Newbie pool owner, confused about free chlorine on Aquachek Strip

[jnjgange]

Hi, First time Intex pool owner. Will be 3 weeks on Sunday. I have 16 x 48 Intex metal frame pool, 5000 gal with a 635T filter pump that came with. Checked levels this morning & the AquaChek Strip says 7.8 Ph 0.5 Free Chlorine, 180 Total alkalinity, & 30-50 Stablizer. Everything seems fine except for Free Chlorine. Shocked the pool this morning. How long should it take Free Chlorine to go up. Should I be doing something different?

Intex Pool 16 x 48 Metal frame
5000 gal
635T Filter Pump

Any help would be appreciated!

Jan

 

[Casey]

Welcome to TFP Jan.

You need to invest in a better test kit than using the strips. They are unreliable and give inconsistent test results as much as the pool store does. You can look at the test kits that are preferred here :lookhere: Test Kit Comparison. Since you have a smaller pool, if you go to tftestkits.net, you can order a TF50. The TF100 is a great kit though and you wouldn't regret purchasing the TF100 as it can and will get you through a few pool seasons if you store it properly.

As far as adding chlorine and getting a reading, you should be able to read FC within 15 minutes of adding. If you are not getting a reading, you're not adding enough. Again. you need a better test kit than those strips.

If you read these:

ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry
Recommended Pool Chemicals
How to Chlorinate Your Pool

You will come out with a better understanding on how your pool is using the chemicals and what it needs to stay healthy.

If you have any questions, please... do ask! We're here to help you.

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!

The FC level went up within minutes of adding it. And then it went down again.

Two things consume chlorine: sunlight, and organics. Organics include stuff that blows in, sweat, dead skin, and algae.

Since you're using test strips, I seriously doubt the 30-50 CYA level. Have you added stabilizer? Have you used any dry forms of chlorine? If the answer is no, then the test strip is wrong and all your FC got destroyed by sunlight. You'll lose something like half of it in an hour. If you went to 10, in an hour, you were at 5, at two hours, 2.5, at 3 hours 1.25, at 4, .65FC; call it .5.

If the answer is yes, then you have something eating your chlorine. Since you used the forbidden verb "shock", does that mean the pool is looking cloudy and/or green?