Pool smells like chlorine

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B

BKB

Gold Supporter
May 29, 2020
19
New Carlisle Ohio
I have been using the TFP protocol to maintain my pool since discovering it a couple months ago. I use the Taylor K2006 testing kit. Today my readings were:
FC 6
CC .2
pH 8
TA 180
Calcium Hardness 250
CYA 35-40
Based on the pool math, the TA and CYA are outside range, pH is also outside.
Remedy is 3lbs, 14oz dry acid to lower pH and add dry stablizer 8 lbs, 14 oz.
I'm confused because I have read posts saying target FC based on CYA; if that is the case and my CYA level is max 40, the FC should be 6.1 - I am very close.
So, should I add the stabilizer to increase the CYA or is that ok as long as FC is at range?
Since I smell chlorine (we had alot of swimmers over the weekend) and the CC is 0.2, should I add chlorine shock or SLAM?
The guide in the test kit says I should add chlorine to breakpoint which would be to add 9 oz 12% liquid chlorine.
I didn't see instructions in pool math regarding combined chlorine.
I really appreciate this site - no more confusing trips to the pool store for 'advice'
Thanks, Brenda
 
The chlorine smell is CC. You tested low CC, did you use a 25 ml water sample to test your FC/CC?
You should not use dry acid with a SWCG. The sulfates in the dry acid build up in your pool water and destroy the metal coating of the SWCG causing premature failure. Your SWCG manual warns to not use dry acid.

I would suggest you do a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test tonight prior to adding any stabilizer to increase CYA levels.
 
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mknauss said:
The chlorine smell is CC. You tested low CC, did you use a 25 ml water sample to test your FC/CC?
You should not use dry acid with a SWCG. The sulfates in the dry acid build up in your pool water and destroy the metal coating of the SWCG causing premature failure. Your SWCG manual warns to not use dry acid.

I would suggest you do a Overnight Chlorine Loss Test tonight prior to adding any stabilizer to increase CYA levels.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the quick reply.
I used the 25ml water sample level.
So glad you told me about the dry acid. I historically used the liquid acid so I will continue using that.
I will do the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test tonight.
I'll probably send an update to see the next step.
 
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Let's see what the OCLT will tell.

Should you pass the OCLT and then decide to increase your CYA to the SWG recommended range, then consider that adding CYA will also lower your pH (CYA is an acid). So, before you add CYA and muriatic acid, use the "Effects of adding" in PoolMath first (it's in the burger menu on the top left). When calculating the effect of adding CYA, it will tell you the effect on the CYA-level and on pH. If you for instance add enough CYA to get from 40 to 70, then your pH will go down by about 0.5.

Should you fail the OCLT, which means start SLAMming, you'll want to wait with adding CYA until after the SLAM. In this case you should lower your pH with muriatic acid before starting the SLAM.
 
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Yesterday after receiving your recommendations, I turned off the SWCG. When I tested the water after sundown around 11pm, the FC level had gone from 6 to 1.2, the CC was still 0.2.
This morning around 7am the FC was 1 and CC still 0.2.
Looks like a fail and it didn't take the overnight to happen.
At this point I haven't added anything to either increase CYA or decrease pH.
Right now the water is clear.
It is very hot this weekend, could I add enough chlorine to it is 'safe' for the kids to swim before starting the SLAM?
I check out the "effects of adding' section in Pool Math too.
Sure appreciate all the help - video was kinda gross to think about:0
Thank you.
 
You can safely swim in a pool as long as the FC is above the minimum and at or below SLAM level based on your CYA. You must also be able to see the bottom of the pool in the deep end of the pool.

Do not increase CYA. Follow the SLAM Process
 
So sorry to ask so many questions but...
It says the pH should be 7.2-7.5 - mine is around 8, should I lower it first?
The Chlorine/CYA chart for SWCG section starts at 60 with the note not recommended to be lower than that; mine is 35-40 max. The other chart doesn't distinguish if pool has SWCG.
Use the one that doesn't have separation for SWCG?
I have read and re-read instructions for SLAM. Just to make sure I'm straight,
My CYA is 35-40 so my target FC to SLAM is 12.2-16.
Based on the effects of adding table, I need to add 400oz of 12% bleach to reach 15 which is in between the 30-40 CYA. I turn off the SWCG, add all at once and then test to make sure I have reached the target. Test another time during the day to see to ensure level maintains at SLAM.
Each night test FC/CC and in the am test FC/CC. If there was not a drop greater than 1., I can feel the SLAM is complete.
Do I have a handle on it?
 
Yes lower your pH now as once your FC is above 10 the pH test is not accurate.
Round up and use 40 as your CYA and SLAM target for FC.
Increasing your CYA now will only require more chlorine during the SLAM do not add now, wait until done.
Keeping your FC at the SLAM target will speed up the process so test and raise FC often.
 

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For a SLAM, your CYA is pretty perfect now. Once you're done with that, you can bring it up to SWG levels. And as Oly mentioned, it is important to lower pH with muriatic acid before you start the SLAM.

How do you test your chlorine? The 0.2 precision results make me think your are using the 25ml sample test. Use the 10ml sample test, absolutely sufficient for a pool, otherwise you just waste your reagents, especially during a SLAM. 10ml pool water, one heaped spoon of powder, each drop of titrating reagent will be 0.5ppm FC.
 
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BKB said:
Each night test FC/CC and in the am test FC/CC. If there was not a drop greater than 1., I can feel the SLAM is complete.
Click to expand...
No reason to do the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test until you have crystal clear water.

Test your FC and add liquid chlorine to get back to 16ppm FC 3 or 4 times per day. Brush brush brush.
 
I believe my SLAM is complete. The water is clear (actually always was clear); my issue was the smell and discoloration of the liner with a green tint. Liner is good although there are few spots with a yellow/orange color that have been there as long as I can remember, it was installed in 2008. We have lived here for 3 years.
The FC last night at 9pm was 16 and this morning at 7am it was 15. The CC is 0.5.
At 12:30, without adding additional chlorine, the results were (without my SWG running)
FC - 8
CC - 0
pH - 7.8
TA - 125
CH - 225
CYA - 40 Had to use strip as I was out of the R-0013
Salt 0 3000
The sun is shining and the temperature is 75. I have turned the SWG back on.
Should I try to get the CYA up to 60 or just make sure the FC is around 5?
The pH always tends up too so that is a continual adjusting. I tested my well water and it is not high, around 6.2
The replies I have received have helped so much - thank you.
Let me know if you think I should continue or I'm good to go:)
 
BKB,

Let me just mention one thing that may help you out. One of the biggest mistakes people make when doing a SLAM is ending it too soon. Even I did that once when I was just starting TFP. I kept wondering why I would suddenly see a little bit of algae on the ladder. Being new, I would attribute it to poor circulation around that ladder. Actually what it was was the fact that I stopped my SLAM too early and left just enough algae in the water that it made a foothold whenever there was poor circulation for the chlorine.

So the advice. Water is clear means that there is no signs of algae anywhere in your pool including any dead piles accumulating on the pool floor. Last SLAM I did, everything was perfect except every morning, I would have a small amount of dead algae collected on a crease in my liner. If you have dead algae, that means you still have live algae in the water. I continued the SLAM for another couple of days and have had perfect water since. If you see a little accumulation in your pool of dead algae, I would not consider my water clear and finish the SLAM. Trust me, you will not regret it.
 
Pardon, Brenda, did anyone mention? You generally cannot smell chlorine off of a properly balanced and sanitized pool. It's not like there's too much chlorine or something like that. When you "smell chlorine," you're actually smelling the byproduct of the chlorine chewing on something that doesn't belong (like algae, or pee, or bugs or whatever). So when you "smell chlorine," your pool is doing what it's supposed to do (trying to sanitize itself) and usually indicates that something is wrong (which all the posts above are addressing)...

That's why we TFPers have ruined ourselves for swimming in public pools, because they always have a strong chlorine smell. We know that doesn't mean there's too much chlorine in the water, we know that means there's too much pee in it!! Yuck!!
 
Well, Holydoc, looks like you were right. Two nights later, the OCLT was 2.5. I couldn't get back on it bc we had a family gathering with many in the pool.
So, even though my water is clear and the CC is 0.5, the OCLT keeps dropping.
I thought maybe I should increase it to the level for mustard algae since it dropped back so quickly - does anyone agree or is that overkill with the chlorine?
It was gray this morning so it is hard to see
20200803_203111.jpg
 
The mustard level is probably overkill at this point. I'd hit my SLAM target and hold it there until you pass the OCLT. Holding it at SLAM for a day or two after that is insurance that you got it all. If the pool doesn't respond to the SLAM level then you can reconsider.
 
No need for mustard algae level. Just keep it to SLAM level which for you is 16. And brush, then brush again. Then test then keep adding to keep the level at 16.
 
Maintaining the level at SLAM is going to be more effective than adding more chlorine. You have to be diligent and not give up, and not let it drop, or you'll just have to start over. The "M" in SLAM stands for "Maintain!"
 
My SLAM is complete. Thank you for your guidance.
My issue now is the CYA is measuring 0. I just purchased a new bottle from Amazon of the CYA reagent, prior to SLAM, the level was 40, now 0. I used a strip I have and it read 30-40.
Could that be right and the new reagent is not good?
My test results are:
FC 7
CC 0
pH 7.8
CH 250
CYA 0
Salt 3000
I know a level of 40 is low for a SWG system so I have to increase it anyway. In the meantime I was going to compare a pool store test to the strip I did and add based on that to help my chlorine stay.
What do you think? Bad reagent?
Thank you,
Brenda
 

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