What FC Level is Swimming OK

[cardopa1]

What is the highest a FC level can be before you don't allow people in the pool ?

 

[anonapersona]

You need to know the CYA level, then use the Chlorine/CYA chart to find the shock level. Safe to swim below shock level.

When we were working on a friend's pool that had black algae (BA) and it was somewhere near shock level, my husband went in with mask and snorkel to attack some pits that had algae. After maybe 10 minutes his lips and nose were slightly burning. I sat at the edge and scrubbed with a pole and SS brush and managed to get wet when the FC was closer to mustard algae shock levels, my bikini parts were unhappy for days.

 

[jblizzle]

from what I have read, I did not think shock level would have that harsh an effect ... unless the cya was off or you were way above shock level. Was the pH in range?

In any case, I agree we need to know the CYA level to give our general recommendation ... which I was under the impression was conservative.

Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short

 

[cardopa1]

Hi,

If the CYA was 45 and the FC was 24 would it be ok to have people in the pool ?

 

[jblizzle]

How does the water look? How/why did the FC get so high?

Shock level for CYA of 45 ppm is about 18ppm ... so I would have to recommend against swimming at 24ppm. If you stop adding chlorine, it should be below 18ppm in 1-2 days.

 

[chem geek]

When we were working on a friend's pool that had black algae (BA) and it was somewhere near shock level, my husband went in with mask and snorkel to attack some pits that had algae. After maybe 10 minutes his lips and nose were slightly burning. I sat at the edge and scrubbed with a pole and SS brush and managed to get wet when the FC was closer to mustard algae shock levels, my bikini parts were unhappy for days.

Were these problems noticed after you both got out of the water? While in the water, the active chlorine level wouldn't have been any higher than a commercial/public pool with no CYA, such as most indoor pools. However, outside the water, the chlorine would have lasted longer and when the water evaporated may have caused some irritation from the resulting chlorinated CYA products that remained (similar to Dichlor). Rinsing off immediately after getting out should hopefully prevent this sort of situation.

 

[csever82]

Our city states FC levels must be at 10ppm or less for swimming, but I don't know that there's really a "safe" maximum. Restaurants typically sanitize plates and other equipment in water with 100ppm of chlorine, so I think you have to be pretty far up for it to be unsafe. Remember that irritating or uncomfortable may be different than unsafe.

 

[jblizzle]

Our city states FC levels must be at 10ppm or less for swimming, but I don't know that there's really a "safe" maximum. Restaurants typically sanitize plates and other equipment in water with 100ppm of chlorine, so I think you have to be pretty far up for it to be unsafe. Remember that irritating or uncomfortable may be different than unsafe.

And that just points out the governments ignorance of the CYA/FC relationship. A FC of 10ppm with no CYA is very harsh; while a FC of 10ppm at higher CYA levels would have less active chlorine than a FC of 2ppm with no CYA.

 

[csever82]

Our city states FC levels must be at 10ppm or less for swimming, but I don't know that there's really a "safe" maximum. Restaurants typically sanitize plates and other equipment in water with 100ppm of chlorine, so I think you have to be pretty far up for it to be unsafe. Remember that irritating or uncomfortable may be different than unsafe.

And that just points out the governments ignorance of the CYA/FC relationship. A FC of 10ppm with no CYA is very harsh; while a FC of 10ppm at higher CYA levels would have less active chlorine that a FC of 2ppm with no CYA.

Somehow I meant to add a similar statement to my post and forgot to. That's kind of what I meant to say - that FC level is relative to a certain degree.