can chlorine cause slimy feeling on your skin?

[simpleton]

My wife is worried that using the BBB method is going to give your skin that "slimy" feeling on your skin. So she's been keeping the Chlorine level very low (almost zero).

Is this a founded fear? Could there be another reason that you'd get that "slimy" feeling? Like maybe the borax or something?

Please help.
I don't want to go back to store-pool-chemicals.

 

[mdhwoods]

My wife is worried that using the BBB method is going to give your skin that "slimy" feeling on your skin. So she's been keeping the Chlorine level very low (almost zero).

Is this a founded fear? Could there be another reason that you'd get that "slimy" feeling? Like maybe the borax or something?

Please help.
I don't want to go back to store-pool-chemicals.

Well using household bleach is the same chemical component of Chlorine. Baking soda is also the same component of pool store chemicals that are sold to do the same thing. Pretty much all of the stuff is the same except much cheaper in most cases. BBB is as much a mind set as it is a procedure in my opinion. In following good pool maintenance you can have a trouble free pool and not even need to step foot in a pool store to purchase their over priced chemicals.

With that said I would be more concerned of keeping the Chlorine level "very low (almost zero). Depending on your cya level you risk not disinfecting your pool and or getting an alge bloom.

Mike

 

[duraleigh]

A well balanced pool with adequate chlorine has no slimy feel whatsoever.

A pool that has chlorine as low as you are keeping yours is begging for algae to get a foot hold and that will be slimy, indeed! :lol:


DISCLAIMER: Nobody on this forum sells chlorine (I don't think, anyway)

That said, chlorine is the single most important additive you will ever put in your pool....period. It keeps your pool safe to swim in. Your chlorine level is too low and is inviting algae and bacteria to get a foot hold in your pool.

A complete set of test results would be helpful in tracking down any slimy feel you may have in your pool and it may very well be that it's because you aren't using enough chlorine.

There are several articles in Pool School that may help you in getting your pool water in balance. I'm guessing without test results, but I know you need to add chlorine and you may need to make some other adjustments as well.

How does your water look?

 

[simpleton]

It looks pretty good in the shallow area, but kinda cloudy in the deep area.
I'll have to get all my numbers in so i can tell you what is going on.

 

[simpleton]

lol... this is simpleton's wife The one time that I finally got any chlorine to register in the pool there was a salt formed on our skin, not slime. Any ideas about that?

Every other time I test I cannot get ANY chlorine to register at all. My ph is fine and even slightly low I would say 7.3 and my alkalinty seems to be around 100 ppm. But I can not register ANY FC or CC AT ALL. zero. after reading all of your forums (he sat me down to read them ) my concern now is CYA. I can not get any to register at all. When I do the test I get a reading of zero. We have not added it before and the test that the pool company did for me reads less then 10. I will try that first under the assumption that because it has been so low the sun is drawing out the chlorine (we have had several 90 degree days here) It seems that the general consensus here on these boards is that my cloudiness is the beginning of algae due to an inability to maintain the chlorine count.

does that seem about right?

 

[duraleigh]

Hey there, SW,

Welcome to the forum.

Yes. your analysis of your disappearing chlorine is correct. The sun consumes chlorine voraciously unless you have CYA in your pool.

Go to Jason's calculator and calc enough CYA to bring your pool up to around 40ppm. You can put it in your pool by pouring it in thru the skimmer but then you cannot backwash for 3-4 days or so. It's very slow dissolving and will wash out of your filter if you backwash sooner.

Meanwhile, why don't you put a jug of clorox in your pool each evening after the sun goes down. It will certainly be gone the next day but it will slow down the algae growth that is occuring in your pool.

Once your CYA is up around 40ppm or so, post back and we'll help you shock your pool to get all the al;gae and bacteria killed and then your pool will hold chlorine.

Pool School (in the upper right hand corner) is a great learning device to get you thru pool water basics. post often and ask lots of questions.....you'll get great help.

 

[JasonLion]

When CYA is very low it is almost impossible to maintain a FC level. Your CYA level should be between 30 and 50.

Bleach does not result in any kind of salt feeling. It does put very small amounts of salt into the water, but not at a level you should be able to detect. All forms of chlorine add a little salt.

 

[simpleton]

thanks guys... we will buy some CYA this weekend **runs out to add another gallon of red max**

night

 

[Butterfly]

thanks guys... we will buy some CYA this weekend **runs out to add another gallon of red max**Okay, but for those of us that may not know, we are assuming that red max is bleach/liquid chlorine ?

night

Now, about that salt on your skin, were any Margaritas, lemons, you know, involved in the equation? Just trying to cover all the bases. I know how things go at my house sometimes

 

[simpleton]

As far as I can remember the margaritas were under control, but the memory is a little fuzzy so... who knows, lol

so two bottles of red max (YES it IS the liquid bleach, lol) last night and this morning we are Quite Clear. I tested this morning and still get a reading of zero for chlorine but my ph is 7.8 or more we did get some rain but I am pretty surprised. I have the pool calculater up and will figure out what to put in it. We are cloudy today (as in no sun not cloudy water) so I put in another bottle and a half of red max. Maybe it wont disappear as quickly. Now to find some CYA on a Sunday..... what are my odds? any ideas?

SW

edited to say:
the pool calulater wants a lot of muriatic acid.... we have not had to use this before. i would appreciate it if any one has any idea what sent my pH off. I am trying to learn how this thing works. TIA

 

[Casey]

Your odds at finding CYA on a Sunday begin at WalMart in the pool section. It is called Stabilizer/Conditioner.

If you added bleach yesterday, that would be the main reason your pH went up. It should go down on it's own if you put a good bit in. When your chlorine goes up, it leads to false positives of pH. I would imagine it's from the addition of the bleach.

BTW, how are your testing your water?

 

[JasonLion]

If you post a full set of water test results we can give much better advice.

 

[Guest]

If you post a full set of water test results we can give much better advice.

Also, what are you testing with? which kit?

 

[simpleton]

If you post a full set of water test results we can give much better advice.

Also, what are you testing with? which kit?

quick recap: added two gallons of red max last night w/ pump on
this morning tested only pH (7.8 ) and FC (0) but water was CLEAR

added 1.5 gallons of red max this morning
vacuumed this afternoon

tonight tested w/ PoolLife Brand deluxe 6-way test kit and got
FC-0
CC-.25 (maybe? I am pretty sure I saw a faint color)
PH-7.5 (maybe 7.6 but not really)
TA-80
CH-400 (calcium hardness... not sure the correct abbreviation)
CYA-0

water still beautifully clear. added another gallon of red max and turned the polaris on for a through the night run.
did not get the muriatic acid today

-SW

 

[simpleton]

If you added bleach yesterday, that would be the main reason your pH went up. It should go down on it's own if you put a good bit in. When your chlorine goes up, it leads to false positives of pH. I would imagine it's from the addition of the bleach.

BTW thanks for thsi info. it was comforting and I decided to wait and see if it came down some on its own and it did. I am glad I did nto dump a ton of muriatic in it, though I am still thinking it may need a little

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

tonight tested w/ PoolLife Brand deluxe 6-way test kit and got
FC-0
CC-.25 (maybe? I am pretty sure I saw a faint color)
PH-7.5 (maybe 7.6 but not really)
TA-80
CH-400 (calcium hardness... not sure the correct abbreviation)
CYA-0

did not get the muriatic acid today
-SW

You don't need muratic acid right now, your PH and TA are fine.

You need CYA/Stablizer. Otherwise you are losing all of your FC to the sunlight. You'll keep having to add the bleach to keep the FC up, until you get the CYA in and it starts to register.

 

[duraleigh]

Hey, SW,

quick recap: added two gallons of red max last night w/ pump on
this morning tested only pH (7.8 ) and FC (0) but water was CLEAR

You have organics (algae, bacteria, etc.) in your pool. Clorox is consumed in your pool by only two things........sunlight and organics. Since there was no sun, your overnite loss can only be attributed to organics. That indicates the need to shock.

You FC will always and forever return to zero until you get CYA in your pool. What the organics are not consuming, the sunlight is.


A. Read all the basic articles in pool school about pool water chemistry. It'll really help you understand what you need to do.

1. I would suggest you get enough CYA to bring the pool up to around 40ppm.

2. You need to shock your pool and it's gonna' take more bleach than you expect......tons more. You need to get the pool cleared up, however or your chlorine consumption will be absurd all summer.

3. Once your CYA is up around 40 and your pool has been ashocked, then you'll want to maintain your FC around 3-4ppm all the time to keep it sanitary.

4. Post back with lots of questions.....there's lots of folks here who will help. :lol:

 

[Guest]

You also need to ditch the guess strips and invest in a good test kit! It will save you a lot of money and make your pool maintenance MUCH easier in the long run. Also, strips do NOT have enough precision (not the same as accuracy since they are accurate, i.e. results are repeatable) to balance water.
pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

 

[fuzzy_dba]

tonight tested w/ PoolLife Brand deluxe 6-way test kit and got
FC-0, CC-.25 (maybe? I am pretty sure I saw a faint color), PH-7.5 (maybe 7.6 but not really),
TA-80, CH-400 (calcium hardness... not sure the correct abbreviation), CYA-0

The best investment that you can make right now is a GOOD drop type test kit: The PoolLife 6 way test kit uses strips and they have been found to be inaccurate at best: I've been there. They are 'easy', but I'd never recommend them. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND the TF100, see FrustratedPoolMoms post for the link.

You have to get some CYA (stabilizer) in the water or else invest in RexMaxx stock as you'll use a ton of bleach (thanks duraleigh!) without it. It's that simple. Read and re-read the articles in Pool School. They explain the reasons for the CYA (stabilizer), but remember that it takes a week to dissolve completely so you can't backwash for a week. Some of the CYA goes into the water immediately and will start helping the chlorine loss that you are seeing but it does take a week to fully dissolve. I've been there and had to prove it to myself . These guys and gals KNOW what they are doing . Proving it to myself was a lesson that cost me money, extra bleach (lots of it) time, and an algae bloom and it wasn't necessary!

 

[simpleton]

they are not test strips. The chlorine has 5 drops of 2 different solutions to figure out FC and then 5 of a different solution to figure out CC, there are 5 drops for Ph, and then 5 drops for TA and then you count how many drops of titrant to change the color, same basic technique for CH. The procedure for CYA is half pool water half tirant and mix and then add to a tube until the opacity has precluded a black dot.

if the general consensus is that we need another kit we will purchase another but financially if this will work I would prefer to wait it out a little longer...

-SW