Algae doesn’t start out visible until it gets crazy, use the SLAM process to get rid of it. Once the CYA gets high enough you need enormous amounts of chlorine to keep algae away. It requires lots of liquid chlorine and a reliable way to test chlorine. That’s the reason for the test kit requirement.
Pool Chlorine Level Keeps Dropping (Please help! Incurring astronomic costs in chemicals)
- Thread starter qsch1
- Start date
I also have a 3-horse solar-powered pump, but that needs more panels and is not necessary as I have the half-horse (which uses only 2 panels). Its currently in storage.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,809
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
These are the only ones I'd recommend - Test Kits Compared
Of those, the TF-Pro Salt is the best bang for the buck for the residential pool owner who has a SWG.
Electronic ones have their limitations and issues.
If you have a visitor coming from the US, that might be your most cost effective option for a quality test kit and/or another SWG cell.
98Poolmaster
In The Industry
Don’t see anything in your signature on my end are you sure it’s on there?Maybe it’s my phone not showing it?Thanks
X2 on what proavia posted for test kit recommendations.
I have a sneaky hunch your cell may be just fine...but over time, and also with lots of "shocking" with unknown (to us) chlorinators, your CYA levels have gone very high, making it very hard/impossible to maintain an effective level of Chlorine over a week. But that's just a wild guess. Can't tell until you can find out what the levels are. If the levels are out of balance, you may be in for a few weeks of frequent/ very frequent testing - more than perhaps your pool guys can/ will do. So having a kit for yourself will be a huge plus. After it all settles down again, you will only need to do a couple of the individual tests a couple of times during a week - they are very fast and easy. Doing the full battery, which also only takes about 15-20 min total, will be less frequent.
You might even find by doing it yourself, that you don't need the pool guys at all, and are saving a LOT of money in chemicals doing it on your own - many of us have.
I have a sneaky hunch your cell may be just fine...but over time, and also with lots of "shocking" with unknown (to us) chlorinators, your CYA levels have gone very high, making it very hard/impossible to maintain an effective level of Chlorine over a week. But that's just a wild guess. Can't tell until you can find out what the levels are. If the levels are out of balance, you may be in for a few weeks of frequent/ very frequent testing - more than perhaps your pool guys can/ will do. So having a kit for yourself will be a huge plus. After it all settles down again, you will only need to do a couple of the individual tests a couple of times during a week - they are very fast and easy. Doing the full battery, which also only takes about 15-20 min total, will be less frequent.
You might even find by doing it yourself, that you don't need the pool guys at all, and are saving a LOT of money in chemicals doing it on your own - many of us have.
CYA looks fine on strips it is brown colour, PH seems slightly high. What kit do you recommend? Thanks
FYI, we checked the salt recently with a machine and it was 3400, after that I put in two bags of salt and it is now saying it is 3600.
Always better to have the pro with smart stir but getting the TFPRO salt would be better since you have a SWG. No one here will trust anything the test strips say. (Even though the strips says your CYA is too high) Add 5ppm of chlorine without CYA or calcium if you have access to it (sodium hypochlorite)
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,809
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
TF-Pro Salt
Since you have a SWG, get the one with the salt test.
What chlorine options do you have?
Can you get liquid chlorine (sometimes labeled as liquid shock)?
Since you have a SWG, get the one with the salt test.
What chlorine options do you have?
Can you get liquid chlorine (sometimes labeled as liquid shock)?
Another possible explanation for the loss of chemicals is overflow. If you are getting a lot of rain or are adding water enough to raise the water level up to the overflow drain, you are losing salt (and other chemicals) water and replacing it with plain (fresh) water. So look at the amount of treated water you’re losing via overflow.
Another notable point: With rain water the top of the pool water (the water that exits via overflow drainage) is the most dilute until it gets adequately circulated.
Another notable point: With rain water the top of the pool water (the water that exits via overflow drainage) is the most dilute until it gets adequately circulated.
The only chemical he is "losing" is FC aka free chlorine. That is due to not adding enough chlorine to the pool on a daily basis. Once he starts adding liquid chlorine in the correct amount on a daily basis then things will start to straighten out. He HAS to find out the true level of his CYA so he knows how much chlorine he has to add to get and keep his pool clear. Once he gets a good test kit he will be able to turn the pool around.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,809
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
He really won't know until he gets a good drop based test kit.
The test strips (guess strips) he is presently using aren't reliable.
How many gallons of Bleach is that for a 15 - 20k pool? Doing that today. Thanks
No liquid chlorine, only bleach. I can get regular chlorine granules, and the strong one as well (is it hyper chlor).