Chlorine level stays high

[ualpow]

My Chlorine level is at 5ppm using the tf100 test kit. I had 2 pucks in the inline feeder but they have been gone for 5 days now. I am using the Nature2 cartridge because it came with the pool but will switch to BBB next season. PH is 7.6 T/A is 150 and CYA is 40. The water is crystal clear but I don't know why the CH level is not dropping. The pool gets full day sun but has a solar cover on it. Any ideas?

 

[dmanb2b]

CH is calcium hardness, which won't change much...FC is your Free Chlorine...a reason could be that perhaps it has been cloady in your area lately...vs sunny?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

5 is not high, and if you remove your solar cover you will see it drop by 1-2 within 24-48 hours. Refer to the CYA chlorine chart - 5 is not "high"....

I would remove the N2 cartridge and leave the cannister in-line with your plumbing - it won't hurt anything to leave the cannister in place but the cartridge is putting copper in your pool - you DON'T need it and you really don't want copper in your pool....

 

[ualpow]

Yes, it has been cloudy and unseasonably cool here. I shocked with 1lb of HTH super shock and swim after the family and neighbors were swimming Sunday. I checked the water this morning, Tuesday, and the chlorine is at 8. Without the sun and with the solar cover on is it normal for the chlorine to be this high 2 days after shocking? The chlorine feeder has been empty for 2 weeks now.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

It is normal to lose about 2ppm per day of chlorine. Sometimes more, sometimes less. 8 is not high for your CYA level. Anything shock or above is "high". You can safely swim at any level below shock but above your min fC level for your CYA.

Are you testing with the yellow OTO test or the FAS-DPD test?

 

[PaulR]

I checked the water this morning, Tuesday, and the chlorine is at 8. Without the sun and with the solar cover on is it normal for the chlorine to be this high 2 days after shocking?

Don't know about "normal" but your numbers are like mine. CYA 40, with a cover, FC was 8 two days after I stopped shocking.
--paulr

 

[ualpow]

frustratedpoolmom: I use the TF-100 for everything but PH. I think I'm going to get rid of the nature 2 this week. I for sure will not buy a replacement one for next season. I will be moving my filter away from the pool and putting it next to my house along with the used heater I bought so that's when I will eliminate the nature 2. I will switch to BBB I'm sure. I thought that adding bleach every day or two would be a burden but it seems that using conventional methods is actually more time consuming than the BBB method.

 

[reebok]

yes it is. but you can cut out 75% of your time balancing your pool by adding a salt water generator when you move your equipment. (75% is a guesstimate based on how much time it would save me since adding chlorine is about the only thing I do besides test the water

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

frustratedpoolmom: I use the TF-100 for everything but PH. I think I'm going to get rid of the nature 2 this week. I for sure will not buy a replacement one for next season. I will be moving my filter away from the pool and putting it next to my house along with the used heater I bought so that's when I will eliminate the nature 2. I will switch to BBB I'm sure. I thought that adding bleach every day or two would be a burden but it seems that using conventional methods is actually more time consuming than the BBB method.

I used to feel that way - I had a Pool Frog which is an ionizer system similar to the N2. I used it for 5 years and started having issues year 3. Found TFP year 5 and never looked back. At first, I hesitated with the BBB because I liked the simplicity of the Frog system and not having to test/add bleach every day. But honestly, it literally is less than 5 minutes a day (and I'm to the point where I don't even have to check daily, I "know" my pool now) and I spend so much LESS time, energy and money doing BBB than I EVER did with the Frog system. I used to spend hundreds of dollars a summer, still had problems, and now I spend about $50 a year, and I have had crystal clear water, never have to shock unless going on vacation or closing for the winter, and it's a piece of cake.