Can't Get Clorine Level Up

[Jaywalker]

I can't get the chlorine level up above 4.0, and I'm wondering if it's the cheap triclor tabs or the index adjuster on the Rainbow triclor tab feeder.

I generally run the BBB method, but I'm setting up to go on vacation and am trying to get the triclor feeder set for our absence.

- This inability to get a higher level of FC reading is now several months old. I thought it might be the check valve and replaced that (accidentally breaking the compression connector and had to replace the hose, also).

- There's no leak in the connectors, but I am getting a little drip - I think it's from the bottom of the indexer (you know, the dial adjuster that I set anywhere from 0-1 on up to 4-5). I currently have it set at max.

- The only other thing I've done is to add more tabs to the feeder tube - there are now 6 in there. They do get submerged in water, are starting wear, and the tube does empty, so it's not totally jammed up.

- The tabs are from Home Depot or Lowes - Swimmers Choice.

- I'm running the filter pump three to four hours per 24 hours and the water looks good.

- I don't believe I have an algae problem - I shocked the pool in December and the water has stayed under 60°F since.

So, before I get involved in the chemistry, can anyone tell me if the index dial can indeed break/jam or otherwise slow/prevent chlorinated water flow? Also, is it possible that cheaper tabs have less chlorine to transfer and I need to buy better ones? Finally, is it possible I need to run the pump more than two turnovers per day?

Thanks.

 

[JasonLion]

We need water test results. Things like this very much depend on PH and CYA and to a lesser extent other factors.

Two turnovers a day is way more than enough, however what is that in hours?

Trichlor tablets tend to be quite uniform, I doubt that the issue lies there.

It is possible for a Rainbow feeder to get clogged, but it isn't all that common.

 

[jblizzle]

The big question is what is your CYA. You say you have been using the pucks for a few months, so there is a chance the CYA has risen high and the amount of FC has not been adequate and once that happens algae can start to grow and consume the FC even faster ... prompting you to try to dissolve even more tablets, which just compounds the problem.

Test results are the key to figuring out what is going on ... and preferably not from a pool store's test or test strips.

 

[Jaywalker]

Okay, thanks, I'll do the tests tomorrow and post the results. That would be the next step after learning that it's not likely to be the mix indexer or the tabs themselves.

In general, I like to keep chlorine between 5 and 7 ppm on the assumption I have a CYA of around 60 - 70, but I'll verify that.

I keep my pH at between 7.5 and 7.7, adding muriatic acid when it reach the high point.

I ignore TA, based on previous advice from TFP.

The pump runs about four hours per day.

Thanks. More later.

 

[Jaywalker]

Sorry for the delay - I'm getting discrepant results.

I can get no CYA results at all - "0" CYA. On 1 September 2012 I had a reading of 40 - 50, and have used triclor pucks for the rest of the Fall. On 15 December 2012 I shocked the pool, then, on the assumption that I had 50 - 60 CYA I targeted an FAS FC of 5 - 7 ppm using liquid 10% chlorine. I have not withdrawn/pumped any water from the pool since last Summer. I took it to Leslie's and they got 20 ppm. In my final attempt today I allowed the 60°F pool temperature to warm to room temp of about 70°F.

What am I missing?

 

[JasonLion]

Zero CYA is consistent with having problems maintaining an FC level.

Was there a period of at least a few days when FC was zero since last September? It is possible for CYA to be broken down by bacteria, but it usually only happens when the pool is winterized, and can't happen if there is any FC at all.

 

[Jaywalker]

JasonLion,

Possible, I suppose. We were out of two for two weeks in October and the tab feeder ran to empty. There was lots of algae (mustard, I think) present when we returned, but the FAS FC read 2.5. I take my sample on the sunny side, so I suppose it's possible there were volumes that fell to zero. I don't record the total hours of pump and filter time, so it may have been more or less than the four hours we have it set at now, but it was likely more in the Summer in South Texas.

One other discrepancy has been the change in CH: ~400 on 31 October, and Leslie's shows 100 today. Our water comes primarily from a limestone aquifer and is pretty hard.

 

[jblizzle]

Do you have an auto fill that could be masking a leak?

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

 

[Jaywalker]

Do you have an auto fill that could be masking a leak?

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

That's fine, thanks - my knowledge is shorter than your response and I appreciate the help.

Yes, we have an autofill. I've tested it and there didn't appear to be a leak, but I can't remember if it was within the last few months. I'll turn off the autofill and check again. The water bill was read (not estimated) on 6 March and shows decreased use from the previous month.

Come to think of it, I did lose some water to a leak in the waterfall pump pipes last month, but it wasn't a great deal, since the ground was soggy but not running off. They run rarely - usually just enough to keep the chlorine level up in the basket filter. I fixed it when I noticed it but don't know how long I missed noticing it - it was underground and the grass was starting to change color.