3" Trichlor tablet not melting

[johnny_h55]

My parents have an 8600 gallons 18' above ground pool with a hayward 1.5hp pump. And I did a water test with the aqua check strips the other day and there was no free chlorine available. So I added liquid chlorine to the pool and I also shocked the pool with sodiumhypochlorite at night. That kept the chlorine level up while I was there. She normally uses 3 inch tablets in a floater but when I checked the floater there was almost 2 full pucks in it and I asked her when was the last time that she added pucks, she said it was 3 days before. Is it normal for a 3 inch puck not to be melted after 3 days? There was just a little erosion on the side of that puck. The floater is wide open and the pump runs 24/7. Should I put the pucks in the skimmer since the pump is on 24/7, would that help? Just tell her to remove the puck if she stops the pump.


Also before I added chlorine the water was clear and after I added it it became all blurry. I think it's because there was algae and the chlorine killed it? She said I dont understand your method of taking care of the pool, I was always though, chlorine pucks, algicide and backwash often. And that's what she has done for the past 20 years. The water was clear all these years but maybe that doesn't mean the water was safe to swim in?

 

[tim5055]

I just used pucks to raise my CYA and I have 2 in a floater wide open for almost 2 weeks. Other than that, I have no experience with pucks. I still would not put pucks in the skimmer.

She must have a heck,of an electric bill running 24/7..... Any reason for that?

I would be afraid to think what the CYA level is in the pool if all she ever used was pucks.

 

[johnny_h55]

I just used pucks to raise my CYA and I have 2 in a floater wide open for almost 2 weeks. Other than that, I have no experience with pucks. I still would not put pucks in the skimmer.

She must have a heck,of an electric bill running 24/7..... Any reason for that?

I would be afraid to think what the CYA level is in the pool if all she ever used was pucks.

According to the test, CYA level is 0, hence the reason I think the pucks aren't melting. The only other thing is that 1.5hp pump is too much power for that 18' pool, I didn't know last year when I bought the replacement pump. Could that have anything to do with the chlorine not dissolving?

 

[tim5055]

What area of the country, you don't list it in your profile.

If hot here is no CYA the FC in the pool,is consumed in a couple of hours.

Was this pool,just opened? How does the water look?

Full set of test results?

 

[jblizzle]

You can not trust test strips. And them reporting a CYA level of 0 is proof of that. Trichlor dissolves slowly, especially when there is little water flow over the tablets like in a floater. They ARE adding CYA, and unless you get a LOT of rain and backwash a LOT of water, the CYA must be very high.

If you do much reading around here, you will quickly see that the method being used by your mom is not typically recommended by TFP.

The TFPC method is really just about understanding your pool’s chemistry and through accurate testing, adding only what the pool NEEDS.

I know it is hard to argue with supposed 20 years of clear water, but if you want to know what it going on in the water and you want to take control of the pool, you need one of the Recommended Test Kits.

Please add your location (City, State or City, Country) to your profile and pool details to your signature as described HERE as it will help us help you.

 

[tim5055]

Thanks Jason, I missed the test strips part of the post!

 

[johnny_h55]

You can not trust test strips. And them reporting a CYA level of 0 is proof of that. Trichlor dissolves slowly, especially when there is little water flow over the tablets like in a floater. They ARE adding CYA, and unless you get a LOT of rain and backwash a LOT of water, the CYA must be very high.

If you do much reading around here, you will quickly see that the method being used by your mom is not typically recommended by TFP.

The TFPC method is really just about understanding your pool’s chemistry and through accurate testing, adding only what the pool NEEDS.

I know it is hard to argue with supposed 20 years of clear water, but if you want to know what it going on in the water and you want to take control of the pool, you need one of the Recommended Test Kits.

Please add your location (City, State or City, Country) to your profile and pool details to your signature as described HERE as it will help us help you.

Ya well the thing is, unless you're a millionaire a good test kit id hard to come by in Canada. The taylor k2005 is 4 times the price in Canada that it is in the states. Hence the reason most people use whatever the pool store offers or the walmart hth kits. And I like to TFPC method for myself for whenever I get my own pool but to tell my mom to switch over might be hard. Older people don't like change usually. So basically I am trying to get her pool chemistry right without changing too much, maybe that is too much to ask. I was thinking of getting a chlorinator and see if this would help with the chlorine issue.

 

[jblizzle]

Well, all the chlorinator will do is get the trichlor to dissolve faster and raise the CYA faster. Without any reliable test results there is no way to offer advice. Unless you want to drain completely and start over and try to follow the Temporary/Seasonal Pool Guide.

BTW, The K-2005 is not one of the recommended kits. The K-2006 is what you want ... and if you were a millionaire, you could by over 5000 of the test kits, which seems a little excessive

 

[johnny_h55]

Well, all the chlorinator will do is get the trichlor to dissolve faster and raise the CYA faster. Without any reliable test results there is no way to offer advice. Unless you want to drain completely and start over and try to follow the Temporary/Seasonal Pool Guide.

BTW, The K-2005 is not one of the recommended kits. The K-2006 is what you want ... and if you were a millionaire, you could by over 5000 of the test kits, which seems a little excessive

The k-2006 is the one I was referring too. I was being sarcastic but paying over $200 for a test kit is outrageous if you ask me.

 

[tim5055]

The k-2006 is the one I was referring too. I was being sarcastic but paying over $200 for a test kit is outrageous if you ask me.

yup, that is,what happens when one company gets a monopoly for an entire country. All Taylor test kits go through one distributor in Canada.

I'm sure the pricing stability in the U.S. Is due in no small part to TFTestkits holding their prices for the past 3 years.

 

[jblizzle]

I agree the price is higher than it should be. But, keep track of how much money you spend on products trying to clear up a green pool ... we often hear of people who spend over $200 on one trip to the pool store when they are sold a bunch of potions due to having to trust the pool store's horrendous water testing.

 

[ping]

The easiest thing to do without a test kit is to start over with new water.

 

[domct203]

I agree the price is higher than it should be. But, keep track of how much money you spend on products trying to clear up a green pool ... we often hear of people who spend over $200 on one trip to the pool store when they are sold a bunch of potions due to having to trust the pool store's horrendous water testing.

Solid Advice right there.

Dom