New to TFP; No Free Chlorine;

Jump to latest Follow Reply
T

TonyMoc12549

0
Gold Supporter
Jun 15, 2015
27
Montgomery, NY
Based upon what I've read thus far, it appears that the 9+ years of using chlorine sticks has built up a residual of CYA in my pool that is not allowing me to get to a chlorine level that I can measure....other than zero. I've ordered a new test kit (TF-100) but is there anything that can be done today before I can get a real measurement on CYA? Pool water is crystal clear; pH is 7.4-ish; TA is good too; Just absolutely no free chlorine. Also, if there is a thread that already handles this please direct me there...i just haven't found it yet. Thanks all. Tony; BTW, one heck of a site...I am looking forward to learning more and contributing when I can. :confused:
 
Welcome to TFP! :wave:

The high CYA does not prevent chlorine from being measured. What is more likely is that it has made the chlorine so ineffective that there is nascent not-yet-visible algae growth that is consuming chlorine faster than you've been adding it. If you add more chlorine by using chlorinating liquid or bleach, you'll probably be able to get some sort of reading. What kind of test kit do you have now for measuring chlorine? Is it an OTO kit that measures shades of yellow or a DPD kit that measures shades of pink/red or is it test strips?

You probably should just try adding chlorinating liquid or bleach and wait for your TF-100 test kit. One gallon of 12.5% chlorinating liquid added to your 27,000 gallon pool would raise the FC by 4.6 ppm. One gallon of 8.25% bleach (make sure it's regular unscented, NOT splash-less or outdoor) would raise the FC by 3.2 ppm.
 
Welcome to TFP TonyMoc. :wave: This is your lucky day! You hit the jackpot by receiving advice from Chemgeek. When it comes to explaining chemicals and their theory, there aren't many better.

Do a TFP search on high CYA and you'll find typically the same prognosis .. drain a healthy amount of your pool, or do it in stages as advised depending on your local water table. Replacing the water is typically the best solution to reduce CYA. But again, until you get the test kit to check on your own, you would be guessing, so wait as advised by GC.

In the meantime, keep the links below in my sig handy for reference later - especially the Chlorine/CYA Chart. You'll be using that a lot. Have a great day!
 
I'm using the BioGuard test kit with the DPD tablets. Liquid bleach it is today...regular, unscented. Can't wait to see what the test kit says... Thanks a ton. Tony :)

chem geek said:
Welcome to TFP! :wave:

The high CYA does not prevent chlorine from being measured. What is more likely is that it has made the chlorine so ineffective that there is nascent not-yet-visible algae growth that is consuming chlorine faster than you've been adding it. If you add more chlorine by using chlorinating liquid or bleach, you'll probably be able to get some sort of reading. What kind of test kit do you have now for measuring chlorine? Is it an OTO kit that measures shades of yellow or a DPD kit that measures shades of pink/red or is it test strips?

You probably should just try adding chlorinating liquid or bleach and wait for your TF-100 test kit. One gallon of 12.5% chlorinating liquid added to your 27,000 gallon pool would raise the FC by 4.6 ppm. One gallon of 8.25% bleach (make sure it's regular unscented, NOT splash-less or outdoor) would raise the FC by 3.2 ppm.
Click to expand...
 
I saw that, but since I have a mesh cover, I drain about 9000 gallons (1.5x20x40x7.5) each Fall before I close it. And additional amounts drained usually before we freeze over. I just couldn't believe that I need to pull another x thousand gallons out...if it cannot be fixed chemically.
 
I suspect that's exactly why Chem geek suggested waiting for your test kit to arrive. Anything related to CYA right now is just speculation. Who knows, when your kit arrives you might find that your CYA is quite acceptable. One the other hand, you might learn that it had been much higher than originally anticipated. We've seen this happen many, many times. For now ... patience. :) We can start fresh with a more accurate course of action once your kit arrives.
 
I ran the Basic K-1000 total chlorine test, which showed 0.0
pH = 7.5

Chlorine drop = 0.5
CC = 0.5
TA = 150
CH = 275
CYA = 30 is my best estimate (did this 3 times; outside; direct sunlight; proper rinsing before and after); so it doesn't appear that the CYA is the reason I've been unable to get an acceptable FC reading.

Thoughts? Next steps?
 
TM, it's been a few days since we started this thread. Has your water quality changed much? What does it look like right now?

I'm trying to read the results you posted, and it appears you have no (zero) FC, am I reading that correctly? If so, then that's a problem and you need chlorine in there right away. The target FC for a pool with a CYA of 30 is 4. You can use the poolmath calculator give you the exact amount of bleach required. TA could probably come down a little, but your chlorine has to be confirmed right away.

Oh, and for CYA, when you test outside ... make sure the sun is to your back. :)
 
Water has perfect clarity; No one would know I'm having an FC issue.

I'll do the TF-100 chlorine tests again to confirm, but when I performed the original test the test water changed the slightest shade of pink and it only took 1 drop to turn it clear.

Off to the pool math calculator.

Other suggestions? Also, based on reading on TFP, I'm pulling the Nature2 cartridge since I don't need the metals in the pool anyway.

Thanks.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
Last saturday my water was crystal clear and my FC had dropped to 1.5ppm. I found algae spots on the sun shelf a bench and some rocks. Been SLAMing ever since. It is possible to have algae and clear water.

Maybe try Pool School - Perform the Overnight FC Loss Test (OCLT) to see if something organic is consuming the chlorine. Raise chlorine to 10 or so for the test.
 
Thanks. In process of SLAMing but can only test 2x per day - morning and night; and getting used to the new test TF-100 kit; Will definitely try the overnight FC Loss Test. I'll go look, but based upon my growing knowledge am I right in saying that the FC Loss Test is the way to know when you're done SLAMing? i.e., no loss of FC overnight due to organic issues?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply