I just came across this method, and have been trying to get my pool to shock level, starting with green water. I have dumped in 12 large size bottle of bleach so far. It is still very cloudy, but water has turned to a whitish blue. I have a test kit, and I know everyone says I need a really good one, this one still has lots of uses, and with the amount of money I am spending on these chemicals this year, I just can't justify buying another yet. So, when we get in teh pool we can smell bleach, you can even feel it on your skin, however when I test, it shows my chlorine level is nill. Last night before bed I had it up to about 2ppm, today nothing. My Ph level is between 7.2 and 7.4. I have a 24,000 gallon pool. Got any ideas on what is going on? Should I continue to dump bleach in? Thanks in Advance.
Can smell bleach, no chlorine leves
- Thread starter scwhitson
- Start date
What is shock level for your pool? Can your test kit test at that level? What test kit do you have? How old is it? How many uses of which tests are there? It may be that you can just add a few vital tests to what you have to get a fully functional kit.
If you can report a full set of test data, we can help.
FC
CC
TC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
We also want to know the size of your pool, the type of pool surface, the type of equipment, and where you are located, if you use well water
If you can report a full set of test data, we can help.
FC
CC
TC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
We also want to know the size of your pool, the type of pool surface, the type of equipment, and where you are located, if you use well water
Welcome to TFP.
What test kit do you have?
Read pool school on how to shock. You need to add enough bleach to get your FC to to shock level and test and add as often as every hour.
The chlorine-y smell is CC's and that's because the chlorine you're adding is killing whatever is in there. As soon as it's all dead the smell will go away but that requires a fairly constant FC at shock level.
What test kit do you have?
Read pool school on how to shock. You need to add enough bleach to get your FC to to shock level and test and add as often as every hour.
The chlorine-y smell is CC's and that's because the chlorine you're adding is killing whatever is in there. As soon as it's all dead the smell will go away but that requires a fairly constant FC at shock level.
A good test kit is like a good set of basic tools, with these tools you can do most household projects, some people have special needs and need special tools, but a complete basic set will work for most people. Trying to manage a pool is much like trying to assemble a table with only a basic screw driver set when you get to the instruction step where you need a wrench. Trying to substitute a cheap 5 in 1 strip test set for a real good drop based test kit, is like trying to assemble the table with a set of children's toy tools, you might get there and you might not.
Ike
Ike
I have a drop test system bought this year, but only tests chlorine and ph levels.
Not sure what the shock level is. Pool is 30 foot by 54 inches deep, above ground, rural water in central MO. Have never had problems with hardness issues here.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Not sure what the shock level is. Pool is 30 foot by 54 inches deep, above ground, rural water in central MO. Have never had problems with hardness issues here.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Read this article in Pool School. It tells you how to shock your pool. Here's a link to the Chlorine/CYA Chart that will tell you what your shock level is.
If you can't do anything else take a sample to the pool store and have it tested, especially for CYA. They're notoriously bad at testing for CYA but it's better than nothing. Then you can use that to figure your shock level.
Once you've done that come back and we can tell you how to test high TC with the kit you have. It's not a good way but then again, it's better than nothing.
If you can't do anything else take a sample to the pool store and have it tested, especially for CYA. They're notoriously bad at testing for CYA but it's better than nothing. Then you can use that to figure your shock level.
Once you've done that come back and we can tell you how to test high TC with the kit you have. It's not a good way but then again, it's better than nothing.
flyboy320
Well-known member
Just a guess, but perhaps what your smelling is combined chlorine, and not free chlorine. CC is what you get when the chlorine you add to the pool combines with contaminates. We had this smell last year before we knew about the relationship between the CYA level and the amount of FC you should maintain. As a result we had FC at 1ppm, and it should have been around 3-4, so I had what I thought was a chlorine smell and thought I had to much chlorine in the pool, but in fact the opposite was true!