Hello from Atlanta with question about tc vs free c Help :o(

Jump to latest Follow Reply
A

artsyjulie

0
May 9, 2008
9
[email protected]
Hi guys! Am new to site and pool owner. Gosh Total chlorine is 8 with no free chlorine!!!!!!!!!!!What to do????????? Have been told so many things including not to worry about it???????????? They say that Chlorine is locked and none is usable.
Have treated Alkalinity which is fine now. Today they found iron and Copper and sold us something for that.
Please advise. You guys are great! So glad to find an interactive site.
 
Hi, Julie,

Something is wrong with this statement...

Gosh free chlorine is 8 with no free chlorine!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
I'm sure you mean something else but I'm not sure what.

Welcome to the forum. Help us understand a little more and you'll get lots of good help.
 
How do I unlock Total Chlorine to have usable free chlorine?

My total chlorine level is 8 with no free clorine registering. Had the sample done professionally. Something has gotten the free chlorine blocked. Some have said that to not worry about it as soon as the TC goes down will free up the free chlorine. Have lowered Alkalinity, working on the Iron and Copper. Just do not know how to free up the Chlorine to have usable free chlorine. Any help would be appreciated!
 
!!!!!!!!!!!I AM READY TO SWIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Won't be long.....but I've got to ask some more questions (sorry)

That your water is clear is a VERY good thing. Now, when you had those tests done for FC, did they test anything else? In particular, I would hope they tested the pH, Alkalinity, and (Idoubt it) CYA or stabilizer. If they did any of those, would you post up those numbers.?
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Sorry, we had a real conversation going on there and I had to run an errand.

Well, those numbers are actually pretty decent. It appears to me your water may well be in pretty good shape and you've just received a bad test result.

Evan, (or anyone) I've seen that "optimizer" before but am not sure what it is...that's not a baquagoo test result is it?

Julie, stand by 'til we get an answer to that.
 
So you are saying not to worry about the FC reading and the total chlorine level?
And that it must be a bad reading? The test strips that we have also say that the free chlorine is low and the total chlorine is hhigh!
Thanks again
Julie
ps will be buying the test kit from you recommended sounds very good!
 
Hi, again, Julie,

Sorry for the delay. I wanted to clarify that "optimizer" test result. we can disregard it.

Do you have a kit the will test for pH and chlorine. It's called a comparator tube. It'll have colored blocks on a clear plastic block and you add pool water to 2 columns..one on each side. one on the left is shades of yellow and it's the test for chlorine/bromine. the one on the right goes from sorta' orange to dark purple and it's for pH.

Do you have that test? (sorry for all the questions...we're really making progress....promise!)
 
I am confused here!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jason responded and you say shock it once again after having done so 3 times and all levels are good.

Dave I was speaking with had heard all of this. Ok, again guys only problem having is that there is a total chlorine level of 8 with no free chlorine level read. Dave to answer your question yes........ I do have that test and it comes up high in chlorine because it only reads total chlorine levels. BTW I was f/a for Delta.

Jason please explain how yet another shock would help if it hasn't so far and other readings are right.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr Thanks guys
Julie Atlanta
 
I am traveling and it is a little tricky to type long descriptions on my phone but I will give it a try.

TC - FC = CC. CC is combined chlorine. CC is a sign of a partial breakdown of contaminates because of a lack of chlorine. The solution is more chlorine.

Shocking is not a single step. It requires bringing the FC level up and holding it up till the desired result is achieved, in this case until CC goes to zero.

There is something in your water that is getting broken down by chlorine and you need too keep adding chlorine till it is all broken down.
 
I googled "Optimizer for Pools:

"The Mineral Springs unit is a rebranded Goldline Controls Aquarite unit. You can get a lot of info at WWW.Goldlinecontrols.com.
The Optimizer is basically borax! it is Sodium Tetraborate pentahydrate. (Borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate....it has 5 more water molecules attached so to achieve the same borate level you need to add more by wieight compared to the pentahydrate) It really won't affect the SI much but it does have algaestatic properties when the borate levels are 30-50 ppm and will introduce a secondary buffer system that can help stabilize pH. The addtional acid is needed since borax will raise the pH.
TDS and SI are bogus measurements that dealers use to sell you chems! (I work in a pool store and have a chemistry background).

Could her optimizer level be here borate level?
 
duraleigh said:
Evan, (or anyone) I've seen that "optimizer" before but am not sure what it is...that's not a baquagoo test result is it?

Julie, stand by 'til we get an answer to that.
Click to expand...
Optimizer is bioguards's borate product. The test results are from a Bioguard dealer wihich is enought o discredit them, particulalrly if they are using the ALEX system. I suspect that the FC levels are actually very high and we are seeing DPD bleachout. I suggest testing with OTO and seeing what color it turns. Isuspect it will be orange to brown.
 
mikemedic said:
I googled "Optimizer for Pools:

"The Mineral Springs unit is a rebranded Goldline Controls Aquarite unit. You can get a lot of info at WWW.Goldlinecontrols.com.
The Optimizer is basically borax! it is Sodium Tetraborate pentahydrate. (Borax is sodium tetraborate decahydrate....it has 5 more water molecules attached so to achieve the same borate level you need to add more by wieight compared to the pentahydrate) It really won't affect the SI much but it does have algaestatic properties when the borate levels are 30-50 ppm and will introduce a secondary buffer system that can help stabilize pH. The addtional acid is needed since borax will raise the pH.
TDS and SI are bogus measurements that dealers use to sell you chems! (I work in a pool store and have a chemistry background).

Could her optimizer level be here borate level?
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I believe I wrote the quote above in a different forum some time back! :lol:
YES, the Optimizer levels are the borate levels!
 
no free ch level

Thanks for the inf0rmation. Just to maake sure you have the history, we have shocked to pool three times. The total ch level never went any higher than 10 each time. It's down to an 8 yesterday. We added somthing that is spposed to remove metal (copper and iron). At least bring it out of solution. This is the last thing my pool store said to do. As you know, the ph and akla is fine.

If I read you right, the total ch should be up to a 15. When do we see free ch?

Another point is the pool guy that maintained this pool, told me not to worry about free ch. Just get the tc under 5.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply