores is absolutely awful. Some of this is due to the manufacturers not given accurate or complete information and some of this is due to the inexperienced help. This site is based on the foundations of sound science confirmed by observation in tens of thousands of pools.
Pool stores often don't do the tests well because their staff is temporary summer hire help that are not experienced, or even if they are they don't often clean out the vials well between tests so get cross-contaminated or false readings from dirty vials, don't check to make sure the reagents are fresh and not expired, don't calibrate the photometer against clear cells or standards, etc. The fact that they are read by a computer does not make them more accurate at all. The testing itself is still a "wet test" meaning adding chemical dyes to the sample and then reading the color in a machine.
There is a reason this site has more than 80,000 registered members and gets around half a million unique visitors per month during peak swim season. The advice from many (not all) pool stores is absolutely awful. Some of this is due to the manufacturers not given accurate or complete information and some of this is due to the inexperienced help. This site is based on the foundations of sound science confirmed by observation in tens of thousands of pools.
Ihayes1976... Please don't feel insulted. There is no animus toward you. Animus toward the pool store, yes :tongue:
The general consensus here is that the pool store has one purpose in life and that is to make money by selling products that may or may not help your pool. Many here have found that pool store testing differs greatly from their own and often differs greatly from store-to-store, with the same water sample.
In regard to your question about the computer or any electronic based device, it may be completely accurate, but it also may not be calibrated properly, or a sensor may be flaky or an IC may not provide the right signal or any one of a thousand things, and thus provide inaccurate results.
The responses are not condescending... they are just letting you know- YOU need to take control of your pool and to know its chemistry. I've been a part of this for less than a week and have learned more about my pool in that short time than i had the previous 2 seasons and relying on the pool store. The pool store computer spits out a bunch of information to help sell product (well at least the ones I've been to.). there are reputable pool places out there.. I've found the ones that actually sell test kits and not just TEST STRIPS are more reliable. This season I opened up my pool and bought about $500 worth of pool store recommended products and my pool was still green. I found this site; did what was SUGGESTED (since we are not obligated to follow any of the information given) and my pool made progress in one evening after starting this process. This site is here to help, lots a of useful knowledge. BUT for THIS process to work you need to FOLLOW the SUGGESTED process. I did not see where someone showed animosity towards you, they were just alluding to the fact that pool STORES are in the business to make money off people that trust that they know what they are talking about and using the fancy computers that are programmed to sell as much product as possible. One recent example for me is; i got my computer generated test result to add 47#'s of PH reducer. $25 for a 10# bag. x 5 bags. they did not suggest or sell muriatic acid which I used 4 gallons at about $7.50 a gallon 4 x $7.50 = way less than the computer generated suggestion.
So again this site is not about making people feel stupid for believing the pool store. just trying to help free people from the traps of MOST pool stores.
just my two cents though...
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ha bigglesworth beat me to it...I was in the middle of typing my comment up and it happened to be similar to his post.. FFPSH (freedom from pool store ****)
So again this site is not about making people feel stupid for believing the pool store. just trying to help free people from the traps of MOST pool stores.
just my two cents though...
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ha bigglesworth beat me to it...I was in the middle of typing my comment up and it happened to be similar to his post.. FFPSH (freedom from pool store ****)
I believe triple shocking is referring to...instead of 2 bags (for 20K gallons) use 6 bags. Well thats what they told me last week. I added 14 1 lb bags of shock between last monday and tuesday and pool was still green as when i first started ...
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