I read the label on those 1 pound bags of shock and didn't trust that high percentage (30-45%) of "other ingredients." Found 1 gal. of 10% bleach for $3.76 at Lowe's.
Pool start up March 2015 - just for posterity's sake.
- Thread starter Vince-1961
- Start date
I'm baffled. Had pool at shock levels since last Monday (8 days ago). Overnight chlorine loss this morning was 4 units (53 drops last night, 45 this morning). Admittedly, there are still a few leaves on the bottom but between the lack of time and the coldness of the water (we had a cold snap), I just haven't gotten around to vacuuming again. I had the solar blanket on the last two days. I got a gut feeling that it is somehow contributing to the problem. Water has cleared up but it's still dull and not crystalline.
I do not trust the Lowes bleach. Most have been sitting and/or in the heat so they lose their punch (aka%).
Just use good ole Walmart great value. They have a high turn over. You can also get chlorine from your local pool store. You have to "rent" theri jugs for that though.
Kim
Just use good ole Walmart great value. They have a high turn over. You can also get chlorine from your local pool store. You have to "rent" theri jugs for that though.
Kim
Last night 59 drops, this morning 52, a loss of 3.5 points of FC.
I can't seem to get this pool to pass the overnight chlorine loss test ... and this is after getting all leaves out and vacuuming the floor yesterday.
Isn't 9 days (going on 10 today) long enough for SLAM?
I can't seem to get this pool to pass the overnight chlorine loss test ... and this is after getting all leaves out and vacuuming the floor yesterday.
Isn't 9 days (going on 10 today) long enough for SLAM?
It probably is long enough as far as you are concerned. 
But, your pool disagrees. Not vacuuming and brushing will make it take longer also. Have you retested cya lately to make sure you are at a good shock level? Chlorine CYA Chart
But, your pool disagrees. Not vacuuming and brushing will make it take longer also. Have you retested cya lately to make sure you are at a good shock level? Chlorine CYA ChartOh fiddlesticks! 44 drops last night, 44 drops this morning, IT PASSED!!! yeehaw! finally! took long enough! .......... and then I noticed that, for some reason I can't explain, the chlorine generator had been running for 4 hours. Grrrr.
Pooldv, yes, I checked the CYA level. It had gone down as noted above, but I raised it back up to the 70-80 range.
. . . .and I just used the last little bit of bleach I got on hand.
Pooldv, yes, I checked the CYA level. It had gone down as noted above, but I raised it back up to the 70-80 range.
. . . .and I just used the last little bit of bleach I got on hand.
Happy to report pool is pristine, crystal sparkly and totally clean of all debris. FC 7.5. pH was off the chart low, but added the remainder of a box of Borax and it's now 7.6. For the first time, I used the contraption that came with the pool for a garden hose to provide suction and used a panty hose to catch the debris. Worked much better than vacuum. Temp was a comfortable if slightly chilly 78.
A month later, pool is in regular use. Had to slam again, b/c water was staying cloudy and had brown crud on side walls near bottom and on bottom. Brushed that off with elbow grease. I wonder whether use of solar blanket was a factor. Yesterday, FC 6, pH 7.4, cc 0, didn't bother with tests for anything else. Have not added borates yet.
What is your CYA? It might be the FC is not high enough for the CYA that you are at.
Oh dear. Got home yesterday and remarked to the wife that the pool looked slightly cloudy and she agreed. This morning I test it and . . . . FC = ZERO. I reckon the pump and the SWCG got desynched somewhere along the way. Added the only 2 gallons of bleach in the house and turned on the SWCG.
Wife is a teacher so she's off work during the summer. Had been assuming she was taking care of it.
Wife is a teacher so she's off work during the summer. Had been assuming she was taking care of it.
Communication LOL I have been taking care of mine-----swim in the morning and relaxing after that LOL
In all seriousness it works best here at my house that one of us (me) does the testing and treating. That way there are no missed tests or extra tests. His only job is brushing the walls of the pool.
That works for us. Let us know what y'all come up with!
What I love is that you could tell for looking at it that something was off! THAT is what it is all about!
Kim
Kim
In all seriousness it works best here at my house that one of us (me) does the testing and treating. That way there are no missed tests or extra tests. His only job is brushing the walls of the pool.
That works for us. Let us know what y'all come up with!
What I love is that you could tell for looking at it that something was off! THAT is what it is all about!
Kim
Kim
Shouldn't be too much effort to get it back in shape. Holding FC close to shock level for a few days could clear it right up. Plus 1 that you can tell by looking that everything isn't good with your pool! That is good TFPC right there!
1 night (about 10 hours) after adding borates via 6 boxes of Borax and 2 gallons of muriatic acid (borates were at 15 when I started), test numbers were borates 50, FC 3, TA 70, pH 7.8.
Two nights and one day later (about 36 hours after pool got used some yesterday), test numbers are borates 50, FC 3.5, TA 80 and pH 7.0 or under, as in "off the chart" low. Will aerate today.
Water felt cold to me after work yesterday. We need to get in the habit of putting solar blanket on on at end of day.
Two nights and one day later (about 36 hours after pool got used some yesterday), test numbers are borates 50, FC 3.5, TA 80 and pH 7.0 or under, as in "off the chart" low. Will aerate today.
Water felt cold to me after work yesterday. We need to get in the habit of putting solar blanket on on at end of day.
Went on 5 day vacation last week. Left solar blanket on. Bad storm with unusually heavy rain Friday night a week ago. When we returned on Monday, lots of leaves in pool (and a fallen tree in yard). It appeared cloudy and had a ring of brown along the bottom of the wall. Removed blanket Tuesday to vacuum and the water actually sparkled, until I stirred it up brushing the walls clean and vacuuming. Ever since water has been very cloudy. Today is 4th day of shock level chlorination. I say "shock level" b/c I assumed CYA of 80 per last testing, so I put FC at 30. Just now tested CYA and it was around 45, which makes 30 FC much higher than an ordinary shock level. FC has fallen some during daylight today, even with chlorine generator running, which I have been running almost constantly (except OCLT last night, which failed). Testing at 4:30 PM shows FC at 24, which is appropriate shock level for CYA at 60 per pool school chart. Am curious at loss of CYA; nonetheless I just now added more via sock in skimmer method. I am wondering why the water hasn't cleared yet given the over-chlorination.
You have the ozone turned off, right? What kind of filter is that? If it's sand it might take a day or two.