Need help with Chlorine Demand test!!!

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M

mer33

0
Jul 1, 2016
42
NJ
All - This forum has been so helpful. I have been reading this for the pat couple of weeks.
My CYA was very high 100+ And no Free chlorine. Worked with a pool store guys who asked me to put Bioactive. Which was not effective at all.

I did couple of partial drains and brought the level to 60 for the
past week. But still no luck with Chlorine. I am currently using Liquid bleach (12.5%) to shock.
but still no luck with chlorine levels.

so decided to do the bucket test to determine Chlorine demand.

started around noon with 5 Gallons of water and added 1oz of 6% bleach.
after an hour my FC was 4.4 PPM and CC was 0.4 PPM

so I added another oz of bleach and repeated this test after an hour and got FC 7.0 PPM and CC 0.4 PPM
Again added another oz of bleach and did the test an hour later got FC 10.0 and CC 0.6 PPM

At this point I didn't add more chlorine. But after an hour I see FC around 9.4 and CC 0.2

what are my next steps here? Should I go with 3 OZ as the required chlorine and apply or do more tests on the same sample?

appreciate your help. The water is clear

thanks
 
Welcome to TFP!

I'm not familiar with the test your are referring to. Here's is what I would do. Add enough chlorine to raise FC to 10ppm, pump running, brush a bit to mix and test in 15 minutes. If it is below 7 repeat. Once it holds then test your CYA and SLAM Process the pool.
 
As with anything, TFP evolves. What we recomend today may be different from what was recommended in older posts.

My first question would be, what does the pool water look like? Cloudy, clear, green, a swamp?

Secondly, what test kit are you using?

Have you added any other chemicals to the pool, possibly at the recomendation of the pool store?

A Slam is a multil day/week process, not a one time addition of chlorine you can report back on immediately.

Until we determine the cause of your unusual chlorine demand starting a full SLAM may be an exercise in futility.
 
Hi Tim5055,
The pool water looks very clear.
I am using Taylor 2006 test kit.
i have used Bio-Active as advised by the Leslie's store 6 weeks ago to bring down the CYA with no success.
I also used local store product to adjust PH and Alkalanity.
Last season and also until 4weeks ago I was using Trichlor 3" tabs.

But for the past 4 weeks I completely stopped using Trichlor and just on liquid bleach 12.5%

I don't know why my Chlorine isn't sticking. So decided to do the demand test to understand how much chlorine needed for the SLAM process. I understand it isn't a simple process.

TC 0.03
CC 0.3
CYA 60
Alkalanity 82
PH 7.7
CH 310

thanks
 
I don't know why my Chlorine isn't sticking.
Click to expand...
Chlorine NEVER "sticks" It is a consumable item in your pool that is constantly being depleted by UV rays from the sun and organics (algae-often invisible) in your pool. The rate of consumption is generally dependent on how much algae you have.

So, to get chlorine to stay at a certain level, you must constantly replenish it as it is constantly being depleted.
 
Your chlorine is probably being consumed by organics. You need to follow SLAM procedures. Until the FC is not being consumed quite so much, test as frequently as possible and keep adding chlorine ti bring it to SLAM level. At some point the cycle will break and you will start getting ahead of it.
 

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pooldv said:
Welcome to TFP!

I'm not familiar with the test your are referring to. Here's is what I would do. Add enough chlorine to raise FC to 10ppm, pump running, brush a bit to mix and test in 15 minutes. If it is below 7 repeat. Once it holds then test your CYA and SLAM Process the pool.
Click to expand...

mer33 said:
Hi Tim5055,
The pool water looks very clear.
I am using Taylor 2006 test kit.
i have used Bio-Active as advised by the Leslie's store 6 weeks ago to bring down the CYA with no success.
I also used local store product to adjust PH and Alkalanity.
Last season and also until 4weeks ago I was using Trichlor 3" tabs.

But for the past 4 weeks I completely stopped using Trichlor and just on liquid bleach 12.5%

I don't know why my Chlorine isn't sticking. So decided to do the demand test to understand how much chlorine needed for the SLAM process. I understand it isn't a simple process.

TC 0.03
CC 0.3
CYA 60
Alkalanity 82
PH 7.7
CH 310

thanks
Click to expand...
Sorry for the delay, I've been driving for the past 4 hours....

Well, then as pooldv points out you will need to start adding chlorine to the pool until the numbers begin to hold. I asked about other products because some things pool stores love to sell create a huge chlorine demand. From reports we have seen Bioactive is not one of them. Generally it's a non chlorine shock or products like yellow out. As Dave points out, chlorine is consumable. Right now there is something in your water that is consuming it at prodigious rates. There are two solutions at this point. Totally drain and refill or chlorine. You are confident that your CYA is 60 so 24 is your shock level. Calculate how much chlorine you need to add to get from 0 to 24 and add that much all at once. Wait 15 minutes and test. Recalculate how much you need to get back to 24 from the new chlorine reading and repeat. Keep doing this until the consumption rate slows. Then switch to 30 minute testing.

If may seem like you are wasting chlorine but there is no magic solution that will remove whatever it is that is in the water.
 
After adding another 3 Gallons
I did a test after 30 mins

FC 17.5 (I am testing with 10ml)
CC slightly above 0 as the water haedly turns pink when I add the R003

So as per Pool math I am adding another 166 oz of chlorine
 
mer33 said:
After adding another 3 Gallons
I did a test after 30 mins

FC 17.5 (I am testing with 10ml)
CC slightly above 0 as the water haedly turns pink when I add the R003

So as per Pool math I am adding another 166 oz of chlorine
Click to expand...
Keep it up. What ever it is in the water is giving up quickly. I have seen some report that the FC went to "0" each of the first few additions.
 

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