another Added shock chlorine but sill, FC = 0 ?

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Vtdano

0
May 30, 2016
9
Roanoke/VA
I am having the same issue. I've read on some other sites that ammonia can cause a fc reading of zero. I take my water samples to a local pool store that does a Bioguard test and I am about $700 deep in chemicals so far. I've put in 30lbs of Lithium hypochlorite and I am currently doing 3lbs of Power Chlor every 2 hours for 14 hours (22lbs) trying to get a fc reading of some sort. I think I may visit Pet Smart and get an ammonia test kit to see if I am dealing with this. The pool stores like to call this a chlorine lock or demand, but it's really just a money pit!

26,500 GAL in ground vinyl pool

Mod note: Split from this thread: Added shock chlorine but sill, FC = 0 ?
 
Welcome to TFP. Glad you found us

Around here, our pools aren't money pits. The pool store? Yeah maybe. What we can help you with is learning to take care of your own pool with basic things like bleach and baking soda. This will require you get yourself a good test kit and be willing to learn along the way. Do some reading in pool school and decide if you want to take control. I promise you you wouldn't have needed to spend that kind of $$$ doing it on your own. I'll give you a few links to start with.

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
Pool School - Test Kits Compared
Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain
 
Welcome to TFP :)

Please stop going to the pool store, no need in life to spend that much on your pool, we can get you going if you want :)

You may or may not have ammonia, it all depends on your CYA level and you really have no idea what you're at because the pool store wants your money

test kit: get the TF100, add the XL option... the speedstir is really worth every penny if you have high CH (but you do not have to have it), all these 3 will get your pool clear along with your help :) TFTestkits.net

Stop putting anything in your pool besides 1 gal of 10% bleach/liquid chlorine, get it from walmart pool isle, 10% or if you have a HAS dealer near you they have 12.5% http://www.hasapool.com/dealer_locator_hasa.php you may need lots of bleach/chlorine...

leave your pump running 24/7 until you are done with the SLAM

AimeeH has you started with reading until your test kit arrives.. check out the links in my signature below also..

if you want you can get a cheap pet store ammonia kit, it really does not matter as chlorine will get rid of whatever you have..

I hope this helps :)
 
Welcome! :wave:

You know, after the pool store has maxed-out your credit card, emptied your wallet and turned your pockets inside out looking for change, they're going to tell you the problem is.... can you solve it?

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There's going to be a steep learning curve and a few more expenses (like a test kit) but by July 4th your pool will clearer than you ever thought possible and maintenance will be about as time-consuming and brainless as brushing your teeth.
 
Thanks guys, what a welcoming committee! I take care of this pool for a friend of the family. She is widowed and loves the company that I bring out to the pool. Last year, I got everything going for around $200, so this year was not much fun. After 9lbs of the Power Chlor, I finally started to see FC. I did two more for a total of 15 lbs and got the FC and TC to SLAM it correctly. I wish I had found this site sooner. I just checked the pool a few hours ago and I have the following readings:

FC 7
TC 7
PH 6.2
Adj Alk 44
CYA 70
CH 268 (yeah, it's a problem with every pool in that area, even water that goes through a softener)

I had some left over chemicals, Balance PAK 100, from last year, so I just did 12lbs of that to get started on treating the Alkalinity. I'll do two more of those to get it up to par. I have 4lbs of PH increaser to put in tomorrow, then I hope that the TC and FC level out so we can use the pool this weekend. I am no chemist, but this has really forced me to learn a lot. I noticed when I finally started getting an FC reading that the water was fizzing a little like a club soda, which from what I read is about the time that the chloramines will start to burn off the unwanteds in the pool and convert them to gas.

I appreciate all of the info on the test kits. I always used the strips thinking wow, that was quick and easy. It wasn't until this year I realized that quick and easy means hardly accurate! I will certainly go with the TFT Kit (XL) as you also provided videos on how to use it and that's all that really made me chose the test strips, but it will be down the road considering the amount of $$ I've spent so far. Is the speed stir something that can actually help with the water hardness? This pool is 36x18 3ft shallow, 8ft deep so roughly 26,700 GAL. That a lot of hard water and I am not really sure what I could do about it without spending a lot more $$. It has a Hayward sand filter and the impeller was just replaced last year, so I feel that fixing the hardness could help make the equipment last longer, so that's how I would pitch it to the owner.

Again, I appreciate all of your replies, and look forward to being a part of this online community!

Regards,

VTDano
 
VTDano, With high CH the speedstir is going to be awesome, it makes it really easy and it makes everything easier to read
 
Didn't take me long, I'm done with the local pool store. TF-100 -XL will hopefully show up next week. Now I'm looking for a 1-1 comparison for the chemicals I'm used to using. For example, the replacement for Balance Pak 100 for increasing alkalinity? Replacement for Balance Pak 200 for increasing PH? Do you guys use cyanic acid or muratic acid for stabilizer? What about something for maintenance algaecide after a heavy rain?

And the $4000 question, is there any way to get away from those pesky chlorine tablets??

Many thanks!
 
Vtdano said:
Didn't take me long, I'm done with the local pool store. TF-100 -XL will hopefully show up next week. Now I'm looking for a 1-1 comparison for the chemicals I'm used to using. For example, the replacement for Balance Pak 100 for increasing alkalinity? Replacement for Balance Pak 200 for increasing PH? Do you guys use cyanic acid or muratic acid for stabilizer? What about something for maintenance algaecide after a heavy rain?

And the $4000 question, is there any way to get away from those pesky chlorine tablets??

Many thanks!
Click to expand...
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Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals
Pool School - How to Chlorinate Your Pool
Pool School - Salt Water Chlorine Generators
 
Thanks for all of the great info guys. While I wait for my TF-100 kit to arrive, how can I keep my water in the best condition? I now hate the test strips, knowing how inaccurate they are.

My water is clear and about 78 degrees. The pool gets a lot of sunlight with few trees blocking it. I have added ALK booster as well as PH booster from the last of my pool store readings. I found something rather interesting as when adding the PH booster. On the instruction print out from the Bioguard test, it said my pH was low and to add 4 lbs of the Balance Pak 200 to bring it up. Reading the Balance Pak 200 instructions, it said add 3 lbs for a 25k gal pool, 3lbs 12 oz for 30k gal. Mine is 26,700, so it sounds like they wanted me to over do it and have to buy more Lo 'n Slo. Grrrr
 

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Help!! As luck would have it, my pump needs service. It was making a high pitched squeal yesterday so the neighbor cut it off when he noticed the motor was super hot. I examined it and believe it needs replacing as well, but how to keep the pool from turning? We are getting a lot of rain right now. I was looking around town for one of the floating chlorine tab despensors, but I haven't had any luck yet. What would you guys recommend to make sure I can keep the pool from turning until after the service tech gets it fixed?
 
pour a gallon of bleach in while walking down the side of the pool (as close to the water as possible) and then brush to mix it around, do this every morning or night..
 
Vtdano said:
Help!! As luck would have it, my pump needs service. It was making a high pitched squeal yesterday so the neighbor cut it off when he noticed the motor was super hot. I examined it and believe it needs replacing as well, but how to keep the pool from turning? We are getting a lot of rain right now. I was looking around town for one of the floating chlorine tab despensors, but I haven't had any luck yet. What would you guys recommend to make sure I can keep the pool from turning until after the service tech gets it fixed?
Click to expand...

No tabs :(

Can you continue to add a gallon of bleach a day as suggested and brush brush brush?
 
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