Chlorine smell but balanced water

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S

sas90

0
Jul 31, 2017
105
edmond/ok
Over the last several days, I've noticed a chlorine smell around/near pool more in the evening than other times and my water is clear.
My FC has not gotten below 3.5 or 4 and I usually add 2-3 ppm each day. My CCs have been 0 or 0.5.

Swimmers skin/bathing suits also smell like chlorine after swimming but assume that's normal?

I've read that a chlorine smell near/around pool signifies a problem but my water chemistry (CCs) doesn't. Do I need to SLAM based on the chlorine smell alone?

This evening test results TF100 kit
ph 7.6
FC 4
CC 0
CH 225
TA 70
CYA 40

I'll do an OCLT tonight but last one completed was negative (no loss in Cl)

Thanks for your help!
 
I would not think a smell would warrant a SLAM if the test results do not back it up.

You could try the FAS-DPD chlorine test with the 25ml sample so each drop is 0.2ppm and see if that gives any further info regarding CCs.

If you have debris on the pool, like pollen. I can some times notice more of a smell, likely from localized CCs that may not show up in the test.
 
The PH might be a little high?

For the OCLT, try raising the FC to shock level overnight and see what the result is the next morning (for the OCLT).

FC 3 seems a little low for CYA~40

- - - Updated - - -

sas90 said:
yes - based on my CYA, my daily target is 5-7 and I test every evening and add Liquid bleach to raise my FC up to that recommended 5-7 range.
Click to expand...
To make sure :)

You test FC and get a 5-7 result at "bedtime" and the next morning, you test and the result is the same #?
 
jblizzle said:
I would not think a smell would warrant a SLAM if the test results do not back it up.

You could try the FAS-DPD chlorine test with the 25ml sample so each drop is 0.2ppm and see if that gives any further info regarding CCs.

If you have debris on the pool, like pollen. I can some times notice more of a smell, likely from localized CCs that may not show up in the test.
Click to expand...

Ok - I'll try that larger sample but will need to have better understanding of using 25ml sample to know how to interpret the results?

Earlier this year i questioned if i had pollen so maybe that's it? everything was fine, chemistry balanced, no smell, clear water but had a light brown discoloration on pool walls that brushed away easily and didn't cloud the water. I went ahead and did a SLAM and then followed up w a mustard Algae SLAM to be safe. that was probably a month ago when trees, flowers, plants, grass was really blooming!
 
splashpad said:
The PH might be a little high?

For the OCLT, try raising the FC to shock level overnight and see what the result is the next morning (for the OCLT).

FC 3 seems a little low for CYA~40

- - - Updated - - -


To make sure :)

You test FC and get a 5-7 result at "bedtime" and the next morning, you test and the result is the same #?
Click to expand...

based on poolmath and table of contents "chemistry by pool
type" my ph 7.6 shows within normal range and my 3.5 or 4 (evening reading) is within normal range. I add 2-3 ppm to get back to the recommended 5-7 range at night. I've read adding liquid bleach at night best time so it can be used more efficiently.
When I have performed the OCLT it's been 5-7 or higher when I SLAM. and there's no loss found.
 

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Just don't quite understand the reason for the unpleasant chlorine smell. so I started reading old posts and appeared it meant there was a problem.

Ill do the larger sample as one suggested. And I'll take FC up to shock level and then perform an OCLT as another suggested and see what happens.

Appreciate the responses
 
sas90 said:
based on poolmath and table of contents "chemistry by pool
type" my ph 7.6 shows within normal range and my 3.5 or 4 (evening reading) is within normal range. I add 2-3 ppm to get back to the recommended 5-7 range at night. I've read adding liquid bleach at night best time so it can be used more efficiently.
When I have performed the OCLT it's been 5-7 or higher when I SLAM. and there's no loss found.
Click to expand...
Yes that is all correct and you are informed! That is great!! =)) the #'s are at the "ends" of the "acceptable" ranges, that is the only reason I pointed those out, not meaning that you were doing anything wrong :)

From those same articles, other info includes: Chlorine can/starts becoming less effective above PH 7.5+ AND combined with lowest FC # w/CYA@40, might cause an issue together (chlorine not being able to "act" properly)



And just to add, from personal experience, when we've gotten that "chlorine" smell, we just bump up the FC dose a couple times and it's gone that day or next
 
splashpad said:
Yes that is all correct and you are informed! That is great!! =)) the #'s are at the "ends" of the "acceptable" ranges, that is the only reason I pointed those out, not meaning that you were doing anything wrong :)

From those same articles, other info includes: Chlorine can/starts becoming less effective above PH 7.5+ AND combined with lowest FC # w/CYA@40, might cause an issue together (chlorine not being able to "act" properly)



And just to add, from personal experience, when we've gotten that "chlorine" smell, we just bump up the FC dose a couple times and it's gone that day or next
Click to expand...

ok - that makes sense! I've struggled keeping ph down now that I'm strictly using liquid bleach and my fill water has a high TA around 250. So I've had to dose with muriatic acid pretty regularly just to maintain normal ph range which stays high normal. My ph doesn't want to stay any lower than 7.6 consistently.

Thanks for the explanation and what you do when you've had the chlorine smell!
 
sas90 said:
ok - that makes sense! I've struggled keeping ph down now that I'm strictly using liquid bleach and my fill water has a high TA around 250. So I've had to dose with muriatic acid pretty regularly just to maintain normal ph range which stays high normal. My ph doesn't want to stay any lower than 7.6 consistently.
Click to expand...
Just some ideas, (we struggled with that last year a little bit), do you have a way to aerate heavily/aggressive, to really pull that TA down? (we found elbows that fit into our return eye sockets and pointed them up and away from the skimmer)
If you can aggressively aerate, you can drop the PH to 7.0/7.2 with muriatic acid, keep aerating back up to 7.6/7.8 and drop it again (over and over), until the TA comes down into a lower range. Pool School - Lower Total Alkalinity
. How often do you have to fill/top-off?
.. Would a solar cover (the "bubble wrap" kind) be a possibility to help keep down evaporation?


sas90 said:
Thanks for the explanation and what you do when you've had the chlorine smell!
Click to expand...
You are most welcome! happy to be paying it forward!!
 
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