Back -- for the second time

[frankinbahia]

I registered with TFP back in May, posted a question, got LOTS of good responses . . . .and when I went to update things yesterday, I found I couldn't log in. (Don't know what happened --- even checked my old emails for the authentication email, but could find nothing from TFP. Weird.) Anyway, I've re-registered.

I live in rural Brazil, where test kits for anything beyond basic chlorine and pH are non-existent. In May, my pool suddenly (literally overnight) went from deep blue to green. I added a lot more chlorine which simply disappeared as fast as I could add it. The folks who responded to my posting suggested high CYA (because I'd been using stabilized chlorine for years) --- and, of course, suggested that I get a real test kit.

I just returned from the US with a new TF-100 under my arm, confirmed the high CYA diagnosis, and had to refill about 75% of the pool to get down to a level of 70. I shocked (with unstabilized granular chlorine --- the bleach here is 1%, if that) per the Pool Calculator suggestions, and seem to be back in business with a nice medium blue.

I'm posting a few question about readings on the appropriate forum today, but I just wanted to recount this here in hopes that some of the great members who responded to my original post will happen to read this and accept my thanks!
Frank -- in Bahia
[65,000 ltrs; inground tile; very sunny; no organics; few swimmers; un-stabilized granular; Jacuzzi pump & filter; homemade PVC heater]

 

[woodyp]

Good Lord!......1% bleach!................back up the trucks boys! And welcome back to the forum.

 

[JohnN]

There is no such thing as granular unstabilized chlorine. Hopefully it is cal-hypo you are using, as anything else increases CYA. Anyway, welcome back. I just looked at the pool calculator, and it would take 168 oz of 1% chlorine to raise my pool 1 ppm. Wow. It would take 2352 oz to go from 0 to shock level of 14.

 

[Isaac-1]

It sounds like you may want to look into getting an SWG (salt water chlorine generator)

 

[frankinbahia]

JohnN - There are two brands of unstabilized granular chlorine down here: Pool-Trat Cloro Granulado (by Genco) and hth Cloro Granulado Concentrado Tradicional. Both of these, according to the manufacturers, are made specifically to preclude CYA build-up.

 

[Donldson]

Pool-Trat Cloro Granulado is Trichlor, which is chlorine stabilized with CYA. Hth Cloro Granulado Concentrado Tradicional is Cal-Hypo, chlorine stabilized with calcium. JohnN is correct, there is no such thing as solid chlorine unless it is bound to something else, typically CYA, calcium, or lithium.

But either way, glad you got the good test kit and welcome back!

 

[frankinbahia]

Here is a link to the Pool-Trat manufacturer's page: http://www.genco.com.br/interna.asp?page=3&cat=1&id=2

It's in Portuguese, but here's an excerpt, translated.

"Hipoclorito de cálcio em grânulos . . .Alto teor de cloro ativo: 65%. Não estabilizado - ótima fonte de cloro quando estabilizante é desnecessário ou indesejável."

The last sentence says "Not stabilized - best chlorine source when stabilization is unnecessary or undesirable".

 

[BoDarville]

Welcome back

It sounds like you may want to look into getting an SWG (salt water chlorine generator)

^+1 to what he said. If 1% bleach is the only concentration available, I would be looking into a SWG pronto!

 

[duraleigh]

Not stabilized - best chlorine source when stabilization is unnecessary or undesirable

then it's Cal Hypo and dumps calcium in your pool up to the point where a problem develops.

Frank, what's the annual rainfall where you live?

 

[frankinbahia]

Rainfall is around 75 inches (we're in the tropics). And yes, I'll sure look into a SWG.