Won’t hold chlorine! Help!
- Thread starter cjmrdm
- Start date
- Feb 6, 2015
- 6,166
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Turn your pool pump off at the disconnect or the circuit breaker until the water exchange is completed. You do
Pump in the deep end and fill hose in the skimmer should be fine. The less mixing the better - water falling from the spa spillway will cause more mixing than water coming out of the skimmer.
Did you by chance measure the pump discharge rate and match it to the fill hose input rate? They should be adjusted pretty close to avoid discharging too fast. To attain a 70%-75% water exchange, you will probably use ~15,000 gallons of water as an exchange is not 100% efficient. Determine how many hours that will take and do not pause or stop until done.
Pump in the deep end and fill hose in the skimmer should be fine. The less mixing the better - water falling from the spa spillway will cause more mixing than water coming out of the skimmer.
Did you by chance measure the pump discharge rate and match it to the fill hose input rate? They should be adjusted pretty close to avoid discharging too fast. To attain a 70%-75% water exchange, you will probably use ~15,000 gallons of water as an exchange is not 100% efficient. Determine how many hours that will take and do not pause or stop until done.
Give it an extra 10% exchange to be sure you hit the magic # you're looking to achieve.
So, I did not measure the pump discharge rate. I just went out there and it is about half empty already.
I am using a pool back wash hose to empty so I am clearly emptying it faster than I am filling it
RookiePick
Well-known member
I think you want to match the discharge and fill rates to not expose the plaster. Otherwise you are essentially doing a drain and fill.
I have no idea what the next best step is. Hopefully someone knowledgeable chimes in soon.
Can you get more fill hoses going and/or slow your discharge rate?
I have no idea what the next best step is. Hopefully someone knowledgeable chimes in soon.
Can you get more fill hoses going and/or slow your discharge rate?
So, it has been refilling for about 12 hours now and still not completely back up to the top. I am debating whether to keep the set up the same and discharge some then refill some or to try to switch the discharge hose to a regular garden hose. I worry the hose that I have may not be long enough. Or, I am backed up to the desert. I wonder if discharging some into the desert would be frowned upon?
The more you tinker the worse the exchange merits you. Leave it and finish the way it is then get the pump moving for a good few hours before testing to see the your achievement for the CYA.
So, I got the CYA down to 50. I corrected the PH. I brushed it and added 4 gallons of chlorine. My shock level ( per calculations) was 20. I just tested it and the FC was 6.6. The CC 1.2
Do I need to add more chlorine so my FC is 20?
Do I need to add more chlorine so my FC is 20?
RookiePick
Well-known member
As long as your test was at least an hour after adding the chlorine you want to bump back to 20ppm.
You want to stay as close to 20ppm as often as you can manage
You want to stay as close to 20ppm as often as you can manage
For the beginning of slam the more it stays at slam level the faster it'll destroy the organics therefore, every 2 hours if you're able to check and add back just what poolmath recommends.
Hello! Okay, my pool has passed the three criteria to stop slamming the pool. I am now waiting for it to come down to swimming levels. At 5:30 this morning my FC was 23 and at 8:30pm tonight it was 13. My concern is that it seems to be dropping fast. At this rate, it will 3 ppm tomorrow morning. First, is it normal to drop this fast? And, if it does then how do I keep it at sufficient levels without tabs? Or, are using tabs okay now? If I only use liquid will I be checking my pool daily and adding chlorine daily?
RookiePick
Well-known member
Maintaining your pool with liquid chlorine will most likely require daily maintenance. The plus side is you won't induce conditions that require draining of your pool through excess CYA or Calcium levels.
If you have a good handle on your levels you can use tabs to manage things like short absences/vacations without causing problems.
Remember you want to keep above your minimum FC level at all times or you will end up slamming again.
The use of LC requires daily testing and daily additions of LC to maintain your pool. You can swim with FC under your SLAM level for your given CYA level.
The switch to LC is a change in process but it is a change for the positive as you do not risk increasing your CYA with pucks, causing your FC to be ineffective and then having algae again.
The great thing is that you will have a crystal clear pool and the envy of your neighbors. You will basically need only LC and Muriatic acid to manage your pool. You will still need to monitor CYA, CH and TA but they won’t move as much as your FC and pH will.
Thank you! I like LC so it does not add any of the extras but wow I had no idea I would have to be testing and adjusting daily.
I’m sure this is a stupid question but you say to keep it above”my” minimum. So, do I have my own personal minimum ? Or, is it just the 3-5 ppm range?
Also, how do I know how much chlorine to add to get it back to my minimum?
Last Wednesday in a post, you stated you had a CYA of 50ppm. So on the FC/CYA Levels page. I put that in and shown in the photo below. For normal maintenance, you should always be in the Target Range of 6-8ppm. Never just sit at the minimum (shown as 4ppm) because there is good chance you will drop below that and you risk algae outbreak.
Never try to get back to minimum. Always dose to get into the target range. Have you downloaded PoolMath app? You can input your test data and can see what the recommended dosage is based on your selection of liquid chlorine. If you get the paid version ($9 per year) it will save all your test logs and other notes and provide you a summary over historical time periods.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 6,166
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
In AZ with our high temps, you will be losing around 4 ppm on average every day. Always dose to the high end of the target range.
If you notice that dosing to the high end of the target range is allowing the FC level to dip close to or below minimum, dose a few ppm higher.
You NEVER want the FC level to fall below minimum.
Some will increase the CYA to 60 during summer in AZ to help slow the UV rays burning off the chlorine so fast.
Yes - test DAILY and add chlorine daily.
Consider adding a SWG for a long term solution to adding chlorine daily. With a SWG - once you get it all dialed in - will still need the FC tested every other day or so.
If you notice that dosing to the high end of the target range is allowing the FC level to dip close to or below minimum, dose a few ppm higher.
You NEVER want the FC level to fall below minimum.
Some will increase the CYA to 60 during summer in AZ to help slow the UV rays burning off the chlorine so fast.
Yes - test DAILY and add chlorine daily.
Consider adding a SWG for a long term solution to adding chlorine daily. With a SWG - once you get it all dialed in - will still need the FC tested every other day or so.
RookiePick
Well-known member
Thank you! I like LC so it does not add any of the extras but wow I had no idea I would have to be testing and adjusting daily.
I’m sure this is a stupid question but you say to keep it above”my” minimum. So, do I have my own personal minimum ? Or, is it just the 3-5 ppm range?
Also, how do I know how much chlorine to add to get it back to my minimum?
Follow the advice above. Get poolmath app if you are going to maintain with TFP methods.
Also keep in mind that your FC will take a beating when you have a high swimmer load in the pool - especially if they are the type of swimmer to dodge out of bathroom breaks! Remember it is safe to swim up to SLAM level for your CYA so you can test and add more LC (if required) during an event in a short break that presents itself without worry. You definitely want to check your levels at the end of a big swim day and not let a soup develop overnight.
I think I saw another poster here describe having a pool as being like having a pet. You have to feed, water and exercise your pet as part of responsible ownership and your pool is much the same. If you neglect it, it will get sick.