Hi all,
I've had my pool for about three years and have had no issues at opening until this year...
After I opened the pool and did the initial shock, I noticed that my FC levels were off the chart high on test strips but my water still smelled like chloramines. I shocked with non-chlorine shock and have seen no improvement after about 3 weeks. Pool water is crystal clear but had the beginnings of a brown algae bloom two days ago (Shocked again and vacuumed). After looking for solutions online, I saw the light and had a Taylor K-2006 FAS-DPD kit expedited to the house. The results (with the K-2006) are as follows:
FC: 22 ppm
CC: .5 ppm
PH: 7.7
Alk: 140 ppm
Hardness: 230 ppm
CYA: >100 full strength test; 140 ppm using 1/2 pool water/ 1/2 bottled
water was 72 degrees.
I brought a sample to the local pool store to double check (I needed a bag of DE anyway) and this is what they found:
FC: OVER 17.23 ppm
TC: OVER 17.99 ppm
CC: .76 ppm
pH: 7.9
Alk: 105 ppm
Hardness: 184 ppm
CYA: 106 ppm
I am wondering why my combined chlorine is so high with such a high amount of free chlorine. I am guessing that the FC is being impeded by the high CYA (also not burning off due to excess stabilizer?). At the moment, I'm doing a partial drain/fill to try and ease the CYA levels down. Am I on the right track here?
As for the high FC/ CC, Should I try "breakpoint" chlorination even though the FC is high? I'm not sure I believe the whole "Chlorine lock/breakpoint" theory, and I don't want to add more chlorine if it isn't going to do anything. I'm at a loss at the moment, any help would be greatly appreciated...
Side note: I haven't added CYA by itself since the first year; I'm assuming it just built up from using the stabilized tri-chlor.
I've had my pool for about three years and have had no issues at opening until this year...
After I opened the pool and did the initial shock, I noticed that my FC levels were off the chart high on test strips but my water still smelled like chloramines. I shocked with non-chlorine shock and have seen no improvement after about 3 weeks. Pool water is crystal clear but had the beginnings of a brown algae bloom two days ago (Shocked again and vacuumed). After looking for solutions online, I saw the light and had a Taylor K-2006 FAS-DPD kit expedited to the house. The results (with the K-2006) are as follows:
FC: 22 ppm
CC: .5 ppm
PH: 7.7
Alk: 140 ppm
Hardness: 230 ppm
CYA: >100 full strength test; 140 ppm using 1/2 pool water/ 1/2 bottled
water was 72 degrees.
I brought a sample to the local pool store to double check (I needed a bag of DE anyway) and this is what they found:
FC: OVER 17.23 ppm
TC: OVER 17.99 ppm
CC: .76 ppm
pH: 7.9
Alk: 105 ppm
Hardness: 184 ppm
CYA: 106 ppm
I am wondering why my combined chlorine is so high with such a high amount of free chlorine. I am guessing that the FC is being impeded by the high CYA (also not burning off due to excess stabilizer?). At the moment, I'm doing a partial drain/fill to try and ease the CYA levels down. Am I on the right track here?
As for the high FC/ CC, Should I try "breakpoint" chlorination even though the FC is high? I'm not sure I believe the whole "Chlorine lock/breakpoint" theory, and I don't want to add more chlorine if it isn't going to do anything. I'm at a loss at the moment, any help would be greatly appreciated...
Side note: I haven't added CYA by itself since the first year; I'm assuming it just built up from using the stabilized tri-chlor.