Can't seem to get the pool to 3ppm chlorine

[Pemolis]

I have my theories but lemme ask here to see if I am missing something.

Have a 30,000 pool (125 feet around, my guestimates its 30k with a 10 foot deepend). Have a circupool rj60 that I installed last year. All the chemical balances are correct except the chlorine content. I am trying to get the chlorine to 3ppm. It does not seem to want to go past 1. Combined Chlorine is 0. Replaced Filter Grids and cleaned filter completely.

I dropped 2 to 3 gallons of liquid chlorine to get the pool up to about 5ppm, and it dropped to 1 or below in a day.

There is no debree in the pool, skimmers cleaned, robots cleaned, pumps cleaned.

Here are my 2 theories.

1) The CYA is too low. I believe it is at 15 or 20atm. I use pucks extremely sporatically because I know CYA is pretty much permanent.

2) There is algae growth that is stagnant. I don't see any but my other guess is that there is biologics, but the filter and system works so well that I don't see it. So its at a kind of break-even point where I can't kill it all, but there isn't enough in the pool for it to grow crazily.

Did a shock about 2 months ago.

Question 1), Should I wait till Octoberish/November when the temp's cooler and less light and do a month long shock of the pool? Essentially murder whatever could be in there and do a total cleanout? I am mulling over the usefulness of this. Thanks.

 

[ajw22]

Please read ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Chlorine is lost by the UV rays of the sun. CYA acts as sun tan lotion and protects the chlorine from being lost. A Texas pool needs CYA of 70-80 to keep the chlorine a SWG is creating. You should add stabilizer immediately.

You should also use liquid chorine every day to raise your chlorine to 5-6 ppm until your SWG holds that level.

Use PoolMath to calculate quantities and log your tests and chemical additions.

What test kit are you using?

If you have developed algae from the low FC then you need to follow the SLAM Process. We don’t use shock.

 

[Jimrahbe]

P,

I agree with Allen but I would not add CYA above 30 until your do an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test... Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

There is no doubt that you need to increase your CYA to about 70 or so.. But, if you do have algae, as I suspect, it is better to run a SLAM at lower CYA levels.

Do the OCLT.. if you fail, bring your CYA up to 30 or 40 and then run the SLAM..

My "guess" is that you have gotten into this situation because you are not running your SWCG hard enough or long enough.

Your cell will add 8 ppm of FC to your pool when running at 100% output and 24/7.. That is .33 ppm per hour at 100% output...

How long do you run your SWCG and at what output?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Pemolis]

85% 24/7

I’ll raise cya to 40 and do a overnight.

 

[Pemolis]

85% 24/7

I’ll raise cya to 40 and do a overnight.

Taylor kit

 

[Jimrahbe]

85% 24/7

P,

Looks like I was wrong on your SWCG settings, but I like it when I am wrong on this subject. It means you have a clue about what you are doing..

I suspect that once you get any algae problems taken care of, and bring your CYA up to 70, you will be able to drop your output back to 50% or maybe lower.

Thanks for the feedback,

Jim R.

 

[Pemolis]

It seems that its three fold. Ones the algae, 2nd is the cya (its just flat out too low), third, 2 weeks of straight blinding sun (burned off whatever was generated). Getting the CYA up now and I suspect once that's back up, the chlorine will balance itself out. I'll be working on the algae throughout the week.

 

[frogabog]

It seems that its three fold. Ones the algae, 2nd is the cya (its just flat out too low), third, 2 weeks of straight blinding sun (burned off whatever was generated). Getting the CYA up now and I suspect once that's back up, the chlorine will balance itself out. I'll be working on the algae throughout the week.

Sorry, but wrong.

You need to follow the SLAM Process.

Your chlorine will likely never balance out if you have algae. OK, maybe... in a long time from now if you maintain target all the time. Maybe.

Why resist?