Can't get chlorine level to come up

[pczurak]

Three days ago I checked the chlorine and it was right on, the next day my wife, granddaughter, and the granddog was in the pool for a couple of hours. Yesterday I checked the chlorine and there was none. Normally the chlorine generator runs at 30%, I raised that 60% and run it for about 8 hours and it raised the chlorine to almost .5. I turned off the pump for the night and the next morning I checked the chlorine and again it dropped to almost zero. I added some liquid chlorine to raise it to the correct level and I will recheck tomorrow and do the full test on the pool. The chlorine generator has all the green lights so nothing indicating there is anything wrong with the chlorine generator, but why the chlorine generator did not raise the chlorine much after 8 hours? Should have I increased the percentage or run it longer or both? Or is there something wrong with the chlorine generator? And why would chlorine drop to none in less than 24 hours? Also when I ran to robot cleaner it had a white substance almost like gritty paste in the filters - never seen that before.

Thanks for any input!

 

[cowboycasey]

You will need to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test You will probably not pass and will need to do a SLAM Process

When you went below the minimum FC level you probably have a small algae bloom going.. The SWG will never raise your FC, you need to bring it to the correct level with liquid chlorine and let the SWG take over.. SWG are great at keeping FC level but not raising it..

What is your CYA level?
how long are you running the SWG at what %. you should be running at 12 to 14 hours at 100% or 24 hours at 50% or 60%..

I keep my CYA at 80 and FC at 7 at all times... I run during the day and turn off at night..

 

[pczurak]

You will need to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test You will probably not pass and will need to do a SLAM Process

When you went below the minimum FC level you probably have a small algae bloom going.. The SWG will never raise your FC, you need to bring it to the correct level with liquid chlorine and let the SWG take over.. SWG are great at keeping FC level but not raising it..

What is your CYA level?
how long are you running the SWG at what %. you should be running at 12 to 14 hours at 100% or 24 hours at 50% or 60%..

I keep my CYA at 80 and FC at 7 at all times... I run during the day and turn off at night..

You will need to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test You will probably not pass and will need to do a SLAM Process

When you went below the minimum FC level you probably have a small algae bloom going.. The SWG will never raise your FC, you need to bring it to the correct level with liquid chlorine and let the SWG take over.. SWG are great at keeping FC level but not raising it..

What is your CYA level?
how long are you running the SWG at what %. you should be running at 12 to 14 hours at 100% or 24 hours at 50% or 60%..

I keep my CYA at 80 and FC at 7 at all times... I run during the day and turn off at night..

Thank You so much !!!

 

[pczurak]

You will need to do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test You will probably not pass and will need to do a SLAM Process

When you went below the minimum FC level you probably have a small algae bloom going.. The SWG will never raise your FC, you need to bring it to the correct level with liquid chlorine and let the SWG take over.. SWG are great at keeping FC level but not raising it..

What is your CYA level?
how long are you running the SWG at what %. you should be running at 12 to 14 hours at 100% or 24 hours at 50% or 60%..

I keep my CYA at 80 and FC at 7 at all times... I run during the day and turn off at night..

CYA is at 50, it was at 70 last week and for a few weeks prior.
I usually run the SWG at 30% for 6 to 8 hours and it was fine until now. The guy that installed the pool told me to run it at 20%, but that did not last long.
I have not been running my pump at night.

I did not do the Overnight Chlorine Loss yet, but it did drop from yesterday from 3 to 1 today.

Thank you for all your help! This stuff is really easy when the numbers are right on, but it's a different story when the numbers go off.

Here are my results from today:

CL	1
PH	7.5
FC	1
CC	0.5
CH	350
TA	130
CYA	50
Salt	3800
CSI	0.06

 

[Newdude]

Hey Pc !! A simple thinking change will help you greatly. The UV demand from the sun starts off light and ramps up to the midpoint of the season (nowish) with the higher sun angle and longer days. Then from about nowish it will slowly decrease to much less at the back end of the season.

A few times you’ll have to ramp up to match the UV, Then ramp down a few times. Day over day there is hardly a change but you have to pay attention to know when it’s time. Expect to adjust every month or so. Verify all the in between times that you’re still producing enough / not too much FC.

it’s literally that easy but if you ‘set it and forget it’, It will get away from you.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Your FC is way too low. Get it up to 4-5 with liquid chlorine for starters, but I too suspect you have algae that is eating up chlorine somewhere, even if you cannot see it yet. If you do have algae, you will need to SLAM. Then get your FC in line with the FC/CYA chart (see my signature if you need), and never ever ever let it get below the minimum FC level.

 

[cowboycasey]

CYA is at 50, it was at 70 last week and for a few weeks prior.
I usually run the SWG at 30% for 6 to 8 hours and it was fine until now. The guy that installed the pool told me to run it at 20%, but that did not last long.
I have not been running my pump at night.

I did not do the Overnight Chlorine Loss yet, but it did drop from yesterday from 3 to 1 today.

Thank you for all your help! This stuff is really easy when the numbers are right on, but it's a different story when the numbers go off.

Here are my results from today:

CL	1
PH	7.5
FC	1
CC	0.5
CH	350
TA	130
CYA	50
Salt	3800
CSI	0.06

I would leave CYA where it is, take your FC up to 10 today and do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.. if you need to SLAM it is easier to SLAM Processat CYA 50..

After the SLAM take you CYA back up to 80 and let FC drift down to 8 and start your SWG back up at 50% and see what you get, if FC goes below 7 add SWG % or run pump and SWG longer.. easy peasy

 

[bligh]

Also when I ran to robot cleaner it had a white substance almost like gritty paste in the filters - never seen that before.

Did you try sweeping the pool? I had this situation where the chlorine dropped to .5 over night but the pool looked clean .. I ran the pool cleaner like you did and found a white/greyish subsistence coating the filter within the cleaner. This Crud is growing typically because of inactivity or not cleaning the pool on a timed schedule. I turned up my salt generation to 80% from 35% and brushed the entire pool. When I pole brushed clouds of whiteish grey Crud would swirl up. In the morning there was piles of a brown sediment scattered around the pool. I turned the chlorine back to 35%. Ran the pool robot and brushed for another two days. The point is to develop a schedule that keeps the pool sparkling clean.

 

[pczurak]

Thank You so much !!!

I did sweep the pool this morning and the same thing happened a white/greyish subsistence coating the robot filter. I do sweep the pool on regular basis with a wire brush but only the floor, not the walls. I did the walls this morning and I did have the grayish cloud where I was sweeping.

Also, I did fail the Overnight Chlorine Loss test, FC dropped by 2.5 points. So I will SLAM my pool today. And then fix my FC. We are supposed to get a lot of rain in the next couple of days so the timing is good nobody will be in the pool, I do have an automatic pool cover so not much of the rain will get in the pool.

Thank you for all the help!

 

[pczurak]

I would leave CYA where it is, take your FC up to 10 today and do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test.. if you need to SLAM it is easier to SLAM Processat CYA 50..

After the SLAM take you CYA back up to 80 and let FC drift down to 8 and start your SWG back up at 50% and see what you get, if FC goes below 7 add SWG % or run pump and SWG longer.. easy peasy

Why CYA up to 80, the chart shows 80* - with the asterisk?
I don't know if it's "easy peasy" but it's fun.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Why CYA up to 80, the chart shows 80* - with the asterisk?
I don't know if it's "easy peasy" but it's fun.

Make sure you are looking at the right chart. The one for Salt Water Chlorine Generators has recommended CYA ranges from 70-90. I think you may be looking at the liquid chlorine one.

But, before you add any CYA, you need to make sure you do not have algae. Have you performed the OCLT to make sure you do not have anything brewing?

 

[pczurak]

Thanks!

I was looking at the wrong chart!
And I did fail the Overnight Chlorine Test so I will be SLAMing my pool before adjusting CYA.

 

[pczurak]

At what point can you go back to swimming after SLAMing your pool?

 

[cowboycasey]

You can swim during a SLAM if your FC is below SLAM level and if you can see the bottom of the pool

 

[pczurak]

Thanks!
The water is clear, no issues there. The invisible stuff I have an issue with. Something is eating the FC, but not for long.
I am not a pool person swimming-wise - it's too wet, but I enjoy taking care of it, my wife loves it and the rain is supposed to stop in the morning so she might want to go in the afternoon.