Help Balancing my Pool ( too much free chlorine)

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Dallz

Dallz

0
May 14, 2017
46
Montreal Quebec
Hi everyone I am new to this site and have been reading through posts all morning. I am amazed at how helpful everyone is!!!

This is my second year owning a pool, and the opening process was a bit faster this time but I am still not completely there! My pool looks good, clear but has an ocean blue colour to it... I keep spending money on the same chemicals it's ridiculous!! The pool store here keeps giving me the same protocol and my results obviously aren't changing.

They say I have a lot of "bad chlorine" in my pool, and the good chlorine is super low.

They said is was Phosphates at first, sold me produtcs to get rid of them...then said to put OXY and shock the pool an hour later.

I must say after the PHOSPHATE treatment it went clear. But OXY brought it right back again to ocean blue...

Next time they sold me MINERAL treatment and again pool cleared up. They said OXY again then shock....aand sure enough back to square 1 with lots of bad chlorine and no good chlorine...

I am going back today to get reading and see what's missing and I'll post here all the details!!! To add to the mix I am getting a pool heater installed tomorrow and I am sure that will throw everything off even more!

PLS HELP =)

Thanks!
 
Crystal clear but tinted sort of indicates metals. A beautiful emerald green usually means copper.

Anyway... good chlorine is called Free Chlorine. FC for short. Bad chlorine is Combined Chloramines, CC for short. Here's the problem: that "Oxy" you added is Potassium Peroxomonosulphate. MPS can trigger a false CC reading.

The pool store has you on a merry-go-round. That mineral treatment probably had copper sulfate in it, hence the tint.

Now you can see why we don't trust pool store tests and recommendations. You really need your own test kit. You're at a huge disadvantage living in Canuckistan, because one company has the monopoly on Taylor Test kits so you can't order a TF100 and a K-2006 will cost you a small fortune.

If you buy any chemicals at all from the pool store, it should be a metal sequestrant. You ought to see what type of test kits they sell. The basic pH and FC test won't be enough. Ideally, a Taylor K-2006, but until you can locate one, get the most complete 5 or 6 way kit you can find. Then post the results and maybe we can help figure things out.
 
Just left the pool store, they don't sell home test kits at my location and the ones you order are 300$ plus!
I have similar results again they are recommending OXY!!
PH: 7.9
PHOSPHATE: 237 ppb
CU: 0ppm
TA: 95 ppm
FC 0.35
CH 183 ppm
CYA : 0
TC: 6.08 ppm (was 8.0 a few days ago and after oxy only went down a bit...)

I don't want to repeat same instructions for a third time doesn't make sense!

Pool is inground 65 000 litres, (17 000 gallons)

It's super clean looking but not sure it's balanced enough to swim in yet and safe for kids?

Also pool heat pump will be installed tomorrow so I'm sure that will make things even more interesting!
The pool store has had me spend a fortune this year! With twins on the way we have to try to save somewhere:) plssssss help:)
Thx!
 
Dallz said:
Just left the pool store, they don't sell home test kits at my location and the ones you order are 300$ plus!
I have similar results again they are recommending OXY!!
PH: 7.9
PHOSPHATE: 237 ppb
CU: 0ppm
TA: 95 ppm
FC 0.35
CH 183 ppm
CYA : 0
TC: 6.08 ppm (was 8.0 a few days ago and after oxy only went down a bit...)

I don't want to repeat same instructions for a third time doesn't make sense!

Pool is inground 65 000 litres, (17 000 gallons)

It's super clean looking but not sure it's balanced enough to swim in yet and safe for kids?

Also pool heat pump will be installed tomorrow so I'm sure that will make things even more interesting!
The pool store has had me spend a fortune this year! With twins on the way we have to try to save somewhere:) plssssss help:)
Thx!
Click to expand...
I'd ignore the TC reading. It's most likely MPS interference.

If you choose to believe the rest of the results, you need to lower pH just a hair, raise CYA with stabilizer, and get some FC in there.

What chemicals do what and how to add them are in Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
How much to add is explained in Pool School - PoolMath

Truthfully, I would at least invest in some kind of home test kit, even if you can't afford the best. Pool store testing is unreliable. What goes on in the pool store!!

Is it still tinted? Did you try a sequestrant?
 
What's a sequestrant? Sorry this is all new to me... İ'd love to post a pic to show you but don't know how?
The only time it went crystal clear was after the Phosphate treatment and the mineral one too. As soon as oxy was added a day later, it went blue-ish tint.

Can İ add granular chlorine or does it have to be liquid?

Also İ will invest in a home test kit for sure! But İ'm waiting to visit the states ;) CANADA not good for that like you said.
 
Dallz said:
Just read up on it and will try it!

Should I still add chlorine to my pool? If so is granular ok?
Click to expand...
Granular forms of chlorine will add Calcium, Cyanuric Acid, Or Lithium to the water, along with some salt. Bleach only adds salt. That is why we recommend bleach unless you need the other side-effects. Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool

You could use granular if you're confident of those store results. I'm not. It would be interesting to compare the most recent test results with some older ones. Many times you can see CH and CYA bouncing all over the place and neither one will go down over time unless you replaced a lot of water. Nor will either go up dramatically unless you added a whole bunch of some product containing them.

I really can't recommend anything with any confidence because I don't trust pool store testing.
 
Dallz said:
Ok I will have a home test kit soon, maybe I can order one online i'll check!

So is my pool safe to swim in at the moment with those results?
Click to expand...
I don't know. You can see what the water look slike. You can feel the walls. Are they slimy? Is it clear but tinted? Is it clear enough to see the bottom?

If those test results are correct -- huge IF -- then no. pH is too high and your eyes may burn. CC is way too high and may cause eye and skin irritation. There's just no way to know from 3000 miles away.
 

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I had a water test done again to compare ( at the same place) and basically I had less free chlorine (went down) and no Good chlorine at all ...AGAIN. My phosphate went up to 1000. They said not to worry about that. I shocked the pool yet again 2 nights ago (granular chlorine 1 kg), and today ZERO chlorine on home test...Ive had 4 pucks with stabilizer floating for a week now before firing and after the shocks, Pool is at 80 degrees and still clear I can see the bottom perfectly!...we did have 2 very hot days so hard to say if this time that is the reason, but with home test zero chlorine at all this time!! (last time home test showed chlorine high but it was all bad chlorine)...I'm so lost and get my pool to hold chlorine!!! =(
 
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