What are the symptoms of too much ammonia?

[Guest]

So where is the discussion on ammonia in the pool school?

So ammonia can build up and you check for it using an ammonia kit from petsmart. In the aquarium section?

What are the symptoms of too much ammonia?

Thanks for the information.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Re: More Ammonia problems (as if last year wasn't enough)

So where is the discussion on ammonia in the pool school?

So ammonia can build up and you check for it using an ammonia kit from petsmart. In the aquarium section?

What are the symptoms of too much ammonia?

Thanks for the information.

We're learning more and more all the time, pinpointing extreme chlorine demand on ammonia issues, often from CYA "dissappearing" over the winter or when swamp conditions develop, etc. No article yet...

Usually if the pool has sat at 0 FC for any length of time, algae/bacteria take hold, and CYA then gets consumed by bacteria and converted into ammonia. So if you winterize and close with CYA, and open to "0" in the spring, it's possibly an ammonia situation. Richard "Chem Geek" experienced it himself this spring, when the levels in his pool got away from him.

There is an article in "further reading" that instructs you on how to do an Extreme Chlorine Demand test, and/or you can purchase an ammonia kit from petshops, if one were to suspect ammonia.

Symptoms are high CCs when you add chlorine and the inability to get the FC to hold, often going thru dozens and dozens of jugs of bleach, as the reaction with the ammonia is rather quick and you can get 0 FC within 30 minutes of adding enough bleach to reach shock level.

 

[Guest]

Re: More Ammonia problems (as if last year wasn't enough)

I asked because of the recent issues I am having with a pool, not mine so no signature line info. I keep adding and adding and adding chlorine and the CC keep steady or going up and the FC keeps hitting 0. Nothing I do will keep the FC up there. Even with auto chlorinator the levels will not come up on FC.

Waiting to drain 70% of the water to get the CYA down before shocking so as to save on some bleach usage.

Latest results:
FC 0
CC 5
TC 5
TA 130
CH 300
CYA 100

30000 gallon IGP Gunite Triton II TR-100HD 450lb sand filter.

 

[JasonLion]

You "just" shock the pool. Eventually the FC level holds, then you are done. The only tricks, are knowing that this can happen, so you don't get discouraged along the way, and knowing that you can do an ammonia test to get a vague notion of just how much chlorine you are going to need. This really only happens occasionally when opening a pool in the spring, and when fertilizer gets into the pool.

 

[Rescue30]

Your FC might even be at 1 or 2ppm, but your CC's are going to be 3-5.Ammonia is not so bad if you realize that your problem is ammonia .Last year it took me over 3 wekks to figure it out. Of course it would not have gotten fixed if not for TFP !!!. I was actually going to close my pool in June after 3 weeks of heck .The pool stores here had no clue , one idiot pool store even told me to pour in Ammomnia to "KILL" the bacteria .Get the Ammonia test kit from Petsmart, don't get the test strips , get the drop test kit , will give you more accurate reading .Just realize it takes 10ppm of Chlorine to get rid of 1ppm of Ammonia It cost me $50 in bleach this year (which is alot less than if you go to pool stores and try their fixes), but now the pool is sparklng.Now we just need nice weather...........

 

[Guest]

I got the test kit from Petco. Enough for 130 test, liquid drops for only $8.00.

It shows only .5 ppm, so not a lot.

So I shocked the pool. I miscalculated the size of the pool and ended up with a 42.5 PPM chlorine reading.

I did put up a "pool closed" sign (its a homeowners association pool) with the level this high. What is a safe level to reopen? 15? 10?

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

If the CYA is still 100, anything under 30 should be perfectly safe. I'd keep it always above 10 until you can get the CYA down. Is it still 100?

 

[Guest]

Yep still 100.

Waiting on the association to approve draining 60% of the water and refilling it. It is amazing how shocking it cleared it up dramatically. Still at about 25 as of this morning.

Now I can see all the stains from when they did not maintain correct chemical levels.