Swamp to Clear and questions about byproducts of adding all that chlorine!

[shd_valley]

What a winter we had!

And we didn't cover the pool - and it warmed up super early - and this is the first year we have had a green murky creature of the dark lagoon swamp!

We fished out all the leaves... and a few dead critters... SQUIRRELS are the bane of our existence... they eat my ripe tomatoes - so I can't say I am sorry that a few fell in over the winter.

So I am patiently SLAMing and putting to use all the great info here... we switched to the BBB method years ago...

But... here is my question...

I have used a lot of chemicals to get the water clean and it is getting clear... so when the Chlorine sanitizes the water - what byproducts are left?

I am tempted to drain and replace a lot of the water because even though the water is clearing - it isn't like the bright shiny pool we have had through the years. It is a bright shiny pool that has had a lot of Chlorine added to it... lots and lots... and there were those dead squirrels... who were in there a very very very long time...

Thoughts? or refer me to a thread that talks about this?

With appreciation for all the helpful advice and info here!

 

[Pool Tool]

I don't think you will need to drain your water and definitely won't need to drain if you have used only liquid chlorine as it appears. The only real byproduct of bleach is salt, which has no real downside as the levels never get to high with normal splashout of a seasonal pool. Just keep slamming away and it will be beautifully clear in no time!

And for the squirrels, I know how you feel but they are angels compared to the chipmunks I have everywhere.

 

[pabeader]

Welcome back!

You mention using a lot of chemicals. Which ones?

From what I've read, bleach (liquid chlorine) mostly turns into chloride. It shows up as salt on SWGs and Salt tests. Chlorine takes care of anything the critters might have introduced.

As you can tell by your FC readings, the chlorine is mostly used up and is just water. You are measuring your FC and CC and using the SLaM chart to properly add and maintain your FC level, right?

 

[Richard320]

Chlorine oxidizes things. Flameless combustion, essentially.

What we call bleach or chlorine is actually Sodium Hypochlorite, NaOCl. When it hits the water, It becomes Na⁺ and OCl^- ions, and then the oxygen splits off and binds to whatever, leaving Na and Cl behind. Salt. If the bleach is reacting with some strange organics, you'll get chloramines, which is the bleach smell you associate with public pools. Dead rodent? I imagine whatever is left is no different than what you'd get if you burned the thing in a fire: Carbon Dioxide and Water. Oxidation is oxidation.

 

[shd_valley]

Thanks for the support and yes - just Clorox and yes - I can see the bottom of the pool now! yay!

Vacuum to waste, filter, vacuum to waste, filter, add bleach, haven't measured again because my chemicals are getting low, but I will soon since I am getting closer to sparkly! And ready to add back salt, borax, baking soda, etc.

I had heard something on NPR or somewhere about the byproducts produced with Cl interacts with urine and other organics - I didn't pay much attention - until I realized the amount of organic material in an algae bloom! Which got me to spending too much time on google! It is never a good idea to enter search terms like dead squirrel and pool ! hahahahaha!

Disinfection byproducts in pools UF Health Podcasts - University of Florida Health

I love my little salt water oasis and soon I will be floating in it and causing the squirrels all sorts of consternation as I take back the yard!

Thanks for the collective wisdom here - I'm ready for summer!