Added 11 jugs Clorox Concentrate and FC still at 1.5 ppm

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tzanco

tzanco

0
Apr 18, 2014
8
Marlboro, NJ
I'm new to pooling and last year (when we moved in) I used the pucks and shock that the pool told us too. It didn't work well. This year I found the forum, bought a tf-100 and discovered my CYA is 180. I emptied 2/3 of the pool and now CYA is 80. Still high but I'll get it down over time.

We opened the pool a couple of weeks ago but I cannot get the FC up at all. At first I added 3 jugs to get up to the minimum 9ppm per the CYA/Cl chart. I didn't test it right after I added it but the next day's test showed 1-2 ppm (OTO and FAS/DPD). Another 4 jugs go in and the same thing.

Today I added 11 jugs of Clorox 8.5% from Costco then tested after 1.5 hours and my FC is still 1.5ppm! This is driving me up a wall and into the poorhouse. What's going on here?
 
Welcome! :wave:

What does the pool look like? Can you even see through the water? If there's a lot of debris in the bottom, it will use up all the chlorine before it can work on the algae.

Check out some threads of people who've done it
First Time Shocking with Bleach
Pretty black pool
A little encouragement for those with algae and new to BBB
Frog Filled Green Swamp to Oasis---Work in Progress!!!
Before and After Pool Pics
Before and after!
A final picture set of how well the BBB method works!
And who are still doing it: http://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/74875-Please-advise-with-help-on-pool
 
Hi Richard - The pool is 80% clear. The deep end is a bit murky but not terrible and not green.

Hi John - That's what I'm trying to do :) wouldn't you expect the FC to increase by a little at least? You'd expect it not to budge at all?

Quick side Q: Are the methods espoused here cheaper than using the store pucks and raising the CYA back to the stratosphere, or is it just a better method to keep the pool balanced?
 
Our recommendations are far less expensive than what most pool stores recommend. There are other approaches that are about the same price as ours, but you don't see them mentioned very often.

Ammonia in the water uses up chlorine very very quickly, before it even mixes in throughly. You can never get an FC reading as long as there is still ammonia. Once you have burned off all of the ammonia, you will be able to hold an FC level again.
 
cc is still 0. pool is completely free of debris now but still murky and the FC won't hold at all (won't rise at all).

I already spent $90 in bleach, $75 for the year would be amazing.

- - - Updated - - -

PS, pool store this morning told me that 'adjusted' TA is what we should be looking at, which is function of TA and CYA. Is this true? Pool math and the recommended levels table both just state TA.
 
With CYA at 80, shock level is 31. If I am following correctly, you raised the pool to shock level once and it went back to FC at 1.5 in under two hours.

CC at zero argues against ammonia. I can't think of anything else that could use up that much chlorine that quickly and yet not drive FC to zero.

Perhaps it is time for an extreme chlorine demand test.
 

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JasonLion said:
With CYA at 80, shock level is 31. If I am following correctly, you raised the pool to shock level once and it went back to FC at 1.5 in under two hours.

CC at zero argues against ammonia. I can't think of anything else that could use up that much chlorine that quickly and yet not drive FC to zero.

Perhaps it is time for an extreme chlorine demand test.
Click to expand...

OK just finished the ECDT. I used a 3gal bucket (all I had) and 1 oz of 8.25% bleach. After 1 hour I tested for FC and it stopped the dropper at 45 ppm. Sounds like I passed? Does this mean that I need to add a poop-ton of bleach to the pool?
 
Yea, quite a bit of chlorine. The ECDT says that it should be less than 50 ppm of chlorine to resolve the problem. We can't tell where between 1 ppm and 50 ppm it will actually be without more testing. You can do the testing, or just go ahead and start adding chlorine in batches and test an hour after each batch to see if you need more.
 
That is the most you should add at one time. I would add about 5 jugs now, and more later if need (likely but not certain). Test after an hour and see where you are. As long as FC continues to fall below 2 after an hour (or two or three), keep adding 5 jugs at a time. You can add more at a time if you want, but not more than 11 jugs at a time.
 
tzanco said:
I'm paying $8.59for 3x121 oz 8.25% bleach. Is that an ok/good price?
Click to expand...
According to this http://poncatechsquad.com/Dan/Chlorine/ it calculates out to $0.287 per oz of chlorine which is consider fair. If you are close to Shrewsbury NJ, there is an Ocean State Job Lot store where you can get a gallon of 12.5 % Liquid Chlorine for $2.99 or $0.187 per oz. Here is CT at the OSJL that I go to, the stock moves fast and its always fresh, you just have to make sure to check the dates on the boxes.
 
Emptied 2/3 and refilled. Now down to 55 CYA. Wish me luck!

Pool store this morning told me that 'adjusted' TA is what we should be looking at, which is function of TA and CYA. Is this true? Pool math and the recommended levels table both just state TA.
 

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