Going through Chlorine like crazy

[Bucky63]

I can not maintain chlorine level - I slammed pool as directed by pool math. I put new liner in this year and had filled by “pool water” truck - about 20,000 gallons. I use TF kit and following are readings this morning: No Chlorine( added 8 gallons last night), CH=200, TA =220, I get no reading on CYA which I think might be culprit( I can afford to drain and fill again). K1000 kit shows no Chlorine and PH at 7.2 I’m at a loss. Water is crystal clear for now. HELP GANG!!!

 

[PoolGate]

Yoru CYA may have been consumed by bacteria and turned into ammonia. Ammonia immediately consumes chlorine. Go to a pet store and get a simple aquarium ammonia test kit and see if you have ammonia. Any yellow at all on the ammonia test means you have ammonia. If so, you'll need to add a bunch more chlorine until all of the ammonia is neutralized. By chance do you allow dogs to swim in your pool?

Also as a quick test - add 2-3 gallons of chlorine, wait 15 minutes and test. If you do not show any chlorine, you probably have the aforementioned bacteria issue.

 

[JoeSelf]

Did you ADD CYA after the fresh fill? If so to what level were you aiming for?

 

[mknauss]

CYA which I think might be culprit

Have you added any CYA since the fresh fill?

 

[Bucky63]

Yoru CYA may have been consumed by bacteria and turned into ammonia. Ammonia immediately consumes chlorine. Go to a pet store and get a simple aquarium ammonia test kit and see if you have ammonia. Any yellow at all on the ammonia test means you have ammonia. If so, you'll need to add a bunch more chlorine until all of the ammonia is neutralized. By chance do you allow dogs to swim in your pool?

Also as a quick test - add 2-3 gallons of chlorine, wait 15 minutes and test. If you do not show any chlorine, you probably have the aforementioned bacteria issue.

Thanks, I’ll try kit. No dogs in pool.

 

[IceShadow]

Try adding enough liquid chlorine to get to 10ppm, letting the pump mix the pool for 15 mins, and testing for FC and CC - let us know what levels they are.

This is another method of testing for ammonia, which has the added benefit of getting started with the cure for ammonia, which is a lot of chlorine.

 

[Bucky63]

Thanks, I’ll try kit. No dogs in pool.

Test turned slight yellow

 

[Bucky63]

I swung by pool store for quick analysis for the heck of it. Their test indicated high phosphates and high alkalinity. They recommended phosFight and GBL ph Down. Thoughts?

 

[PoolGate]

Test turned slight yellow

Marty's question is very important; Have you added CYA yet to the pool?

 

[Bucky63]

I have added nothing but chlorine to the pool - no CYA has been added

 

[PoolGate]

I swung by pool store for quick analysis for the heck of it. Their test indicated high phosphates and high alkalinity. They recommended phosFight and GBL ph Down. Thoughts?

Haha nothing the pool store tells you or tries to sell you is of any importance. Simply ignore their "advice". Do you have a decent test kit like the TF-100 with Taylor reagents?

 

[Bucky63]

Did you ADD CYA after the fresh fill? If so to what level were you aiming for?

I did not add anything but chlorine

 

[Bucky63]

Haha nothing the pool store tells you or tries to sell you is of any importance. Simply ignore their "advice". Do you have a decent test kit like the TF-100 with Taylor reagents?

I have TF 100 - the levels on original post are from the kit

 

[PoolGate]

I have added nothing but chlorine to the pool - no CYA has been added

Ah - OK you need to add CYA. I get it in 25lb packs from Amazon it is fairly cheap ~$50. You can find it at your pool store labeled as "conditioner" but they charge a whole lot more for it. Before your refill and the new liner, who was maintaining the pool and adding chemicals?

 

[PoolGate]

Test turned slight yellow

Hmm... what about testing chlorine after waiting 15 minutes? Appears you could have some ammonia. Do the ammonia test from another location in the pool and see if you get the same results.

 

[Bucky63]

Ah - OK you need to add CYA. I get it in 25lb packs from Amazon it is fairly cheap ~$50. You can find it at your pool store labeled as "conditioner" but they charge a whole lot more for it. Before your refill and the new liner, who was maintaining the pool and adding chemicals?

I was doing chemistry last year with my TF100 kit

 

[IceShadow]

I believe Home Depot and Walmart also sell it. "Stabilizer" "Conditioner" - just check ingredients and it should be near 100% Cyanuric Acid.

 

[Bucky63]

I believe Home Depot and Walmart also sell it. "Stabilizer" "Conditioner" - just check ingredients and it should be near 100% Cyanuric Acid.

Thanks! I’ve added it so hopefully numbers get better.

 

[IceShadow]

How much did you add? It will take 24-48 hours to register on the test, so you can just assume what you added is what you have. It should help you keep chlorine a little better during the day.

 

[Bucky63]

How much did you add? It will take 24-48 hours to register on the test, so you can just assume what you added is what you have. It should help you keep chlorine a little better during the day.

I added 7 pounds