Help - confusion reigns!

[jimsam]

I'm still learning the ins and outs of maintaining a pool and I told a friend that my pool was clear but that I can't get the chlorine level over 2. I started seeing a little algae where the MX8 doesn't get to (steps). My friend said there shouldn't be any algae and something is wrong. He sent me a link to a thread explaining how to shock your pool. So, off I went yesterday to begin the process.

First off my pool is between 10,000 and 11,000 gallons and the CC level was between 0 and .5. I put in 2 large jugs of Clorox in the pool at 1 pm yesterday and afterwards the FC was 19 (38 drops/2). I just checked the FC a few minutes ago, 5 pm (28 hours later) and it was between .5 and 1. It barely turned pink when chemicals were added for the test. Is that even possible? I just put in 2 more jugs. This doesn't seem right to me. The CYA is around 40.

I was told to maintain this until CC is 0, but it's already 0. The little algae I had yesterday is gone.

Will I continue to need 2 large jugs of chlorine everyday or will the need slow down? Thanks for any help!

Jim

 

[Richard320]

It's highly possible, and 28 hours is too long to go between tests when you're performing the shock process.

You're done when you pass all three tests, and not until. If you stop too soon, the algae will return, and everything you did was for nothing. The three tests are
CC is 0.5 or lower;
An overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 ppm or less;
And the water is clear.

 

[jimsam]

Richard,

Thanks. I'll check it again before work tomorrow instead of just after. That will be about every 12 hours. If it still drops drastically, I'll pick up the pace. I just didn't have any clue that it would drop that fast.

Two of the tests pass right now. Water is clear and CC is 0. Hopefully the third will fall in line by the end of the week.


Jim

 

[Leebo]

How often are you brushing the pool....especially the walls??

 

[techguy]

Jim, there is no reason to wait 12 hours to check the pool. Whenever you get home from work, check the FC and add CL to get back to your shock level. Wait ONE hour and check it again, adding what you need to stay at shock. lather-rinse-repeat.

The more hours you spend at shock level, the less time this process will take overall. Checking every hour the first day could possibly take 2 days less to finish the chocking and OCLT test. It will be consume FC faster during the day (due to the sun and the algae both consuming) but if you are still consuming FC in the evening and overnight (less light or no light hours), you still have actively growing algae.

 

[Smykowski]

It barely turned pink when chemicals were added for the test. Is that even possible?

Did you put one or two scoops of powder in? When you know (or hope) you're at high levels of FC, you want to make sure you have plenty of DPD powder to dye the water.

 

[jimsam]

Thanks for all the help.

After putting in 3 gallons yesterday evening, this morning the FC was 10. I put in another gallon and a 1/2 of chlorine and went to work. When I came home, the FC level was 5. I just put in another 2 gallons to bring the level back up to about 20. Hopefully, each day will get better.

As far as the amount of powder I used for the FC test, I used a heaping scoop from the scoop supplied in my kit.

The CC is still near zero, but not quite there.



Jim

 

[techguy]

Sounds like you are making progress...

...it also sounds like its time to check your FC... yes, one scoop is great.

 

[jimsam]

The saga continues!

Last night at 8:30pm the FC was 18. This morning at 6:30am, the FC was 14. I added about 3/4 of a gallon and went to work.

At 4:30 pm today, the FC was 6. I added 3 more gallons of clorox and as of now, the FC is 26.

If it continues to go from a solid shock level in the am to a weak level by the pm, I never get this cleared. I decided that too much chlorine is better than not enough. I started this on Sunday and have used 16 gallons so far and nothing seems to be getting better.

I am going to try to keep the FC level as high as I can so it never falls below the shock level. Sure glad I'm dealing with a small pool. If I know it was going to take $100 worth of bleach I would have drained it, scrubbed the walls with bleach and refilled it. The water would have only cost about $50.

Richard230 says I have to pass 3 tests and so far stuck on 2. CC=0 and water is clear. The last one is proving hard to achieve, although the overnight rate was at 4, the daytime rate is killing me.

Jim

 

[Richard320]

The saga continues!

Last night at 8:30pm the FC was 18. This morning at 6:30am, the FC was 14. I added about 3/4 of a gallon and went to work.

At 4:30 pm today, the FC was 6. I added 3 more gallons of clorox and as of now, the FC is 26.

If it continues to go from a solid shock level in the am to a weak level by the pm, I never get this cleared. I decided that too much chlorine is better than not enough. I started this on Sunday and have used 16 gallons so far and nothing seems to be getting better.

I am going to try to keep the FC level as high as I can so it never falls below the shock level. Sure glad I'm dealing with a small pool. If I know it was going to take $100 worth of bleach I would have drained it, scrubbed the walls with bleach and refilled it. The water would have only cost about $50.

Richard230 says I have to pass 3 tests and so far stuck on 2. CC=0 and water is clear. The last one is proving hard to achieve, although the overnight rate was at 4, the daytime rate is killing me.

Jim

Bah! Check out these pictures.

from first-time-shocking-with-bleach-t45074.html

from converting-in-ga-t22194.html

 

[jimsam]

OK, I feel better!

I do have to make another run to Costco for more bleach on the way home tomorrow.

One question though. How many days should this take before I get through this?

Thanks!

Jim

 

[Smykowski]

One question though. How many days should this take before I get through this?

"As long as it takes." Unfortunately, that's the stock answer, because everyone's pool is a little different. however, the better job you do at keeping it at or slightly above shock level (that is - the more often you check and re-dose to make sure the FC doesn't go below shock level), the faster the process will complete.

 

[techguy]

I sounds like you are checking your CL twice a day. If you want to keep it in high gear and shorten the overall time, it requires a more concentrated effort for a shorter time. Try going home tonight and checking your FC, add CL, wait one hour and repeat the FC check and add any needed CL. If you do this until bedtime and maybe even add a touch extra CL before going to sleep, you may make this go faster. the more time at or above shock, the faster it goes.

Also, babysit your filter. My DE gets dirty and my pressures rise and my flow slows. I need to bump much more often when I have a heavy filter load. Sand filter can be slow to clear the water, some take 7 days to get it clear. If your CL levels are getting closer to 0.0, you can try adding some DE... but I am not sure if you are there yet.

 

[jimsam]

To All,

Thanks for the help. As I said earlier, I can't babysit this pool during the day because I don't work close enough to home. From the time I come home until the time I go to work, the FC level was over shock level. My problem was its falling below that level during the day; by the time I got home. To eliminate that possibly, I had the FC level at 38 when I left for work this morning. When I got home today, the FC level was 12. I put 3 more gallons of Clorox in at 4:30pm and I will check the level before I go to bed. I will test it again in the morning but I'm sure that the FC will have gone down by more than 1 ppm. I have tomorrow off and the weekend ahead of me so I will be able to watch it much more closely for the next 3 days.

One thing this has taught me is I have to get this right because the "Liquidator" doesn't stand a chance of keeping a good FC level until I do. I had it wide open and the FC was never more than 2.

I have cartridge filters and I plan on cleaning them over the weekend. I also bought 25 lbs. of boric acid but will sit on that until this mess is over. If it's OK to add the boric acid now, please speak up.

Thanks again to everyone!


Jim

 

[techguy]

Borates should only be added once all the other values are stable and where you want them.

 

[jimsam]

Today's update!

Last night at 9pm the FC was 20. This morning at 6:30am, it was 16, dropped 4 ppm, too much.

The added 1 1/2 gallons of Clorox at 6:30am and checked the FC at noon, it was 17. I added another 3 gallons at noon and it rained at 3:30pm. When it stopped at 4:30, I went out again and the level was 14. I just added another 3 gallons of bleach. I will check later this evening.

I could be wrong, but I don't think I am seeing any improvement after 24 gallons of bleach in a small (11,000 gallon) pool. The weird part is that there was only trace of algae on the steps and nowhere else. I would have thought that I started this process very early and it would prove to be a piece of cake. WRONG!!!

Getting frustrated because I am not seeing any improvement. I will plod on and maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel, albeit very dark right now!!

Again, thanks to all for their help!

Jim

 

[msgtdan]

Are you brushing the pool? Algae can get a covering over it that protects it from the chlorine. Brushing breaks through the covering and lets the chlorine get to the algae to kill it. Not brushing can lengthen the time to clear the pool.

 

[techguy]

Some of your loses during the day are to the sun gods (sun light burns off CL). Some loses are to fighting algae that you cannot see yet in you pipes and in the filter media. the Combined Chloramines, CC, are the other items your CL are fighting off. CC is frequently the stuff that make a pool smell stinky like a "hotel pool". And any organics in your pool are also consume your CL... urine, feces, grass, leaves...

Chlorine is working hard on all of these and you pool may be relatively clear.

If you stay active like you have during been today... tonight in the dark, you efforts are even more effective. You remove the sun as a consumer of CL and lets it focus on the nasties.

 

[MattM]

Jim,
It can be hard to shock in the middle of summer because the daylight hours are so long and UV rays from the sun are killing off high FC. Still, a cya of 40 should be fine...although bumping up to 50 later on wouldn't hurt. You might want to see if you can get a cheap uv resistant pool cover to help keep FC more stable long term. In any case, the shocking process does work...although sometimes people find that algae comes back if they don't brush walls/steps, vacuum, or check behind pool light where the nastier algae like to hide. I always brush and vacuum frequently while shocking. Keep trying and you'll eventually get the problem resolved. There isn't really any easier way.
Matt

 

[jimsam]

I have been scrubbing the walls with a wire brush every time I add Clorox, even though I don't see anything on the walls.

I am in the Dallas area and the pool gets full sun all day everyday. Sun from 7am to 8pm. No shade at all. I'm determined to beat this so time will only tell when. I'm thinking of buying stock in Clorox (symbol CLX). I'm supporting them big time right now.

Bad news. I had Chinese food tonight and I cracked open my fortune cookie and it was empty. My wife's said, "expect the unexpected". Maybe she'll be working on this after I'm gone. Ha!

Thanks again for all your help.


Jim