OK so after a long expensive battle to get a pool up and running we finally did it (still more work but it can wait until next year) What happened so far is after filling the pool and letting it sit a few days which invited alge to the pool party, we shocked pretty strongly and added algeside, our problems have clearded up nicely. What is happening now is the pH level is pretty consistant but the chlorine and alkalinity drop fairly low daily. I am using a floater with a chlorine stick that lasts roughly one week per 11,000 gallons. My pool is 32x16 (roughly 13,500) I would just add another stick every 5 days not 7. I have a feeling the chlorine stick is not dissolving quick enough. I did also add some alkalinity+ to combat the low reading. Would placing the stick in the skimmer basket do harm to the pump/filter?
trouble maintaining levels, (pool noob)
- Thread starter kicko
- Start date
#1 - Welcome to TFP!! :-D
#2 PLEASE read Pool School :!: It has the basic answers to pool owners questions, and will tell you how to make a sig that will help us help you better with your questions
Placing the stick in the skimmer is asking for future problems. However, you can increase the dissolution of the stick by tethering the floater in front of the return, tie it with 2 strings so that it won't come in contact with the pool wall (it can quickly damage the liner if allowed to sit in one place too long!). How long will you be relying on the sticks to chlorinate your pool? There are some serious downsides to relying solely on trichlor
Please read Pool School and then reask any questions you still have :-D
#2 PLEASE read Pool School :!: It has the basic answers to pool owners questions, and will tell you how to make a sig that will help us help you better with your questions
Placing the stick in the skimmer is asking for future problems. However, you can increase the dissolution of the stick by tethering the floater in front of the return, tie it with 2 strings so that it won't come in contact with the pool wall (it can quickly damage the liner if allowed to sit in one place too long!). How long will you be relying on the sticks to chlorinate your pool? There are some serious downsides to relying solely on trichlor
Please read Pool School and then reask any questions you still have :-D
Hello and welcome!
You probably have a stabilizer/CYA level of 0. That is why your CL levels are dropping daily. The CL stick that you are using I am not familiar with, but if it is anything like the pucks that are used in a floater or automatic chlorinator, eventually, they are going to cause problems.
Before we can truly give you good advice, we will need a full set of test results. I also recommend purchasing a good test kit such as a TFTestkit sold at http://www.tftestkits.com/or a Taylor K2006. The investment is worth it. In the mean time, go to the pool store and request a full set of numbers, including CYA, and post them. Do not purchase anything from them. Once we know your numbers, we can point you in the right direction.
You probably have a stabilizer/CYA level of 0. That is why your CL levels are dropping daily. The CL stick that you are using I am not familiar with, but if it is anything like the pucks that are used in a floater or automatic chlorinator, eventually, they are going to cause problems.
Before we can truly give you good advice, we will need a full set of test results. I also recommend purchasing a good test kit such as a TFTestkit sold at http://www.tftestkits.com/or a Taylor K2006. The investment is worth it. In the mean time, go to the pool store and request a full set of numbers, including CYA, and post them. Do not purchase anything from them. Once we know your numbers, we can point you in the right direction.
Thanks for the fast reply!
i will try and get some numbers, for now i just have the 3 pads test strips. Chlorine, Alkalinity, pH
I think the best advice for now is to switch to liquid chlorine. I heard household bleach is not the same and could turn the pool water greenish? is that true or not? thanks
i will try and get some numbers, for now i just have the 3 pads test strips. Chlorine, Alkalinity, pH
I think the best advice for now is to switch to liquid chlorine. I heard household bleach is not the same and could turn the pool water greenish? is that true or not? thanks
Standard household bleach, unscented no additives or special features, is exactly the same as liquid chlorine and is totally fine for use with swimming pools.
Thanks again for the advice. What i did so far was just add a second stick inside the floater and it has brought the levels up. The only thing now is the akalinity is a touch low but i can add some plus and fix that. I will also tie the floater using some string to the rails. Most of the time it ends up in a corner and i dont want it to damage the liner. It would be best to stay in a centralized area away from the sides.
As for the test numbers i still don't have a good test kit just the basic strips, but i can tell you the colors are all in acceptable ranges.
As for the test numbers i still don't have a good test kit just the basic strips, but i can tell you the colors are all in acceptable ranges.