Help I am having a chemical reaction in my pool!

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Not many on the forum are fond of ionizers. Essentially because you still need chlorine so why go to the trouble....just sanitize with chlorine.

Secondly, I'm a sand filter fan. I really work mine hard and it's pretty trouble free. Others like cartridge and still others like DE. It's sorta' what you get used to, I think.

I believe Kentucky is 3 working days for delivery of your kit.....That'd be Wednesday. You'll get a tracking number from DHL tomorrow afternoon and it'll say on there what day to expect it (BTW, Thank You! :lol: )
 
duraleigh said:
Not many on the forum are fond of ionizers. Essentially because you still need chlorine so why go to the trouble....just sanitize with chlorine.

Secondly, I'm a sand filter fan. I really work mine hard and it's pretty trouble free. Others like cartridge and still others like DE. It's sorta' what you get used to, I think.

I believe Kentucky is 3 working days for delivery of your kit.....That'd be Wednesday. You'll get a tracking number from DHL tomorrow afternoon and it'll say on there what day to expect it (BTW, Thank You! :lol: )
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I grew up on sand maybe that's why I have been so resistant to the cartridges...I'll hate them forever so will probably switch to sand this season! Thanks for checking on shipping and thanks for being so helpful!! I'll let you know when I have some more info for you!

Maria
 
Maria,

Whew, what a day!

Now that things have kinda' slowed down for you, I wanted to welcome you to TFP! :)

Won't be long before you have your 'sparkling oasis' back!

Maybe you could find time to post a picture?.....any color pool water is fine by us! Old pic or new.

btw, I love my sand filter, too! :wink:
 
jjparrish said:
Maria,

Whew, what a day!

Now that things have kinda' slowed down for you, I wanted to welcome you to TFP! :)

Won't be long before you have your 'sparkling oasis' back!

Maybe you could find time to post a picture?.....any color pool water is fine by us! Old pic or new.

btw, I love my sand filter, too! :wink:
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Thanks Joyce, yes you are correct what a day! Frustration is putting it mildly but I feel so much better after finding this site! I'll get a pic posted. Need to get one down to a smaller size.

Maria
 
crabboy said:
Why do you have to clean them so often? I have a 4 cartridge Jandy filter and I don't have to clean them but once a year. Once the pollen eases up here, I'll clean them out.
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The first year I only had to clean them once but after that its required monthly. Last year I had an algae problem and thought I got rid of it, but I think I am still feeling the effects of it. I'll let you know after I get my pool cleaned up this week how the rest of the season goes...unless I give up and buy a sand filter.
 
Alright...I have my kit and have used it...(Reminds me of my qualitative chemistry days)
Here are my number:

FC 1.0
CC1.0
TC 2.0
pH 6.8-7.2
T/A 120
CH 40
CYA72
Temp 74
Pool looks clear. I can see the detail on the bottom, however there is an ever so slight yellowish/green tint at the bottom. Cleaned my robot out and there was alot of green tinged yuk.

Oh wise pool one...tell me what to do. I have the chlorine 6% that I need just awaiting your input!
Maria
 
Your FC level is way too low. With CYA of 72 you should normally keep FC around 6 to 10 and never lower than 6.

CC of 1.0 is not so good and given the strong hints of algae you need to shock the pool. That means bringing FC up to 20 and holding it there with frequent testing and addition of chlorine as needed. I don't see your pool size so I can't calculate the amount of bleach for you.

You should put a quick summary of your pool size, surface, equipment, etc in your signature, which you can edit on your profile page, see Profile in the sub-heading of every page.
 
JasonLion said:
Your FC level is way too low. With CYA of 72 you should normally keep FC around 6 to 10 and never lower than 6.

CC of 1.0 is not so good and given the strong hints of algae you need to shock the pool. That means bringing FC up to 20 and holding it there with frequent testing and addition of chlorine as needed. I don't see your pool size so I can't calculate the amount of bleach for you.

You should put a quick summary of your pool size, surface, equipment, etc in your signature, which you can edit on your profile page, see Profile in the sub-heading of every page.
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Hi Jason, thanks
its 42000 gal not sure what you mean by surface and I have a cartridge filter (4big cartridges Hayward) don't know more about the filter.
 
It takes 13 gallons of 6% bleach to raise FC from 1 to 20 in 42,000 gallons. Remember that the containers are almost never gallons, usually 3/4 or 1.42 gallons. You can do this kind of calculation with my Pool Calculator, see the link in my signature.

By pool surface I mean vinyl, fiberglass, plaster, diamond brite, pebble, tile, etc. Gather up that info and put it in your signature.
 

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JasonLion said:
It takes 13 gallons of 6% bleach to raise FC from 1 to 20 in 42,000 gallons. Remember that the containers are almost never gallons, usually 3/4 or 1.42 gallons. You can do this kind of calculation with my Pool Calculator, see the link in my signature.

By pool surface I mean vinyl, fiberglass, plaster, diamond brite, pebble, tile, etc. Gather up that info and put it in your signature.
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Ok that'll get me started. I have 187 oz bottles and get 9 bottles by my calc, but I'll double check...now, should I just follow the instructions on that one page you guys have about algae?
Pour in the bleach and check the chlorine frequently. I should keep it at 20 for how long? And keep the robot in...

I am vinyl by the way
 
Yes, you basically follow the algae instructions. The only difference is that it probably won't be that difficult since your algae doesn't seem to be everywhere yet.

Maintain shock level till the FC level hold steady overnight, CC is zero, and the water is clear.

The robot should be in at least part of the time you are shocking so you kill any algae that has gotten into the robot. The chlorine shouldn't be a problem for the robot.
 
Jason,

I've put 30 gal of bleach in so far and last check FC was up to 8.5. Does it take some work to get it up to 20...I know I have a fairly big pool, but thought it might come up faster than that. I waited an hour after adding the bleach before checking; should i be waiting longer or shorter? You said previously it could take 40-60 plus gal...I did buy that much just in case.

Thanks again
Maria
 
The first time or two, some or all of the chlorine will get used up almost instantly killing algae. You want to calculate the right amount of chlorine to bring FC up to 20 from where you measured it, about 8 gallons in this case, and add that. Wait an hour and see where you are and add the appropriate amount again and so on. I suspect that by the third round you will probably be holding a fairly steady level after an hour.
 
JasonLion said:
The first time or two, some or all of the chlorine will get used up almost instantly killing algae. You want to calculate the right amount of chlorine to bring FC up to 20 from where you measured it, about 8 gallons in this case, and add that. Wait an hour and see where you are and add the appropriate amount again and so on. I suspect that by the third round you will probably be holding a fairly steady level after an hour.
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Thanks Jason, that makes sense. 1st hour 4.5, 2nd hour 8.5...will keep on it!
 
Jason, if you are out there, I am giving up...For two days I have tried to get the FC level up. I got to 9, but after that it was down hill. I could never get it to 20 89.5 gal of bleach later.

Retested again today and here are the numbers

pH<6.8
FC 0.5
CC 1.0
TA 40
CYA 90
Temp 72
I am forgetting something here, but I can't remember as I don't have my paper in front of me.

I have become obsessed. The inside of my skimmers is developing a dark green scum that appears to be growing up the sides. I have brushed and brushed and brushed. The water color is clear and it looks great, but everything is out of whack. I am taking a sample of water in to the computer at the pool store. They are going to recommend decreasing phosphates to get rid of algae...I just want to hire someone to take care of the chemicals on a weekly basis but am not sure how to find someone trustworthy that knows how to do this.

By the way, I have the slide water running and it is creating a waxy type foam on the surface of the pool.

Any other advice?

Sincerely,
The pool chemical failure!
 
Maria,

I hate to see you quit. I think you may be misunderstanding the issues in your pool. Chlorine is consumed by two things only.......algae in your pool or sunlight. If you have neither of those, your chlorine will remain constant (for our purposes)

So, with a CYA of 90, you are protecting the CYA from the Sun about as thoroughly as you can. Why, then, is your chlorine going away? YOU HAVE ALGAE IN YOUR POOL and you can only get rid of it by adding more chlorine.

I would put 20 gallons (not jugs) of chlorine in your pool all at once. That's enough to raise your FC to 30ppm. Then test that FC in about four hours. If it's less than 30, add enough to breing it back to 30. Do that until it holds and your chlorine consumption will drop back to 1-2ppm daily.

On a secondary note, your ph is too low. Use Jason's calc and bring it back up to 7.2 with borax. That'll bring your Alk up as well and your test results will ALL be fine.

Finding someone to care for your pool and understand this BETTER than you already do is going to be a challenge. We've all been thru the learning curve your going thru and, suddenly, this will all seem simple....promise. :lol: :lol:
 
Thanks for your understanding...I am finding that the pool people only know to sell chemicals and keep adding them.

I will get the pH up along with the alkalinity...tomorrow is another day and I will go get more bleach, add 20 gallons and try again. (Sam's Club is going to think I am cooking something with all this bleach--at least its cheap).

I love my test kit by the way. At least I feel like I can talk intelligently about what the readings are and how I got them. Took a sample in to the pool store and everything tested right on except CYA which according to their computer was 0...I got 90?? Its an easy test to do (out of your kit) so I was a little skeptical and not sure whose results to trust. I did buy some stabilizer though...Should I go ahead and add that?

As an aside, how long is the test kit supposed to last under normal conditions?

Thanks for your help
Maria
 
Do not add the stabilizer. If that water clouded up and you read 90, that's really a little more than you want but let's live with it for now. Do not add any more.

The test kit will normally last a couple of years without refills but for people with water quality issues, many need refills before then. You'll use a lot of the chemistry getting your pool straightened out bhut then it'll drop w-a-a-ay off.

Maria, get more than 20 gallons...that's just your initial dose and you'll need more to replenish the chlorine you'll lose to the algae. Yes, you'll get funny looks but you need to get about 30+ gallons (not jugs..gallons).

Now while you're there, get two boxes of 20 mule team borax in the laundry section in a green box. Put in one box (into the skimmer, pump running) and save the other one. An hour after you put that box in, do a simple pH test and an Alkalinity test and post those numbers up here.

Now, have several adult beverages and congratulate yourself for your sticktoitivness.

About 8 hours after that intial dose of chlorine, test the FC again....it'll probably be down around 10-20ppm. Using Jason calculator, figure out how much bleach to add back into the pool to bring it right back up to 30ppm....all at once. Post up if you need help calculating.

Now, have several adult beverages and congratulate yourself for your sticktoitivness. :lol:

Do you see a pattern forming? :lol: :lol: Keep testing and adding that bleach right back up to 30ppm....testing about 8 hours apart. You'll see the usage start to diminish soon.

Post back up your test results and we'll take it from there. You're on your way...stick with it.
 

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