Still trying to get the hang of this...now HIGH chlorine

[graffster]

OK, I thought I had gotten the hang of this...I guess not, yet!! Here are my numbers this morning:

FC 12 (yes, TWELVE!)
CC 0
TC 12
pH 7.8
TA 60
CH 90
CYA 30
Salt 3000

I had been dealing with a little more dirt in the pool (I think we're going to have something done with our pavers. when there's a hard rain, we get dirt washing in..;.but I digress!)

Chlorine was low last Thursday (4 days ago) at 1.5. I added some liquid chlorine (1 gallon to bring it to 5. I also added 20 oz of MA to bring pH down.

SWG is running at 55%...which is where it's been since we filled in March. Is it just working overtime? (I have run the filter more this weekend to deal with the dirt in the pool. I guess that would mean the SWG is just making chlorine the whole time, huh?)

What do i need to tend to first?

Thanks,
Kathy

 

[JasonLion]

Running the pump longer does mean more chlorine is produced. If that was a one time increase in pump run time, then you don't need to worry about the FC level being high. If you will be running the pump longer from now on then you should lower the percentage on the SWG.

With a SWG your CYA level should be at least 60, ideally around 70-80. Lower CYA levels can cause the FC level to fluctuate a great deal depending on how much sunlight there has been recently. You also want to be sure you are measuring the FC level at the same time each day, ideally in the late afternoon or early evening.

You need to add CH up to at least 250, perhaps a little higher.

 

[graffster]

Thanks, Jason!!

I end up having to run the filter for those prolonged periods when we get the heavy rains and I get the dirt in there. Hopefully, we're coming out of rainy season, and I'll have all fall/winter to get the paver situation under control!

I have a 'jar' of Aqua-Chem Calcium Hardness Increaser. Is that what I need to increase that CH?

(And because I'm a slow-learner, can you tell me what to add, when? I know I need CH, CYA and MA. I don't want to conduct a science experiment in the backyard...so what to add first and then how long till the next, etc.??) I think I'll use the liquid CYA, as you know from earlier posts my luck with the granules.

Is it a combination of the above diffeernces that cause the pool to be 'cloudy'? I want that 'sparkling pool' that I hear described here!!!!!!

I SO appreciate the help I get here...and how quick I get it!

Thank you,
Kathy

 

[giulietta1]

I have a 'jar' of Aqua-Chem Calcium Hardness Increaser. Is that what I need to increase that CH?

I am not familiar with the product, but it sounds right to me. If it's calcium chloride, that's what you need.

(And because I'm a slow-learner, can you tell me what to add, when? I know I need CH, CYA and MA. I don't want to conduct a science experiment in the backyard...so what to add first and then how long till the next, etc.??) I think I'll use the liquid CYA, as you know from earlier posts my luck with the granules.

I don't think the order is critical on these chemicals, but you should probably wait until the chlorine drops a little lower to determine how much MA to add. High chlorine interferes with the pH test, and your pH reading may be a false high.

Is it a combination of the above diffeernces that cause the pool to be 'cloudy'? I want that 'sparkling pool' that I hear described here!!!!!!

Usually cloudiness is associated with HIGH calcium, not low, so I'm not sure. Cloudy water can be caused by any of a multitude of factors, in your case possibly just dirt particles.

I'd suggest you go ahead and start adding the calcium and CYA, in the amounts the pool calculator indicates. Re-test your pH when the chlorine drops below 10, then deal with the high-pH problem (if in fact it is truly high and not just a spurious reading).

Good luck!

 

[rkgdmd]

Kathy,

I'm not exactly sure what SWG you have, but mine is the Hayward aqualogic . Keeping my salt level at 3500 ppm vs 2900 ppm made a huge difference with respect to what percentage I need to run my SWCG at to maintain proper chlorine levels. At 3500 ppm, cooler weather and less sunlight now than the summer, my FC has crept to 7 ppm with a chlorinator setting of 10 % ! After pumping out the pool from a couple of severe rain storms, my salt dipped to 2900. It became very difficult to maintain proper FC levels at that salt concentration. My recommendation is that you keep your salt level as high as your manufacturer allows. Good Luck!

Rob