Hi, I posted here years ago and you were all SO very helpful. I'm hoping I can get some help again. I don't have one of those fancy kits at the moment - I only have test strips. I own a "fancy" kit but I put it away at the end of the season and haven't yet been able to locate it. Understand I've spent such an inordinate amount of money on my pool this year and just can't buy one more kit at the moment, so please forgive me for not having all of the readings that you would normally want!
Today's reading at the "chain" pool store was .5 for FAC, PH was 7.5, TA 100, Calcium Hardness was 250. I have a built in vinyl liner pool that is approx. 27,000 gallons. After you read all of the chemicals I put in - I want you to know that my pool hasn't looked this clean and clear since the new liner was put in last summer. It's just beautiful looking.
Here's what I've been dealing with. We opened our pool a little more than a week ago, cloudy and water. It was still blue and you could see to the bottom. Initial readings were off, I fixed the PH and alkalinity and got that within normal range. Yes, I used the pool store powder shock instead of using bleach. After three rounds of powder shock (6 pounds at a time daily for three days) and still no chlorine readings I went to the "local" pool store, not the "chain" store that I got my readings at today. I had weird bubbles on top of the water on Wednesday morning, there was also a type of sheen looking like an oil slick - this is gone now and pool looks great.
I find the "local" store very helpful and not always so anxious to sell me a product as give advice and if needed will come out and service. Anyway, they suggested liquid chlorine. I priced it out from "local" guy and also priced out good old bleach and I find that the "local" guy is actually more economical than bleach so I went for it. So, 5 gallons on Wednesday. Thursday morning - no chlorine reading! Went for 10 gallons of liquid chlorine on Thursday - no chlorine reading on Friday. Another 10 gallons liquid chlorine on Friday and then Friday evening.... I had progress. My chlorine was in the normal (a bit high) range. This was the first time since the pool was opened that there was any chlorine registering! This morning before gathering up the liquid chlorine canisters to deliver back to pool store I did another test. Chlorine was normal (but significantly lower than last night). I ate breakfast, got a sample of water and brought it to pool store - NO CHLORINE! I reluctantly took home another 10 gallons of liquid chlorine. We had heavy rains last night, pool water level a little high. Brought the pool level down and added the 10 more gallons. Before adding the 10 gallons I took the sample to the "chain" store to see what their results were.
"Chain" store suggested "chlorine lock". "Local" guy didn't use that term but said others were having a similar problem this year. Possibly due to Hurricane Sandy or not a lot of long freezes this winter.
I just want to know if this is normal? As I said, I did find the liquid chlorine price I was given to be more economical than buying bottles of bleach - I should say that "local" guy is a friend of a friend and sells us most things at cost.
I don't think this matters but "chain" store wanted me to buy a $45 bottle of phosphate remover because my phosphates were at 1000. I'm pretty sure that if my chlorine would stabilize that the phosphate "issue" would clear on its own.
Do I keep adding and adding the liquid chlorine or should I drain the pool and start over? I would think after a week and adding so much my chlorine reading should be holding by now.
Thanks for any advice.
Today's reading at the "chain" pool store was .5 for FAC, PH was 7.5, TA 100, Calcium Hardness was 250. I have a built in vinyl liner pool that is approx. 27,000 gallons. After you read all of the chemicals I put in - I want you to know that my pool hasn't looked this clean and clear since the new liner was put in last summer. It's just beautiful looking.
Here's what I've been dealing with. We opened our pool a little more than a week ago, cloudy and water. It was still blue and you could see to the bottom. Initial readings were off, I fixed the PH and alkalinity and got that within normal range. Yes, I used the pool store powder shock instead of using bleach. After three rounds of powder shock (6 pounds at a time daily for three days) and still no chlorine readings I went to the "local" pool store, not the "chain" store that I got my readings at today. I had weird bubbles on top of the water on Wednesday morning, there was also a type of sheen looking like an oil slick - this is gone now and pool looks great.
I find the "local" store very helpful and not always so anxious to sell me a product as give advice and if needed will come out and service. Anyway, they suggested liquid chlorine. I priced it out from "local" guy and also priced out good old bleach and I find that the "local" guy is actually more economical than bleach so I went for it. So, 5 gallons on Wednesday. Thursday morning - no chlorine reading! Went for 10 gallons of liquid chlorine on Thursday - no chlorine reading on Friday. Another 10 gallons liquid chlorine on Friday and then Friday evening.... I had progress. My chlorine was in the normal (a bit high) range. This was the first time since the pool was opened that there was any chlorine registering! This morning before gathering up the liquid chlorine canisters to deliver back to pool store I did another test. Chlorine was normal (but significantly lower than last night). I ate breakfast, got a sample of water and brought it to pool store - NO CHLORINE! I reluctantly took home another 10 gallons of liquid chlorine. We had heavy rains last night, pool water level a little high. Brought the pool level down and added the 10 more gallons. Before adding the 10 gallons I took the sample to the "chain" store to see what their results were.
"Chain" store suggested "chlorine lock". "Local" guy didn't use that term but said others were having a similar problem this year. Possibly due to Hurricane Sandy or not a lot of long freezes this winter.
I just want to know if this is normal? As I said, I did find the liquid chlorine price I was given to be more economical than buying bottles of bleach - I should say that "local" guy is a friend of a friend and sells us most things at cost.
I don't think this matters but "chain" store wanted me to buy a $45 bottle of phosphate remover because my phosphates were at 1000. I'm pretty sure that if my chlorine would stabilize that the phosphate "issue" would clear on its own.
Do I keep adding and adding the liquid chlorine or should I drain the pool and start over? I would think after a week and adding so much my chlorine reading should be holding by now.
Thanks for any advice.
