Newer pool owner, help with proper chlorination

[redoctober45]

Hello,

I just bought a house with an above ground pool and first time pool owner. With the help of my neighbor and Leslie's I got all of the chemicals balanced and in good shape with the exception of some debris/dirt on the bottom of the pool which I have been vacuuming for the past two days (almost done).

I have a couple questions, my first is I can't keep the chlorine levels stable, after maybe a week they drop close to zero and I have to add some powder shock to kick them back up again. I have a pool float with 4 - 3 inch tabs in it, aperture opened all the way. If I had to guess, I would say the debris/dirt at the bottom of the pool is killing off the FC. I can't get all the dirt at once because it gets cloudy after I do about a third and I have to wait till it settles/filters again.

Second, does it matter what the tab sizes are that are left? It is going on 2 weeks and all 4 are still over an inch in size.

Third, does it matter if the float is attached to anything? I have it attached to a long nylon string because it kept getting stuck in the skimmer opening. So it is more or less stationary now.

 

[JohnT]

Welcome to TFP!

It's possible that it is the debris consuming the chlorine. It could also be low CYA.

The floaters are generally not able to deliver chlorine fast enough to keep up because the flow of water through the floater isn't enough.

We also recommend against tabs because they raise CYA almost as fast as they add chlorine, and it can become a significant problem in a very short time.

 

[tim5055]

If you read around here you will quickly see that not much credence is given to pool store testing or advice. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their testing. Additionally, taking advice form someone who has a financial interest in the advice being given (ie, you are buying what Leslies tells you you need) is probably not a good idea..

To follow the pool care methods taught here you need to arm yourself with the knowledge and tools necessary to care for your pool.

The knowledge is condensed in the Pool School link at the top of every page. It is a great community here, but we do ask that you read and try to understand the information being taught. Questions are always welcome and folks will try to direct you and teach you the methods.

The tools are not limited to the brushes, vacuum hoses and other stuff you use around the pool, but include the most important item - one of the recommended test kits. You can buy a kit at a pool store, but again the pool store kits generally won't cut it. To effectively practice the TFPC methods, the FAS/DPD chlorine test is essential. All these kits contain that test while very few other kits do. Think of it this way, do you see a doctor blindly prescribing drugs without seeing the patient or having tests run? Here at TFP we are going to ask for photos so we can see the condition of the water and are going to ask for a full set of test results.

So, welcome to TFP!!