Pool "chlorine" smell in morning

[astronaut888]

pH 7.5
CYA 50
FC maintained between 4 and 7
TA 80
CC Zero

I have been noticing a "chlorine" (for lack of a better word) smell around my pool lately - but, only in the morning.

Only noticed this within the past couple of weeks
It's not overwhelming, but it is there

At first, I was worried that I may have CCs in the pool - but, have tested multiple times since then and not had any detected

Water is clear and feels great

Live in the south (SC) and have super humid conditions for most of the summer and was wondering if this has any bearing on the smell - hot, humid air sitting on top of the water all night with no appreciable breeze etc......(?)


Is this a "normal" observation or might it be an indication of ammonia in the pool?

I don't have any real knowledge of the phenomenon of ammonia in pool water other than seeing it mentioned on the site here and there


The pool recently had a new liner / total water fill and TFPC was immediately initiated with no problems ever noted since that time - pool has been monitored and adjusted as needed daily

 

[JasonLion]

Whatever is happening, it has nothing really to do with ammonia.

What time of day do you add chlorine? And if in the morning, before or after you notice the smell?

 

[astronaut888]

I add chlorine in the evenings typically right after sundown

I always thought ANY "pool chlorine" smell was associated w/ CCs - but, I always test Zero for CCs

 

[JohnT]

Are you sure it's a chlorine smell? There is a kind of "clean pool" smell that I notice more in the morning before the wind kicks up.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

I'm no expert, but nope. All Chlorinated pools have some Chlorine smell....the overwhelming smell of chlorine is the CC smell AFAIK.

 

[astronaut888]

It's certainly not "overwhelming" - however, I only seem to notice it in the morning - and, really, only recently as the weather has gotten increasingly humid - which certainly could be a coincidence.

I was unaware that a properly maintained pool would have any smell at all - perhaps I am just naive or uninformed.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

I have a sensitive sniffer, but I can smell the chlorine on a calm day.

 

[TomBorg]

How is the sealant under the coping? On my condo's pool, the sealant is pretty much gone, and there is space under the coping for the water to splash into and stagnate. Smelly.

 

[Donldson]

It's quite possible you have a very small amount of CC, say less than 0.5ppm. Humidity increases our sense of smell (think after a spring rain), and if the wind is calm that could certainly allow the small amount of chloromine gas (or whichever gas it is) to be noticable.

If the mystery bothers you try using a 25ml sample to test for CC and see if you get any tinge of pink at all.

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt.

 

[astronaut888]

Re: Pool "chlorine" smell in morning

It's quite possible you have a very small amount of CC, say less than 0.5ppm. Humidity increases our sense of smell (think after a spring rain), and if the wind is calm that could certainly allow the small amount of chloromine gas (or whichever gas it is) to be noticable.

If the mystery bothers you try using a 25ml sample to test for CC and see if you get any tinge of pink at all.

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt.

would a tiny positive for CC warrant a SLAM in this case?

- - - Updated - - -

How is the sealant under the coping? On my condo's pool, the sealant is pretty much gone, and there is space under the coping for the water to splash into and stagnate. Smelly.

This never occurred to me - my coping where it meets the steps is wide open
I'll have to do a sniff test!

 

[Donldson]

If CC is less than .5 then no need to SLAM, it is fairly common for some people to have a small amount of CC.

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt.

 

[mrcarcrazy]

You're likely chasing a Unicorn.

 

[duraleigh]

I detect two chlorine smells in pools. The first is when the pool is freshly chlorinated and it smells very similar to the chlorine in the jug.....sort of a sweet, certainly not what I would call unpleasant.

The second is far more acrid and you often smell it in indoor pools.....that is the less than pleasant odor of CC's