Can't Get Chlorine Reading, Help Please

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AdamS

AdamS

0
Bronze Supporter
May 5, 2015
75
New Milford, New Jersey
Hi Everyone,

I had the pool opened Saturday and have been cleaning it and trying to gt it ready. However, I can't seem to get a chlorine reading at all even after adding the amount of bleach pool math told me.

My results were:
fc: 0
PH: around 6.8
TA: 30
CH: 185

Do I just keep adding bleach, do I need the ph higher first, I am trying to do both but appreciate any advice. As always thank you!!
 
If you have ammonia in the water it will consume the chlorine in minutes keep adding till you get a reading. Could take several gallons before you burn up all the ammonia.

- - - Updated - - -

add it in 4 or 5 ppm increments with the pump running and test after 10 min (lather, rinse, repeat) until you get a reading.
 
I don't see a CYA reading. If it was 50 last year and zero this year, that would also be a clue it might have degraded into ammonia. You have to know the CYA to set a target for FC anyway. High CC could also point to ammonia, and I don;t see that number, either.

If it is ammonia, you either need a whole bunch of bleach -- more than you can imagine -- or some water replacement.
 
AdamS said:
Looking at other posts, what am I doing here? Do I need to get my pool to shock levels???
Click to expand...
Yes, you do. But you won't be able to until you break down all the ammonia with bleach. That happens about as fast as you can pour it in, which is why you're unable to get a reading. It takes something like 10 times as many ppm of chlorine as you have ammonia, so it could take cases and cases of bleach to neutralize the ammonia and start to see the bleach hold.

The problem is threefold: 1) it takes massive amounts of bleach to neutralize the ammonia
2) The bleach also gets destroyed by sunlight without CYA to protect it
3) Until whatever bacteria or enzyme that causes the CYA to breakdown into ammonia is killed with bleach, any CYA you add will just act as food for it and create more ammonia.

So you're kind of stuck. The choices are replace a bunch of water to reduce the amount of bleach you'll need to buy or buy a bunch of bleach and keep pouring it in at ten minute intervals until you see it start to hold. At that point you can add some CYA and proceed with a normal SLAM Process.
 

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Oh man, was not expecting this! This is only my second summer and did not have to SLAM at all last year.
How do you add CYA?
How much water would I replace?
How many gallons of bleach are you talking if I go that way?
What about adding a Schock" packet, I know thats not BBB, but can't that work here?
Sorry for so many questions, want to get it right and trying not to panic, I have bday party for son Memorial Weekend in the pool.
Thanks for your help!
 
AdamS said:
Oh man, was not expecting this! This is only my second summer and did not have to SLAM at all last year.
How do you add CYA?
Click to expand...
It's in Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
How much water would I replace?
Click to expand...
If it was me, the max I could, which means leaving a foot or so in the shallow end.
How many gallons of bleach are you talking if I go that way?
Click to expand...
No way to predict. At the low end, maybe 30 gallons. You'll still need a bunch to SLAM, too. New water may be cheaper, especially if you call the water company and tell them so they'll waive sewer fees.
What about adding a Schock" packet, I know thats not BBB, but can't that work here?
Click to expand...
Depends on what kind of "shock" it is. There are at least three different chlorine powders commonly available, another less common, and one non-chlorine shock. They all have their down sides, which is why we recommend bleach. Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Sorry for so many questions, want to get it right and trying not to panic, I have bday party for son Memorial Weekend in the pool.
Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
 
Wow thanks for your response. Let me ask you this:

I understand regularly using shock, or from Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool or dichlor is not recommended, but this one time wouldn't it serve my purpose and save me money and time by not having to empty and fill my pool (or use tons of bleach?)
Also if I do take the water out, can I really go that low in a vinyl pool? Isn't it bad for the lining?


Richard320 said:
It's in Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals If it was me, the max I could, which means leaving a foot or so in the shallow end. No way to predict. At the low end, maybe 30 gallons. You'll still need a bunch to SLAM, too. New water may be cheaper, especially if you call the water company and tell them so they'll waive sewer fees. Depends on what kind of "shock" it is. There are at least three different chlorine powders commonly available, another less common, and one non-chlorine shock. They all have their down sides, which is why we recommend bleach. Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Click to expand...
 
If you're trying to eliminate the ammonia by adding bleach every ten minutes, do it at the rate of 2 gallons every ten minutes. That will get you to about 10 FC each time. On one of those tests, you'll see that you're holding FC. That's when you need to use poolmath to recalculate how much to add to maintain 10 FC.

You can use dichlor when it's time to add CYA, but not before. Otherwise, you'll just create more ammonia from the CYA in it. We don't get into mixing chlorine sources because most people have a tough time getting things figured out working one chemical at a time, and dichlor will have you juggling 3 variables. And as the dichlor dissolves, the CYA climbs, which raises the shock FC level, But hey, if you're good at differential equations, go for it. I've forgotten most of my Calculus.

If you look at poolmath, you'll see that to take 20000 gallons from zero FC to 10 FC will take either 2 gallons of 10% bleach (on sale at Walmart btw) or 3 lbs of dichlor "shock." Price things out. I doubt it will save you much but a lot of heavy lifting.
 
I thought you said 30 gallons on low end earlier?
If I add 2 gallons every ten minutes, am I testing right afterward?
"On one of those tests, you'll see that you're holding FC. That's when you need to use poolmath to recalculate how much to add to maintain 10 FC."
Can you explain what you mean, Im confused?
I understand sticking to one source, makes sense.
Than you so much for your help!
 
AdamS said:
I thought you said 30 gallons on low end earlier?
If I add 2 gallons every ten minutes, am I testing right afterward?
"On one of those tests, you'll see that you're holding FC. That's when you need to use poolmath to recalculate how much to add to maintain 10 FC."
Can you explain what you mean, Im confused?
I understand sticking to one source, makes sense.
Than you so much for your help!
Click to expand...
I was just guessing on how much bleach you'll need overall, based on what I've read here over the years. It may be much less or a lot more.

Right now you have 0 FC and unknown amounts of Ammonia.
Shock level for 0 CYA is 10 FC.
You add 10 FC to the pool. That's 2 gallons.
You recheck FC after ten minutes.
If there's ammonia, you probably have hardly any of the FC left after 10 minutes. Odds are you'll have lots of CC. You add more bleach to get to 10 FC again.
You recheck FC after ten minutes.
If there's ammonia, you probably have hardly any of the FC left after 10 minutes. You add more bleach to get to 10 FC again.
Repeat again and again until at some point your 10 FC holds to maybe 6 or 8 FC. When that happens, you've cleared the ammonia. Now you start on the SLAM Process.
 
ok, thank you so much!! I will do it Friday and let you know how it goes, or more likely have more questions! Thank you!!

Also, the bleach you were talking about at Walmart was which brand that is 10%?? Ive been using the Home Depot germicidal for about $3 a gallon and I believe its 8%.
 
AdamS said:
ok, thank you so much!! I will do it Friday and let you know how it goes, or more likely have more questions! Thank you!!

Also, the bleach you were talking about at Walmart was which brand that is 10%?? Ive been using the Home Depot germicidal for about $3 a gallon and I believe its 8%.
Click to expand...
Not sure of the brand. Someone posted about it. It's in the pool section, not the laundry aisle.
 

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