Can that be right - 70% Powder Chlorine - 1KG per day for 20,000 gallon pool in tropics - zero reading? Should I try to add a bunch to get it going or? I tested liquid and strip - no reading. Pool is a year old but am trying to help get this sorted. Pool water is blue and clear so that is good but the readings are bad??
70% Powder Chlorine - 1KG per day for 20,000 gallon pool in tropics - zero reading
- Thread starter PoolGuyInPH
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Welcome! 
To help you, we would really need to see all your water test readings:
FC
CC
CYA
PH
TA
CH
Since you mentioned 70% powder, I'm guessing you don't normally use liquid chlorine? Or do you sometimes? Also, please update you signature with all of your pool info. It will help us later.
To help you, we would really need to see all your water test readings:FC
CC
CYA
PH
TA
CH
Since you mentioned 70% powder, I'm guessing you don't normally use liquid chlorine? Or do you sometimes? Also, please update you signature with all of your pool info. It will help us later.
- May 3, 2014
- 58,311
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Welcome to the forum!
What is the CYA level? Indoor or outdoor pool?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook.
What is the CYA level? Indoor or outdoor pool?
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook.
Sorry - here is what I have - we have same weather as Miami - lots of sun and rain starting now with some hurricanes until November =) 20,000 gallon pool - in ground - plaster. Pool supplier only sold us Powder 70% chlorine, DE powder for pump and Dry acid. Liquid test kit he gave us only test CH and PH - CH is white - no yellow and PH is high so we add acid. Putting 1 KG of CH powder per day but needs more I guess? Unless other stuff wrong.
My strip only looks at these 6
TC = 0 or less
Cl/Br which is FC = 0
pH =6.8
Alk = 100
CYA = guess less than zero I not even see that color
TH = 1,0000
My strip only looks at these 6
TC = 0 or less
Cl/Br which is FC = 0
pH =6.8
Alk = 100
CYA = guess less than zero I not even see that color
TH = 1,0000
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
If your CYA is zero, your FC will disappear very fast from the sun. We recommend a minimum CYA of 30, and in summer around 40-50.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
It will be difficult for us to give you "precise" help since you are limited to water testing with minimum drop tests and test strips. The strips are very unreliable. If you are ever able to order a Taylor K-2006C test kit from online, that would be ideal.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
You should also refrain from using cal-hypo powdered chlorine products. If your CH is as high as we believe, it will lead to scale at some point. If you have any stores t hat sell liquid chlorine, also known as regular bleach, that would be best and it will not increase your hardness.
Someone said I need to add Stabilizer to fix CYA? They only sell powder here where I live - have to dissolve in a pail. Any idea how much would need to put in to get up to 40 or 50? 20,000 gallon pool. Then they said I should buy the tablet for Chlorine as has built in stabilizer - is that right? 4 at a time in the pool for 20,000 gallons they said.
My TH is very high - total purple so over 1,000 - guess that is like CH?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Tabs/pucks can increase CYA, but it would take a while. There are powders with stabilizer in them (trichlor or dichlor), so you may have to look for that specifically. Use our PoolMath and look at the section "Effects of Adding Chemicals" to see what products will do.
TH is a bit different than CH, but if you've been using cal-hypo for a long time, your CH is probably quite high. The only way to lower CH is by water exchange.
Sorry - what is cal-hypo powdered chlorine product? And I only have what I have for testing and for chemicals - live in the tropics so is only can get what there is. Can't import it. Based on above data what is the first step - add Stabilizer to get CYA up? Then add chlorine until shows up on the test? or? if we had pool service company I would hire one - we don't have in our area at all. People here have pools - they add muriac acid and bleach - that is all they do - if water is blue they swim. Oh - so bleach - should I just try to buy that at the grocery instead of powder?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,311
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
What you are calling 'chlorine powder' is Calcium Hypochlorite - Cal Hypo. Chlorine is a gas so must be attached to something. Cal Hypo it is attached to calcium. Sodium Hypochlorite is bleach - it is attached to water. Dichlor or Trichlor it is attached to CYA.
If you add 40 ppm of CYA powder and use bleach to keep your FC at 5ppm, you should have few issues. When things no longer work, you will have to drain and refill and start over. Or, get a proper test kit.
If you add 40 ppm of CYA powder and use bleach to keep your FC at 5ppm, you should have few issues. When things no longer work, you will have to drain and refill and start over. Or, get a proper test kit.
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I would increase the FC right away or else you will get algae. There's a chance you may already have it, but without proper testing there's no way to know. Because of your limited products and testing, as Marty said, at some point you may have to start over. 
Bleach at the grocery store - like Clorox - how much % is that? My calculator said for 20,000 gallon pool add 207 fl oz by volume of bleach. And 8 lbs 6 oz of stabilizer - think that is worth a try?
- May 3, 2014
- 58,311
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Most Clorox is 6%. Do you have any local brands - or maybe a cleaning supply store that would carry higher % bleach?
If 6%, then 5 ppm FC is your 207 oz.
For stabilizer - that is the right amount to get to 50 ppm.
What can your drop test measure for TC (total chlorine)? 3 or 5 ppm?
If 6%, then 5 ppm FC is your 207 oz.
For stabilizer - that is the right amount to get to 50 ppm.
What can your drop test measure for TC (total chlorine)? 3 or 5 ppm?
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,759
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
If you only have Clorox, make sure to look closely at the label for anything that speaks of Polymers, fabric enhancement/softeners, etc. We've had some problems in the states with the newest Clorox brands in pool water.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 52,271
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Am trying to understand how this happened to us - is because we didn't use any CYA powder and the chlorine burned off so much and we kept adding more chlorine and just too much as was no CYA in there so pool water is dead? And can it be saved now if we add CYA and chlorine or ? someone said if adding chlorine and not registering is nothing can do - drain and fill is only option? sorry so many questions - am very bummed out. We can not drain as such here as we are on the edge of city without sewers so what we drain goes down the road and floods fields and roads etc etc