Chlorine vanishing? can't reach shock levels...

[pisceanwoman]

Quick question: does killing algae "consume" chlorine?

I'm trying to get my newly opened pool up to shock level, and, after adding the recommended volume based on the pool calculator 3 times total, in the last few hours, my FC reading is still 1!

Yes, the water is brownish, the first cycle of chlorine was visibly clearing the water near the return (harder to tell later when i was brushing and vacuuming).

i'll be checking again in the morning, but it seemed a bit surprising that the pool seemed to be absorbing chlorine like a sponge!

 

[Guest]

Not surprising at all, when you are killing algae you have a HUGe chlorine demand. The chlorine gets consumed very quickly, which is why you need to keep adding chlorine several times a day until it holds overnight (with the last chlorine addition in the even at sunset or slighly after.

 

[JasonLion]

Yes indeed, algae can consume quite a bit of chlorine very quickly if it has really gotten going. You might want to read my write up on cleaning up a neglected pool. It has lots of information that will probably apply in your situation.

 

[pisceanwoman]

thanks JasonLion and waterbear for the reassurance. JasonLion's write up on clearing algae is great!! i had seen it before, and it does imply that there'll be a lot of additional chlorine - i was just a bit surprised by how much i was adding.

it means a stop at costco for me tomorrow!! :lol:

 

[Guest]

Piceanwoman, what decant of pisces are you? (I am first decant, pisces-pisces, Feb. 24)

 

[pisceanwoman]

first, i guess - feb 23! although i grew up in Calif, i never got that into astrology, but i have always felt an affinity for water!! and feet!!

 

[Guest]

My nephew is also the 23rd, his wife the 24th, and my supervisor at work the 25th!
IMHO, fish are the best people!
BTW, you know enough to know that Pisces rules the feet and is a water sign (actually mutable water)!

 

[ric]

pisceanwoman, waterbear...Me to Feb. 23 :-D

 

[pisceanwoman]

BTW, you know enough to know that Pisces rules the feet and is a water sign (actually mutable water)!

like i said, i grew up in Calif - everyone has to know what body part their sign is associated with!! and i'm definitely mutable!!

 

[ivyleager]

Y'all are strange.

 

[Guest]

Y'all are strange.

No, just Pisces!

 

[pisceanwoman]

well, strange piscean or no - woohoo!!! after my fourth addition of 6 gallons of 6% chlorine, i seem to have finally got the FC level holding at somewhere between 15 and 20ppm!!!

patience is everything. thanks for alleviating my worries, yet again.

will be checking again, of course, in the morning, but my husband remarked this afternoon "Wow, it looks much better already!!" (he's the major doubter about having this pool in the first place!! he looked into the price of filling it in, and when we got an estimate of $7000 he retracted, and said, "well, i guess we'll keep it for now...")