We just bought a house with a 17,000 gallon indoor pool. It has not been lived in for a while. Found the skimmer with three chlorine pucks in it, and was told to keep that going. Got a test kit, and the chlorine level is off the chart (over 10ppm). There has not been any chlorine added now for over a week, but it is still high. CYA level is in the 20-40 range. Took sample to Lelise pool store and everything else is perfect (ph, etc). Water is clear. No metals, etc. Is there any downside to putting chlorine neutralizer into the pool? I don't want to build up any bad salt levels, etc. Thanks, Rick.
Should I add Chlorine neutralizer?
- Thread starter rdalcanto
- Start date
Welcome to the forum. :lol:
Simply remove the pucks and the FC will come down on it's own. I would confirm that CYA test result elsewhere......there is a good chance it may be much higher.
I suggest you go to the upper right hand corner of the page and read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School
Simply remove the pucks and the FC will come down on it's own. I would confirm that CYA test result elsewhere......there is a good chance it may be much higher.
I suggest you go to the upper right hand corner of the page and read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School
Thanks. I checked the chemicals with strips, and took a sample to Leslie pools, so I'm pretty sure the CYA is accurate. I bet the pool was recently filled. I read everything in the pool school section, but didn't find anything on potential negative effects of neutralizer. I've been trying to "wait it out," but the dry itchy skin after using the pool is killing me. Nice to know that I have so much chlorine that a moose could die in my pool, and I wouldn't get sick from it.... 
Welcome to tfp, rdalcanto 
Also, you will benefit greatly from having you own appropriate test kit. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison
I would definetly not assume that. The strips are useless for cya and pool store cya results tend to be very inconsistent (many examples of this on this forum).rdalcanto said:
Post a full set of test results, and we can help with the skin issues...it is usually not due to chlorine...see: http://www.troublefreepool.com/what-we-need-to-know-to-answer-your-questions-t10341.htmlrdalcanto said:
Also, you will benefit greatly from having you own appropriate test kit. See: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison
If this is an outdoor pool, I'd bet your CYA is much higher or the chlorine would be dropping faster.
I wouldn't trust your strips or Leslie's results.
The dry skin could be from new water. The lack of minerals in the water causes them to be extracted from your skin while swimming.
I wouldn't trust your strips or Leslie's results.
The dry skin could be from new water. The lack of minerals in the water causes them to be extracted from your skin while swimming.
It is an indoor pool, that is kept covered unless we are using it. So no sun exposure to burn off the chlorine.
I am curious. Why cover an indoor pool? ... no leaves & dirt to worry about and I imagine the evaporation cooling is pretty low.
I wouldn't trust the CYA reading if it's been chlorinated with pucks. CYA can rise at an alarming rate that way.
As others have suggested, check out Pool School. You'll learn that your FC may not be too high, if the CYA level is really high, and that CYA testing is perhaps the most difficult to do accurately and consistently. Probably all of us take multiple readings with the same sample every time, despite doing it for years.
Also, with it indoors, and covered, you likely have high CC since there's not a lot of UV to eliminate it. That can cause skin irritation, and it's not really detectable with the color matching test. The big test is: does it smell like chlorine? If you can smell the pool, you're smelling Combine Chlorine.
As others have suggested, check out Pool School. You'll learn that your FC may not be too high, if the CYA level is really high, and that CYA testing is perhaps the most difficult to do accurately and consistently. Probably all of us take multiple readings with the same sample every time, despite doing it for years.
Also, with it indoors, and covered, you likely have high CC since there's not a lot of UV to eliminate it. That can cause skin irritation, and it's not really detectable with the color matching test. The big test is: does it smell like chlorine? If you can smell the pool, you're smelling Combine Chlorine.
jblizzle said:
It is below freezing outside, and the pool room is not heated. The room is probably around 60. When the pool (at 86 degrees) is uncovered, there is enough steam that comes up that all the windows get fogged pretty quickly. If I didn't cover it, I think the pool room would become a mold infested swamp. Thanks for all the replies!
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
rdalcanto said:
If the CYA is really 20 then you are only just right on Shock Value - anything below that is fine for swimming. If it is anything above 20 then you are already below shock and can swim. (pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock)
Organic wastes inherent in the use of the pool will be oxidized by the chlorine and this will lower the FC faster than just leaving it sitting and will not require any neutralizer.
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
UnderWaterVanya said:
I don't know exactly. It is a thick, fabric type material that is powered electrically. It seems to be very good at insulating and keeping the humidity down.
Well, this thread has drifted just a bit but back to the chlorine neutralizer question.....
You certainly can use it if you choose. Given your posted results, there is not much harm in leaving it as is.
1. Neither source (Leslies or test strips) is an accurate, reliable source of testing. I would also add that accurate results may be even more important for an indoor pool....certainly not less.
2. Confirming your test numbers is probably the first step towards better management. Doing your own testing has proven over and over the most reliable way to do this.......that's what BBB is all about.
3. Pucks should be pulled and not used in an indoor pool. Liquid chlorine is a far superior alternative.
4. Off the subject, but it looks like you might have some Calcium scale (discoloration) on your pool wall/floor surface. It has nothing to do with your current post but I noticed it in the pic or am I just seeing things?
You certainly can use it if you choose. Given your posted results, there is not much harm in leaving it as is.
1. Neither source (Leslies or test strips) is an accurate, reliable source of testing. I would also add that accurate results may be even more important for an indoor pool....certainly not less.
2. Confirming your test numbers is probably the first step towards better management. Doing your own testing has proven over and over the most reliable way to do this.......that's what BBB is all about.
3. Pucks should be pulled and not used in an indoor pool. Liquid chlorine is a far superior alternative.
4. Off the subject, but it looks like you might have some Calcium scale (discoloration) on your pool wall/floor surface. It has nothing to do with your current post but I noticed it in the pic or am I just seeing things?
duraleigh said:
I did not notice the scale when I used the pool. The bottom of the pool is actually quite nice and seems to be in good condition. I don't know how old that pic is. I will try to remember to take new pictures when I'm at the house today (we are moving in about 3 weeks from the current house to the new one
).I just tested my pool using the DPD Complete kit from Leslie (http://www.lesliespool.com/Home/Pool-Ch ... 81330.html).
CYA - 30
TA - 100
pH - 7.4
FC and TC - 9
CH - 200-250 (hard time deciding when it turned blue).
Because the FC test only goes to 5, and I knew I was above that, I did one part pool water to two parts tap water, and got a FC of 3 (therefore 3x3=9). I previously tested the tap water and could not measure any FC, so I assume my dilution method is o.k.
My questions:
CYA was barely 30. It might even be 20. It is an indoor pool, so no direct sunlight. Is it o.k. to keep it that low? At what point should I add a little?
The pool company that put the equipment in had to come and fix the temp sensor in the hot tub. He said to use hydrochloric acid (already half a gallon of it at the house) when it is time to bring the pH down in the pool. Is that o.k., or should I buy some muriatic acid?
Thanks again!
Rick
CYA - 30
TA - 100
pH - 7.4
FC and TC - 9
CH - 200-250 (hard time deciding when it turned blue).
Because the FC test only goes to 5, and I knew I was above that, I did one part pool water to two parts tap water, and got a FC of 3 (therefore 3x3=9). I previously tested the tap water and could not measure any FC, so I assume my dilution method is o.k.
My questions:
CYA was barely 30. It might even be 20. It is an indoor pool, so no direct sunlight. Is it o.k. to keep it that low? At what point should I add a little?
The pool company that put the equipment in had to come and fix the temp sensor in the hot tub. He said to use hydrochloric acid (already half a gallon of it at the house) when it is time to bring the pH down in the pool. Is that o.k., or should I buy some muriatic acid?
Thanks again!
Rick
In an indoor pool you can keep the CYA lower. Really you just need it high enough such that you can reasonably measure it.
Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short
Posted from my Droid with Tapatalk ... sorry if my response is short
Hydrochloric Acid is Muriatic Acid. Same as Sodium Bicarbonate is Baking Soda. It's just an archaic name.rdalcanto said:
- Jun 14, 2012
- 2,668
- Pool Size
- 13500
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool Edge-40
Confirm your trap water FC results... If you are on a well then ok, if not then call the water department!
Also 2:1 dilution means the smallest CC level that would show up is 3ppm. You need a FAS DPD test to use BBB methods. If you never need to shock and you keep CYA low you might get away with it... Using distilled water.
Sent via Tapatalk...
Also 2:1 dilution means the smallest CC level that would show up is 3ppm. You need a FAS DPD test to use BBB methods. If you never need to shock and you keep CYA low you might get away with it... Using distilled water.
Sent via Tapatalk...
UnderWaterVanya said:
I think we are saying the same thing.... If my kit has an upper limit of 5, the only way I can measure FC higher than that is to dilute the pool water and then do the math. If I diluted, and didn't measure anything because I was actually <3, then I would know to re-test using straight pool water. Eventually that is my plan, since my target is 3.5 if my CYA is 30.
I originally tested the tap water using a test strip. I will re-test using the drops to see what chlorine level I can detect in it and then redo my calculation. I'm 99% sure I'm above my target right now, but below shock level.