Need Help here, don't know what I'm doing!

[marktrimarc]

Hello folks,

I'm a newbie to the forum but have been maintaining my pool for about four years. Reading through another thread, I noticed two things that I wasn't aware of. This is the first winter that I removed my SWG and put in a spacer tube to try to preserve the life of the SWG (I realize that the Pentair ones, at least, don't work below about 55 F anyway).

So, as the weather has warmed up lately, with the SWG still removed, I've been adding liquid chlorine as needed. Surprisingly I've been needing at least 16 to 24 oz/day to maintain decent levels. My CYA was a bit low so that was allowing the CL to disappear. My two questions are: Why space out the CL and acid since they end up in the water together anyway? I usually dump them both in the deep end within seconds. Also, why run the waterfall (which I do have) on a daily basis? It would be easy enough to schedule, but I'd still like to know the reasoning.

Thank you all in advance for any help!

Mark

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP!

The problem with adding them immediately after each other is that chlorine gas is released if they mix. Best to wait a short while for the first to disperse into the pool.

If the waterfall doesn't run regularly, the stagnant water in the plumbing or even on the surface of the waterfall if it has decorative rocks or concrete can harbor algae or other pathogens. Running it periodically flushes it with chlorinated water and washes anything trying to grow into the chlorinated pool where it can be handled by the chlorine.

 

[Patrick_B]

Its for safety. Chlorine and Acid in neat form or closely added form can react violently. Add one, then the other (preferably a short distance away) and there is no safety issue. Don't pour them in at the very same time right next to each other, or you're asking for trouble. Acid and Chlorine mixing together in raw (neat) form can severely injure or kill you. When things are all mixed up in the pool, its something else entirely, as both products are extremely diluted.

 

[marktrimarc]

Thanks to both of you for the answers, John and Patrick. FYI - my original post was a reply to someone who said they didn't know what they were doing, and I couldn't edit the title after Patrick moved my post to this new thread (which I appreciate, as I didn't know the protocol). I see that I do need to schedule my waterfall to come on every day, if even for 10 or 15 minutes. I also will start throwing the acid and CL into separate ends of the pool and maybe space the timing some. Of course once I re-install the SWG the CL won't be needed.

 

[Caco]

Welcome to the forum

Surprisingly I've been needing at least 16 to 24 oz/day to maintain decent levels. My CYA was a bit low so that was allowing the CL to disappear.

This concerns me a little, it seems a little high. Can you post a full set of test results and strength of cl you are using. its only 2ppm per day, but with low temps and no swimming I dont use that much