I have had my pool up and filled for about 3 1/2 weeks now. I cannot seem to get any chlorine going. Basically Im adding about 400 ozs of bleach a day. SUre right after that I can do a simple Test from the Taylor test kit (I also bought the TF 100) and the chlorine reading is actually orange instead of yellow because I just poured bleach in it..but by the afternoon the next day..nothing. I can never get the chlorine present in order to do any of the other tests such as FC drop test. I have done those but nothing..but of course, when the Taylor test is clear then I didnt really expect much. If I go more than two days without adding bleach the bottom starts to get slippery..so I throw a few hundred (or more) oz's ob bleach in it..the slipperyness goes away...but the Taylor shows nothing...so long story short..if you were to average the last 3 1/2 weeks out..IM putting two big jugs of bleach in my pool a day and never get a chlorine reading except immediately after I put it in. My PH is really high and have put in the Muriatic Acid and maybe lowered a shade for a day. Im at a loss..at this rate im spending about 210 a month on bleach. THanks.
At a loss
- Thread starter jj5000
- Start date
If you have the TF-100, pour your bleach in and let it circulate for a bit and then do the drop test. I think you need to know what is eating your chlorine and the drop test will show if you have CCs present. If that turns out to be the case, you will need to do a proper shocking procedure... getting the bleach in there to achieve shock level and keeping it at that level for a prolonged period of time.
Can you please post a full set of results to include FC, CC, TC, pH, and CYA?
Can you please post a full set of results to include FC, CC, TC, pH, and CYA?
Since you are also struggling with high ph, please include the TA reading (dattia probably meant that instead of TC).dattia said:
Hey guys..thanks for your replies. .I have done all of those tests and get nothing..several times. I felt like I was just wasting my test kit chemicals as one test (cant remember which one) says keep dropping the chemical until it turns pink or something..and it never did..20 drops later nothing..so I just stopped..I also did the one where you add the chem until you can longer see the dot...nothing..saw it fine until the tube was full..but I will do them again and post results. Thanks for your help. Your right though... something is eating it as soon as I put it in. Will do as soon as I get home from work at about 530 central. thanks again.
jj
jj
Sounds like the FAS-DPD for FC test. You either had no FC at the time of testing, or your FC was very high. Were you putting a scoop of the DPD powder before you started adding drops?jj5000 said:
sounds like you have no CYA, and that would explain why your chlorine goes away so quickly. Please read: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/temporary_pool_guide and reread all of pool school soon.
The ph test should work. Plus, if 20 drops hasn't turned the alkalinity and calcium hardness tests the required color, keep going. It means you haven't finished the test yet. Alkalinity or CH at 200+ is not uncommon.
I agree with Frogabog, my tap water is around 300 for both TA & CH. Keep adding drops. Once I knew it was that high I started adding 5 drops at a time till I knew I was close.
It sounds like you are on the verge of an algae bloom. Go ahead and add enough CYA to raise it to 30 ppm as per The Pool Calculator and complete the shock process as if the 30 ppm of CYA was registering on the test. It will take around a week for the CYA to register once it has all dissolved. Keep the pool at shock level as often as possible until you pass the overnight test.
Hey JJ,
The pink test you refer to I think maybe something got mixed up when you did it. Try doing exactly as the instructions say one more time, make sure that when you drop the powder into the 10ml sample it turns pink. (you can do 25ml, but only if you need very precise measurments, the 10ml sample is good enough for this purpose).
Then you will use the R-0871 one drop at a time till the pink solution turns clear. Count the number of drops, and multiply by 2. Each drop equals .5ppm.
Then use the R-0003 reagent on this same solution (should be clear). Drop 5 drops of that into the sample, swirl. If it turns pink you have combined chlorine. (I think this might be where you got stopped up, 5 drops only of the 3rd reagent DPD reagent R-0003)
This last step is only needed if the 5 drops of R-0003 turn the sample pink. Go back to the R-0871 reagent, add that one drop at a time until the solution again turns clear. Count these drops, they are again worth .5ppm each. This number, plus your first number equals your total chlorine (TC). The difference between free chlorine (1st result, FC) and total chlorine (TC) is the combined chlorine (CC) value.
Let us know how it goes. Make sure to get a PH, That will be 5 drops of phenol red from the blue box if you're using a TF100. The PH is a red topped bottle in the Taylor K-2006 kit (I forget the number, it says phenol red).
The pink test you refer to I think maybe something got mixed up when you did it. Try doing exactly as the instructions say one more time, make sure that when you drop the powder into the 10ml sample it turns pink. (you can do 25ml, but only if you need very precise measurments, the 10ml sample is good enough for this purpose).
Then you will use the R-0871 one drop at a time till the pink solution turns clear. Count the number of drops, and multiply by 2. Each drop equals .5ppm.
Then use the R-0003 reagent on this same solution (should be clear). Drop 5 drops of that into the sample, swirl. If it turns pink you have combined chlorine. (I think this might be where you got stopped up, 5 drops only of the 3rd reagent DPD reagent R-0003)
This last step is only needed if the 5 drops of R-0003 turn the sample pink. Go back to the R-0871 reagent, add that one drop at a time until the solution again turns clear. Count these drops, they are again worth .5ppm each. This number, plus your first number equals your total chlorine (TC). The difference between free chlorine (1st result, FC) and total chlorine (TC) is the combined chlorine (CC) value.
Let us know how it goes. Make sure to get a PH, That will be 5 drops of phenol red from the blue box if you're using a TF100. The PH is a red topped bottle in the Taylor K-2006 kit (I forget the number, it says phenol red).