I've been reading as much as I can and think I know where you will be pointing me (extreme chlorine demand test? shocking with bleach?) but I've already wasted 2 weeks worth of time and energy before finding this forum and gotten nowhere so I'd appreciate a little personal guidance...as a new pool owner, there have been more tears shed than I'd like to admit.
Pool is approximately 25000 gal, vinyl liner. Pool company installed a new offline Hayward CL 220 chlorinator when they opened the pool 2 weeks ago. No free chlorine in the water and many trips later, they tell me it's a water chemistry issue and not the Hayward, which has been cranked up all the way since it was installed 2 weeks ago (filter running between 8-24 hours a day, depending on what the pool company had advised I try that day). 3" chlorine tablets are dissolving at what pool company says is a "normal" rate (about 10 tablets in 2 weeks). Pool company claims to be getting a total chlorine reading of 1 ppm but no free chlorine.
Yesterday (Monday) I brought a sample of water to Leslie's to get a second opinion. Pool hadn't been shocked since previous Tuesday, using Super Shock 73. Here are my results:
FC: 1 (although I have never gotten a reading above 0 ppm myself)
TC: 1
Calcium hardness: 180
CYA: 60
TA: 80
pH: 7.2
TDS: 400
Pho: 500
They sent me home with directions to use Phosfree to lower the phosphates (which from my research shouldn't be impacting my chlorine anyway) and instructions to shock with 3 lbs of the Super shock 73 after sundown. Today when I got home from work I tested the chlorine and found I'm back at 0 FC (about 18 hours after shocking...filter running entire time) and at 1 TC using a Taylor DPD kit. Is this normal?!
If you're going to point me to the shocking with bleach, a few questions...Looking at the CYA/chlorine chart with my numbers, I want my FC level up to 24 ppm...How long do I need to hold it at that level? My kit only goes up to 5 ppm...I'm fuzzy on how I'll be able to measure up to 24. And how exactly does the extreme chlorine demand test factor into this?
I feel like I've found all the pieces, I just need help putting them together. Thank you in advance for any guidance, this has been very frustrating.
Pool is approximately 25000 gal, vinyl liner. Pool company installed a new offline Hayward CL 220 chlorinator when they opened the pool 2 weeks ago. No free chlorine in the water and many trips later, they tell me it's a water chemistry issue and not the Hayward, which has been cranked up all the way since it was installed 2 weeks ago (filter running between 8-24 hours a day, depending on what the pool company had advised I try that day). 3" chlorine tablets are dissolving at what pool company says is a "normal" rate (about 10 tablets in 2 weeks). Pool company claims to be getting a total chlorine reading of 1 ppm but no free chlorine.
Yesterday (Monday) I brought a sample of water to Leslie's to get a second opinion. Pool hadn't been shocked since previous Tuesday, using Super Shock 73. Here are my results:
FC: 1 (although I have never gotten a reading above 0 ppm myself)
TC: 1
Calcium hardness: 180
CYA: 60
TA: 80
pH: 7.2
TDS: 400
Pho: 500
They sent me home with directions to use Phosfree to lower the phosphates (which from my research shouldn't be impacting my chlorine anyway) and instructions to shock with 3 lbs of the Super shock 73 after sundown. Today when I got home from work I tested the chlorine and found I'm back at 0 FC (about 18 hours after shocking...filter running entire time) and at 1 TC using a Taylor DPD kit. Is this normal?!
If you're going to point me to the shocking with bleach, a few questions...Looking at the CYA/chlorine chart with my numbers, I want my FC level up to 24 ppm...How long do I need to hold it at that level? My kit only goes up to 5 ppm...I'm fuzzy on how I'll be able to measure up to 24. And how exactly does the extreme chlorine demand test factor into this?
I feel like I've found all the pieces, I just need help putting them together. Thank you in advance for any guidance, this has been very frustrating.