No Chlorine

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W

WPriest

0
Aug 9, 2009
6
Levittown, PA
Hi folks

I'm at my wits end. Installed a swimpure plus system the end of May. My pool chemistry has remained within spec: pH 7.4 - 7.6, alk 90-100, CYA 70-90, Ca 180-260, no phosphates, no Fe or Cu, Nitrates 1.0 ppm Nitrites 0, salt level 3000-3100. Run time 9 hrs. 15000 cell - pool is 7500 gal run at 95% and my chlorine level runs between 0.0 to 1.0 usually 0.5. Not sure if the higher levels are due to the residual of shocking (do get higher values after the shock). I've taken water samples at the closest return to the system and in the pool. Chlorine levels are the same. I use test strips and a Taylor DPD kit. Have the water cross checked with the local Leslies. Their results are the same as mine. Replaced the cell 2 weeks ago still no chlorine. I called Hayward and talked with a tech--everything on the diagnostics indicate I should be making gobs of Cl.

Last hayward tech sez should run the cell for 12 hours-I figure for a cell rated at 2x the pool size I should be OK.
Do have repeating problems with a water mold--then I shock as to remove/kill.

Any ideas? (Gave away my in-line tablet chlorinator-mistake!!!).
Bill
 
Welcome to TFP!

There are a couple of things to check. Is is to do an overnight FC loss test. If you are losing FC overnight (with the SWG off) then there is some kind of organic contamination in the water that you need to take care of before the SWG can work correctly.

Another thing to check is to gather a water sample from a return while the SWG is active. If the unit is working that sample should show an FC level that is higher than the level in the pool by between 1 and 4 ppm.
 
WPriest said:
Do have repeating problems with a water mold--then I shock as to remove/kill.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you still might have a problem. Have you measured CC lately? Also, try an overnight test with liquid chlorine. Raise the FC to 5 ppm or so and measure FC level at night then early in the morning and see if something is using up the chlorine.

oops, once again beaten by Jason.
 
WPriest said:
Do have repeating problems with a water mold--then I shock as to remove/kill.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
White water mold is a bacteria that forms biofilms so it is very hard to kill. It can live in your plumbing. With a CYA level of 70-90 ppm you need to shock to ABOVE 50 ppm FC (and possibly up to 100 ppm FC) to kill it and maintain that level for 24-48 hours. I suspect if you do so you will find that your SWG will work properly since you will have eliminated the source of your chlorine demand.
 
Thanks for the tips.

I told the Goldline tech I would try the 100% rate for 12 hours. Well I sampled the water at 9 pm FC was 2.0 left the SWG on overnight and sampled this morning at 6:45 FC was 1.0. So I have added 4 bags of shock and turned off the SWG I will monitor the levels and keep the FC high for 48 hrs. I'm using bag shock (Chlorbrite or HTH that is Ca)--any suggestions?

Noticed an outbreak of pink algae (bacteria?) in a corner--did not see that small patch yesterday.

The watermold (?) appears as dark/black spots often with a milky gelatonous 'arm' that appears to contain small brownish spheres (spores?). Appears in sunlight and dark areas (underneath ladder steps, in skimmer box)

I figure that both of you are right that I have an organic problem where something(s) is eating up the Cl so I really can't get a measureable amount from the SWG.

Bill
 
Your CYA level is already as high as you want it to be, I wouldn't use any more Chlor Brite. Chlor Brite is dichlor, which contains CYA. Every time you use it you raise your CYA level, which means either replacing water or using even higher FC levels to kill off your organic contamination. You already need to shock to extremely high FC levels, you don't want to make that any worse by adding more CYA.
 
I agree, you should only be using liquid chlorine or bleach at this point. If it were me, I'd lower the water level a foot, refill with fresh, lowering the CYA level, that way you'll use less bleach to shock. Then you can adjust the other numbers later.

You need to supplement your test kit with an FAS-DPD test. You can purchase it separately for about $25, Taylor and TFtestkits.net both sell it individually.
 
i am new here, but had to reply. I had a simular problem with my Vinyl Liner pool when I first installed SWG. Hayward could not find the problem, just that I had a high chlorine demand.
Leslie's Pool suggested "Fresh 'N Clear Shock" It worked great. I use 2 - 1lb bags before a pool party or whenever I have low FC.

hope this solves your problem,

Bob, Orange, CA

20,000 gal vinyl liner inground pool
 
I appreciate all the input. I ran out today to find a FAS DPD kit--no luck locally-I'll be ordering one right after this post. One local dealer suggested I tear down my filter and clean the grids with bleach. I've dropped the water level -now my hose is broken so I can refill yet. I broke down the filter and what a mess --how many pounds of black mold would you like? I did wash the filter out at the start of the system by spraying the grids (not removing ans scrubbing like I normally do).
Got a lot of cleanup -- once I refill with a clean filter I have 4 large jugs of WallMart bleach to complete my disinfecting.
Then I hope this SWG works.

thanks to all
Bill
 

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WPriest said:
Got a lot of cleanup -- once I refill with a clean filter I have 4 large jugs of WallMart bleach to complete my disinfecting.
Then I hope this SWG works.

thanks to all
Bill
Click to expand...

Hi Bill,
If you are not already using it, I highly recommend the Pool Calculator to determine exactly how much liquid chlorine you need to add to bring it to shock level: pool-school/pool_calculator

I think once you get your algae cleared up, the SWG should work fine. I run my pump 10 hours a day and run my SWG at 15%. My normal FC is 4.0.
 
I'm back....

Cleaned up the filter--soaked the grids in a bleach sol'n.---the living material was within the cloth on the grids--soaking overnight did the trick. Pulled the ladder to find some material within the tube and then ahh the light. The light niche was the motherlode of the living stuff. I raised/shocked with bleach not sure of the exact level as i did not have the FAS DPD kit at that time--used the pool calc as a guide to get me in the neightboorhood of +40.

Did the overnight FC test last night-- started at FC 6.0 CC 1.0 this morning I'm at FC 5.5 CC .5 -- I'm thinking that with any CC I should shock. I haven't turned on the SWG yet. Figure I shoud shock and wait til the FC level drops so I can if the SWG really does make Cl (that was the original problem no Cl) Your thoughts?

--Thanks to everyone that has replied you have taught me more than in the 20 yrs I've had the pool.
 
Re: No Chlorine--UPDATE

I've been running my SWG for the last few days and have maintained a FC of 7.0 ppm--I know its high but we've had storms and junk into the pool. I'm reducing the Cl % on the SWG if we don't get any storms tonight.

Everything seems to be running well so thanks to all for your input.

Bill
 
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