Educate me about chlorine level and loss

[meestahmarc]

Hi, I'm trying to find the sweet spot for my liquid chlorine pump and considering sometimes I might be away for up to 2 weeks at a time.

So this is what I'm trying to better understand (mainly using liquid chlorine 12.5%)

1. Is it bad if I overchlorinate the pool, aside from wasting money, and if no one is swimming?

2. If pool chlorine is high, say like 10, does it burn off quicker than if it were at like 5? Meaning if I lose like 3 per day, is it basically linear... Or would the 10 drop faster.

3. Well, I don't have an easy solution to cover, so some days sunny and some days cloudy. I've found if I get 3 days sunny, chrlone level drops to 0, if 3 days cloudy level will stay high. CYA is adjusted to be 40.

So #3. Leads me to situation where I lean to overchlorinating to compensate for the stretch of sunny days.

4. I'm pumping in about 3/4 gallon liquid chlorine a day right now. I pump it in over 12 hours while the pump is running. During the day. I'm wondering if better to run pump overnight and let the chlorine build up. Because as I slowly pump in the chlorine during the day. It's also burning off at the same time

Thanks

 

[ajw22]

1. Is it bad if I overchlorinate the pool, aside from wasting money, and if no one is swimming?

No it is not bad.

Low FC is bad. High FC is ok. FC up to SLAM level (40% of CYA) is safe to swim in. You have a wide range before the FC gets unsafe to swim.

2. If pool chlorine is high, say like 10, does it burn off quicker than if it were at like 5? Meaning if I lose like 3 per day, is it basically linear... Or would the 10 drop faster.

A bit. Not noticeable between 5 and 10. More noticeable between 5 and 25.

3. Well, I don't have an easy solution to cover, so some days sunny and some days cloudy. I've found if I get 3 days sunny, chrlone level drops to 0, if 3 days cloudy level will stay high. CYA is adjusted to be 40.

It averages out. You are overthinking this and trying to micromanage it.

So #3. Leads me to situation where I lean to overchlorinating to compensate for the stretch of sunny days.

Thats ok and safe.

4. I'm pumping in about 3/4 gallon liquid chlorine a day right now. I pump it in over 12 hours while the pump is running. During the day. I'm wondering if better to run pump overnight and let the chlorine build up. Because as I slowly pump in the chlorine during the day. It's also burning off at the same time

Does not matter as long as your FC stays above the minimum 24/7.

Chlorinating during the day keeps the FC at a more constant level. You replace the FC as it burns off.

 

[meestahmarc]

Thank you. Very helpful.