Bather Load eating Chlorine

[chuckt]

My Chlorine seems to be disappearing faster than normal this year. My wife teaches swimming lessons, so we have around 35 kids in our pool a day (Doing of course what we all think they are doing in there... yuck :x ) Anyway my question is this: Should I be losing around 4ppm (on average a day to the high bather load? I dont remember it being this fast last year. I did switch this year year to BBB, so am I just seeing it now bc I was using a inline chlorinator last year with pucks? My CYA is actually high - i have been trying to bring it down all summer. I also only get about 5 hours of sun a day on the pool.

CYA = 120 ish
PH = 7.2
Alk = 120
FC (for the moment) = 5

Thanks

 

[rpgman]

My Chlorine seems to be disappearing faster than normal this year. My wife teaches swimming lessons, so we have around 35 kids in our pool a day (Doing of course what we all think they are doing in there... yuck :x ) Anyway my question is this: Should I be losing around 4ppm (on average a day to the high bather load? I dont remember it being this fast last year. I did switch this year year to BBB, so am I just seeing it now bc I was using a inline chlorinator last year with pucks? My CYA is actually high - i have been trying to bring it down all summer. I also only get about 5 hours of sun a day on the pool.

CYA = 120 ish
PH = 7.2
Alk = 120
FC (for the moment) = 5

Thanks

I just posted yesterday concerning this.....

I'm losing more this year than last year also, but it's the pollen that's doing it to me....

but, if their peeing in there, then yea, you will lose a great deal of FC...and, 4PPM isn't that much to be losing daily....

what area of the country are u in?

 

[rpgman]

also for your high CYA, your FC should be between 8 and 15 and shocking should be 25

 

[chuckt]

I am in Memphis Tn

Thanks for your response. What happens if you dont go up to the 8 - 15ppm Chlorine and stay in the 4-6 range (to .5 on a bad day)? It has taken me all season to get the CYA this low. It was in the 250 range if you can believe it.

 

[rpgman]

Re: I am in Memphis Tn

Thanks for your response. What happens if you dont go up to the 8 - 15ppm Chlorine and stay in the 4-6 range (to .5 on a bad day)? It has taken me all season to get the CYA this low. It was in the 250 range if you can believe it.

well then your not protected for the clorine killing anything as much as if you were at the correct levels...

if you go down to .5 on a bad day, and your CYA is at 120, you can be sure your going to be growing some nasties in that pool.

and, if you did go that low, did you check to make sure your CC wasn't above 1? If it is, I'd shock, and in your case that would be 25ppm FC

 

[crazycanuck]

250!!

are you able to measure your CC's?

 

[chuckt]

250!!

are you able to measure your CC's?

LOL - Last year I had a CHEAP jacuzzi DE filter that you took the grids out every time - no backwashing. I was using pucks with CYA in them so... there ya go.

 

[chuckt]

Thanks rpgman

It sure will be easier to maintain when I get the 35 kids a day out of the pool, and I get the CYA down lower.

Boy, 25ppm ... I gotta get that CYA down!!

 

[rpgman]

Thanks rpgman

It sure will be easier to maintain when I get the 35 kids a day out of the pool, and I get the CYA down lower.

Boy, 25ppm ... I gotta get that CYA down!!

that's just to shock it now...25ppm...

you should maintain an 8 to 15 ppm for your 120 CYA

 

[duraleigh]

Chuck,

Because your chlorine has frequently drifted out of the effective range, you could well have some algae in your pool that continues to consume your chlorine. I would say shocking to 25 or so might be very helpful in reducing your chlorine loss.

 

[chuckt]

I will do that tonight.

Thanks a lot. Another symptom I am having is that my DE filter is getting full very quickly

 

[Rangeball]

chuckt, that seem to be a telltale sign of an impending bloom. DE filters are very good a picking up small particulate matter, microscopic algae being one source of them.

 

[duraleigh]

Another symptom I am having is that my DE filter is getting full very quickly

My bet is you have algae (however, I think I bet on the Edsel to be the car of the future!! :lol: )

 

[JohnT]

Another symptom I am having is that my DE filter is getting full very quickly

My bet is you have algae (however, I think I bet on the Edsel to be the car of the future!! :lol: )

Betting on the future is a no-lose situation if you don't specify a date. The 2366 Edsel Sedan :lol:

 

[chuckt]

Wanted to thank you guys

I shocked to the level you guys suggested. It took about 24 hours to get rid of the cloudiness, but it killed the algae - it was laying at the bottom of the pool. I vacuumed it out. It bout went back to .5 chlorine from killing the algae. I put it back up to the correct levels for normal operation. It held from last night to this am, right at the same level so good to go on the Chlorine. The pool looks good.

Thanks

Chuck

 

[rpgman]

Re: Wanted to thank you guys

I shocked to the level you guys suggested. It took about 24 hours to get rid of the cloudiness, but it killed the algae - it was laying at the bottom of the pool. I vacuumed it out. It bout went back to .5 chlorine from killing the algae. I put it back up to the correct levels for normal operation. It held from last night to this am, right at the same level so good to go on the Chlorine. The pool looks good.

Thanks

Chuck

you the man!! Congrats!! Enjoy the pool!!

 

[chem geek]

Chuck, if you aren't able to maintain an absolute minimum of 9 ppm FC with a target of around 14 ppm FC in the pool, then until you do a partial drain/refill to lower the CYA I suggest you use PolyQuat 60 algaecide. That will at least prevent the algae from growing (it's not good enough by itself to kill alage in a bloom, but is great as a preventative). It's really just "insurance" since you should be able to keep away algae with chlorine alone, but with the very high bather load and CYA level, it may be difficult to monitor and maintain the high FC level (but it's really up to you -- diligence will work). Bacteria are far easier to kill than algae so the pool will still be sanitary at lower FC levels with the high CYA, but without an algaecide you will likely get algae again. The best option, of course, is the partial drain/refill to lower the CYA.

As for your current bloom your pool just had, it isn't really over until all of the following occurs 1) the water is crystal clear, 2) you measure minimal overnight drop in FC (probably < 0.5 ppm, perhaps < 1 ppm) and 3) you measure minimal CC (< 0.5 ppm). You need to keep the FC levels up at shock levels until this occurs, usually within one day after the water turns clear.

Richard