Calcium Chloride Addition Crashed My Free Chlorine

panamax53

Gold Supporter
LifeTime Supporter
Dec 10, 2015
95
Doral, FL
I did post this to an old thread. It was suggested I begin a new one. Pool math says there should be no affect.f I am anal about testing my pool.
Yesterday I added 13 lbs of Calcium Chloride that I had mixed into two 5-gallon containers the night before. I added them at 10 am tested FC afterwards and found it a bit low at 4.5. Added 144 oz of Chlorine Bleach. That takes my FC up about 5.1 ppm. The SWCG was set at 80%. With 12 hours runtime yesterday (since addition) and 6 today that should have produced 18 x 0.2288 = 4.1 ppms FC for a total of 4.5 + 5.1 + 4.1 = 13.7 ppm
Figure an overnight loss of 1 to 1.5 and and a daily loss of 3. I should be around 9 to 9.7. Instead I am down to 2.5 ppm FC at 2 pm the following day! I retested that 3 times to make certain.
That is a 7 ppm of FC loss due to adding the Calcium Chloride.
My CYA level should be between 75 and 80 after last week's addition of dry stabilizer.
There is no algae in my pool. It is clear and looks great. CC is Zero1 pH 7.7, TA 80, Borates around 50. CH was 300 the additon of Calcium Chloride should have it up near 380 ppm
I think this subject requires more investigation by the experts. A warning as to possible impact of FC loss might be added to the effects of adding calcium chloride in large quantities. Where that breakpoint of dramatic or large loss is needs to be investigated further. Too many others on the forum in the past attest to the fact there was a significant impact.
 
You mentioned that you mixed into 5 gallon containers. Is it possible the 5 gallon container was contaminated in someway?
 
CC mixed in a bucket creates heat. I know CC is hard to dissolve and I have mixed it in a bucket too, but NEVER would leave it overnight. Maybe the bucket degraded overnight, and was entered into your pool and that is what ate your free chlorine.
 
 
CC mixed in a bucket creates heat. I know CC is hard to dissolve and I have mixed it in a bucket too, but NEVER would leave it overnight. Maybe the bucket degraded overnight, and was entered into your pool and that is what ate your free chlorine.
Interesting thought. These were new clean white food grade buckets. Any chemist out there that can address this?
Thank you!! That’s a very good article you uncovered for us under “Further Reading “.
Validates the FC drop experiences of some members.
 
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