Chlorinator seems to not function

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S

Seminole

0
Aug 22, 2013
22
OK so I'm new here :party: , had my pool for 1 year now and have just replaced the filter.

As of 8/22

FC = 0
CC = 0
pH = 7.6
TA = 110
CYA = 90
CH = 260
salt = 3600
Phosphates = below 200PPB
no nitrites

I'm on a golf course with lots of oaks nearby. I have had little problem over the year with this pool and BAM, last week it went a little cloudy and i found a couple spots of what appeared to be algae that brushed off.
Two things here I have cleaned the cell completely (nothing on wafers) and have suspected my cell isn't functioning b/c I set it to super chlorinate and cannot even get any chlorine from pool returns. Second, I'm sure I need to SLAM this pool but I don't know if this action will help and relieve me that my T-9 cell is actually fine. HELP
 
Take a sample of your pool water just as it comes out of the return. If it has chlorine in it, your cell is producing.

You certainly need to SLAM the pool. Do so with liquid chlorine and turn the SWG off, whether it is working or not.
 
If you don't have any chlorine coming from the returns, then your cell is likely not working. A SLAM is in your future, so you might as well start now before it gets out of hand.
 
:wave: Welcome to TFP!!!

Likely the SWG (your title threw me as a chlorinator is usually the canister full of pucks) is working fine, but the FC dropped too low and then algae started growing and consuming the FC as fast as the SWG could make it.

Given that you reported Phosphates and Nitrates (both meaningless BTW), those are likely pool store test results.

So, step 1 is ordering one of the Recommended Test Kits ... have to recommend the TF-100 as you will be SLAMing.

Step 2: Read Pool School a few times while waiting for the test kit
Step 3: Go through the SLAM Process. This is done with the SWG off.

Now your CYA is a little on the high side for a SWG according those results, but pool stores are really really bad at testing CYA ... so trust your own results.

You can test your SWG to make yourself calm a bit, by loosening the downstream union on the cell and capturing some of the water dripping out when the SWG is generating and seeing if you measure higher FC there.
 
Welcome to TFP.

I take it that the cell is only a year old.
There a couple of things to try.
1. Take enough bleach to get 10 ppm FC in the pool and add it, then wait an hour with the pump running and test the water again. If it reads close to 10 ppm then the cell probably isn't working.

2. Loosen the union on the downstream side of the cell when it's generating and take a sample. Test it and the pool water and it should be a couple of ppm higher FC than the pool water.
 
If you have algae, you need to SLAM.

What I see ifs you have a 90CYA and this makes the slam harder. A SLAM should be done using liquid chlorine. Yuo can turn the SWG off during this process so you have bettter control of the chlorine. When you get the SLAM completed, you can go back to using the SWG, assuming it's working correctly.

AS I see it, you have two problems. Algae and SWG function. I would address the algae first, then fix the SWG.

Your CYA is going to make the SLAM a little more difficult in that it will require a higher level of FC. Can you do a drain and fill to get your CYA lower?
 
Ya those were store results for sure. I'm ordering my own test kit your rec of TF-100. I suspect algae is present. Been lots of rain and draining pool to keep it at proper level.

Called Hayward and they stalled me when I told them phospates were even present in tring to determine if SWG was even working. Which led me to TFP.

When I replaced the filter last week and added CYA a test showed plenty of chlorine present. I just ran outside in the rain and loosend the downstream union and stuck one of my soon to be eliminated test strips which read basically zero chlorine.

In regards to the SWG I have other questions about if it needs to be re calibrated or not but would rather get the water up in FC before worrying too much about that.
 
Are you sure the SWG was in a generating mode when you just tested the water? Although with strips ... who knows, the rain may have screwed them up too ;)

There is no way to calibrate the Hayward SWG, I assume you mean for salt level?

I too would suggest getting the water cleared and then troubleshooting the SWG.
 
I presume it was in generating mode as it's set at 100% right now, other than that, I'm not sure how to tell.

Yeah I realize saying calibrating was in ref to Salt. NM

So I dont want to waste any time until test kit arrives, Bleach = liquid chlorine? I'll grab 3 gallons at grocery...
 
You are going to need a lot more than that. Read about SLAMing until you understand it.

First, the shock level required for a CYA of 90ppm is a FC of 35ppm: pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

Then using poolcalculator.com with a Now of 0 FC and a Target of 35ppm shows you will need 686oz of 8.25% bleach to reach shock level ... that is 5.6 of the 121oz bottles. Then you have to test and maintain the FC at that level ... that part you will not be able to do until you have your kit.

You can certainly add 5 bottles now and then maybe another bottle each day until your kit arrives to keep your FC elevated.

EDIT: BUT ... how sure of the CYA are you? If the pool store screwed up like they usually do, it could be quite a bit lower when would lower the FC shock level. So, maybe the 5 bottles to start is a little too aggressive.
 

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YA THANKS, i didn't put 35 in the calculator. the store should be about right on with the CYA. I added 7 lbs about 9 days ago,and just before that, added 3 lbs before i replaced the filter. but of course, I didn't test it myself.
 
FYI, the CYA test is the one the pool stores are the WORST at ... so I would not say they should be right.

Using the calculator again, 10 lbs of stabilizer would have raise the CYA by 92ppm, so if you indeed started with 0ppm, then 90ppm could be right. If this was not a fresh fill though, the CYA could be even higher which would point to the need for replacing water to get it into range.
 
Wait for the kit. Sorta' like starting the Indy 500 with a gallon of gas if you don't have the kit.

While your waiting, get a one gallon jug of chlorine in the pool each evening and keep doing that until you begin to SLAM.

Also, if you drain/refilled your pool to reduce CYA to 60, you would probably save enough in chlorine (during the SLAM) to pay for the new water.
 
I have wondered about the CYA test and why store are so bad at it. I recently had a store do my tests (I was there to buy floaties, decided to let them try testing). They are a national chain and they do drop testing. The CYA was a sliding scale tester and she came up with 40, as I mentioned to her it should be. The store has large plate glass windows, is a wide space (8-10 windows wide) and it was a bright sunny day. The test station is in the middle of the sore so I expect the light there was a mix of sunlight and fluorescent. Since the CYA is less reliable without sunlight, I wonder if a store with less natural light or tests done in otherwise low light situation would have read a different value.
 
Ok Thanks for all the advice/help. Im off to retrieve some Chlorox Bleach and have begun to drain the water level in hopes of lowering my CYA and thus lowering the bleach requirement in total. Dave, I'll be watching the front door.
 
Water tested I am going with the following numbers I have just tested.

FC 1 (i've been adding bleach once a day last four days)
PH 7.8
CYA 70

Using the calculator, I will add 5 jugs 121 oz/8.25% bleach to bring me up to approx a FC 30

any other advice prior to SLAM?
 

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