Is it normal to be chasing chlorine every day? Yesterday i checked chlorine levels after topping off the pool level, first with hth test strips and followup with hth test kit (water sample,,,add drops, etc) It tested out at 1.0 on the kit and 1 on the test strips. Per the Pool Math table, I added 44 oz of clorox (8200 gal above ground pool) tested again and it tested at 4.0 ppm TC. This morning with hth strips 1 FC. So i tested it with the new, first time, Taylor 2006.... It tested at 1.0 ppm FC and 1.6 CC. So I added once again 36 oz of clorox.
Is it normal to be chasing chlorine every day?
- Thread starter grae
- Start date
Chlorine is a consumable and needs to be added daily. Either manually or via some kind of automated chlorinator. 3ppm per day is well within normal chlorine usage.
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
Yes, 3ppm loss on FC is normal, however 1.6 CC is not.
You can throw those strips away, they are useless.
Do you have a CYA test?
You can throw those strips away, they are useless.
Do you have a CYA test?
The 1.6 ppm CC is also a concern. CC over 0.5 typically means that your chlorine is fighting something in the pool water. What is your CYA level?
I don't want to start an argument /debate but if I'm getting a 1 reading with the strips and a 1 reading with the Taylor kit why are the test strips useless? I realize the test strips won't show CC levels or TC levels but isn't the FC the most important on a daily basis.
You may have a good batch of strips but the vast majority are not very accurate. Also, with your K2006, your precision is much better allowing you to know from 0.2ppm to 50.0ppm what your FC and CC levels are.
From the CC of 1.6 and the overnight loss in chlorine, I would suggest a SLAM.
From the CC of 1.6 and the overnight loss in chlorine, I would suggest a SLAM.
Strips are nearly worthless for two reasons. They're not very accurate and the main reason they are not worth your time is the range/resolution of the tests. Typically test strips have increments of 1, 3, 5, 10 for TC. If your CYA is 35, your FC should never be below 3 ppm for adequate sanitation. If the color is a little darker than 3 but not quite 5, what is it? If it's darker than 5 but not as dark as 10, what is it? If it's over 10, you can't test. They're absolutely terrible for CYA. Ranges for that are typically 0-30, 30-50, 50-100, 150... etc. If your CYA matches the 30 color, is it 30 or 40... or is it 50? All three would have different FC level requirements to maintain sanitation.
Not to beat a dead horse, but even Taylor says in their manual, for a quick test use (their) test strips. I test every day. And if I added Clorox or something I test twice. If I was to use Taylor every time I test I would go broke buying reagent. Not to mention my pool would be all test and no swim. I have no problem agreeing the HTH strips may be inferior but just to know a range is quick and painless.
The TFP test kit XL refill version for FC testing is only $16.50 for the powder and R-0871 and lasts me a season plus my hot tub through half the winter. If you feel comfortable with the test strips go for it. You don't need to test twice a day I usually test after there is no sun on the pool in the evening to add the chlorine.
FALSE, there are many 6-way strips that report both.
I've gotten pretty good at reading the FC on my strips. Oddly, it always seems to read higher than the TC on the strip (which is a contradiction). Bottom line, the DPD reagents are the way to go.
Last night, I shocked my pool. This morning after making sure all the shock was dissolved I ran a test of the chlorine levels withe the Taylor K-2006. my chlorine level was still 7.2 (left over from the shock). I thought that was pretty high, so i double checked with a another (K-2006) test. I got the same numbers. So, LSS, the numbers were FC= 7.2, CC= 0.6 PH= 7.8. Now my PH is at the acceptable top and i don't wish to start chasing it so, for now, I'm hoping for rain and a weekend backwash and water add.
- Mar 24, 2014
- 2,455
- Pool Size
- 32000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool SJ-55
When you say you "shocked" your pool, can you be more specific?
Can you catch us up to speed on what you are trying to do, i.e. create an ongoing maintenance plan or clear a cloudy pool or ...??
Can you catch us up to speed on what you are trying to do, i.e. create an ongoing maintenance plan or clear a cloudy pool or ...??
yes. Thursday evening I added shock (HTH Shock & Swim) to my pool to burn out the CC because "Jesse Schmidt" above recommended "slamming" to lower my CC reading. Most of the industry call a quicker, similar, solution shocking. By shocking my CC fell to 0.6. As per my above comment my FC was 7.2 in the AM but by Friday evening it was down to 3.8. My CC was still 0.6 and my PH was still 7.8. I'm sure with all this rain my PH has dropped. But I'm not gonna burn another test till all the raining is done.
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