Reaction to Chlorine

[firepilot]

Hey All,

Need some help with a problem. After all the work and everything getting the pool under our control my wife is getting a rash every time she gets in the pool. It comes about 3-4 hours after getting in the water. She is rinsing off after she goes in the pool. It is really frustrating cause she is the one who wanted a pool the most.

I am running the pool at these levels.

FC 8
PH 7.5
TA 120
CH 300
CYA 65

Would salt make a difference? Looking for suggestions and ideas. She had some minor reactions last year but it seemed more minor last year using pucks and the pool guy method.

Thanks

Phil

 

[Richard320]

What's the CC level?

And though you ay you run the FC at 8, does that mean you add to 8 and it drops down through the day, or you go above and 8 is as low as it ever gets?

You sound like a candidate for borates. But only after you're certain it's not combined chlorine or something else. Have you added any clarifiers or algaecides?

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

CC=?
Borates seem to help some people here.

 

[JohnT]

What is your water temperature?

 

[firepilot]

Wow that was fast.

I'l check the CC when I get home tonight.

We maintain to FC 8 after it drops each day. We have been using 6 but I recently bumped it up a bit. We are having a local bug hatch of some kind all over town. There have been a bunch in the pool so I thought a little more chlorine might be in order. On a full day of sun FC typically drops about 2ppm.

The pool temp fluctuates between 78-80 with no heater just a cover and 82 if I have the heater running.

Phil

 

[aa62579]

Just as an out in left field idea, is this the only time your wife stays in the sun very long? Does it occur in areas where she is putting sun screen? Until I get used to the sun each year, I will get a red, itchy rash on my arms and chest after being in the pool. I only get the rash in areas that normally do not see the sun. I don't think mine has anything to do with chlorine because I would get it on days when I was cleaning the pool and only got wet below the waist. My upper chest never touched the water and still I got the rash. I alternated between 3 sunscreens, and I did feel that one brought it on more than the other two, but neither had much of an impact. Supposedly, some of the reaction can be caused by the sunscreen. My gut tells me mine was a medication side-effect to exposure to the sun. Now that I have been in the sun more, I no longer get the rash.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Just as an out in left field idea, is this the only time your wife stays in the sun very long? Does it occur in areas where she is putting sun screen? Until I get used to the sun each year, I will get a red, itchy rash on my arms and chest after being in the pool. I only get the rash in areas that normally do not see the sun. I don't think mine has anything to do with chlorine because I would get it on days when I was cleaning the pool and only got wet below the waist. My upper chest never touched the water and still I got the rash. I alternated between 3 sunscreens, and I did feel that one brought it on more than the other two, but neither had much of an impact. Supposedly, some of the reaction can be caused by the sunscreen. My gut tells me mine was a medication side-effect to exposure to the sun. Now that I have been in the sun more, I no longer get the rash.

Oh great point. I had no issues with SunScreen for years and then one summer had a bad reaction at the beach. I switched on advice of a nurse from chemical sunscreens (oxobenzone etc.) to barrier type Zinc Oxide. This has helped me tremendously.

An easy test - have her swim only at night/dusk/shade for a few days without sunscreen.

 

[firepilot]

Thanks,

Great ideas. We have been on my wife for years but she isn't a big sunscreen user. I will check into the area that doesn't get much sun. It is the worst on the back of her legs and elbows.

Thanks

Phil

 

[RobbieH]

To answer the question you had in the first post, a salt pool is still a chlorine pool. You would be able to lower your FC down to a target of 4, but there will still be chlorine in the pool.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

To answer the question you had in the first post, a salt pool is still a chlorine pool. You would be able to lower your FC down to a target of 4, but there will still be chlorine in the pool.

My impression wasn't that he was considering an SWCG but adding salt to the water to improve the "feel" and asking if that would reduce skin reactions.

 

[firepilot]

Hi again,

Just had my son test the CC and it is at 0.

So complete results are:

FC 8
PH 7.5
CC 0
TA 120
CH 300
CYA 65

Phil

 

[linen]

Does the pool have the "chlorine smell"? We have posters on here that do not have measurable CC, but still must have some due to the smell (some of the "bad" CCs ).

Is the pool covered a lot?

 

[firepilot]

The pool has no "smell" to it. I say we have the pool cover on about 50% of the time.

Thanks

Phil

 

[linen]

Is the pool covered most of the time the sun is on it? I ask since uv light from the sun is the best a getting rid of stubborn CCs...though it sounds unlikely that is your case. If you do keep it covered during the day, you could try leaving it uncovered for a couple of days to see if that changes anything. If you do, remember that your pool will need some more chlorine since the sun will eat that up too. Something to try if other ideas do not work.

 

[firepilot]

Thanks again all for the advice. I did retest the CYA again last night and it is still in the 65-70 range. On my days off (when I get them) should I do a partial drain and get it down further to the 40 range?

We have beautiful clear water and are ok with the chlorine consumption as it is. I had planned on doing more of a drain and refill before lowering the level to close the pool here in a few months.

If anyone thinks that lowering the CYA and the resultant lower needs of FC might help I'll do it. A bit of a pain but luckily water here next to the snake river is cheap.

The funny thing is my wife had some reaction but not as bad last year when the CYA was off the charts. Also we have a hot tub and she has no reaction to the chlorine.

Very puzzled....

Phil

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Is there any additive or chemical in the water of the pool that is new and was not there last year that is also not in the hot tub?

Does she get in the hot tub in the same conditions (sun, heat, etc.)

How does the ph compare to last year and the hot tub? How does TA?

 

[linen]

The funny thing is my wife had some reaction but not as bad last year when the CYA was off the charts.

What was the FC level you maintained last year (and what was the cya level)?

 

[ping]

How long is her typical swim session? If she swims for a longer period of time does the rash get more intense? Is the rash there when she gets out of the pool or does it develop after she is out of the pool? How long does the rash last? Just trying to determine if the length of her swim session determines how bad the rash gets.

 

[Swampwoman]

Is the rash minor, kind of like chicken skin? There is something called keratosis pillaris that means follicles are getting blocked by solidified keratin. If so, I am suspicious of sunscreen more than the chlorine.
I normally get eczema, but don't this summer with the pool and borates. However, now I get a minor rash only in a few areas that don't get sun but do get sunscreen, such as inside side of knee, thigh, calf areas -- but not anywhere that doesn't get sunscreen, like under swim suit, and not in areas where I am more tanned. I've not entirely figured it out, but f I do, I will let you know!

 

[anonapersona]

Does she lay on a mat or float of some kind? I've gotten rashes from pool floats if I am active and rub against the float a lot.