I just over a month ago added a 7.5 gallon tank and Stenner 3gpd pump. I have changed from Clorox to HDX Chlorine after Sam's Club ran out. My chlorine level keeps bouncing day to day. Over the last week 5.5, 2.5,4.5,4,4.5,4.5,0,9 all taken just before dark. I changed poolmath from 6% to 10%. I divide the oz of chlorine by 16 to get my pump run time. I run my pool pump for an hour or more after the chlorine pump. I do not understand why it is so inconsistent when before doing it manually the changes were more minor and could attribute to a hotter day or if people had used the pool. If my math was wrong I would think I would be consistently low or high. I leave the variable stenner on high and just adjust the clock that runs it. I went to running from midnight to 2,3,and last night to 8am. The math for time is an excel chart so my /16 is the same. Twice The R0870 DPD power has not turned the test water red pink just stayed clear that is what I call 0. The only thing I can see is if some times if the Phoenix is in the shallow end then I might not be getting good mixing of filtered water and non filtered water. BTW I did also just go to HDX pool acid found it was 14% instead of 32% so I will most likely go back to Leslie's for acid.
Chlorine level varies greatly
- Thread starter Santaanapoolowner
- Start date
- Jun 22, 2014
- 47,995
- Pool Size
- 17888
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I don't have a stenner, so I can't compare personal experience to your situation, but what concerns me is the lack of color change (to pink) on some of those tests. While you mentioned the summer sun, I would also be concerned with the onset of algae possibly consuming some of the FC. Have you considered doing an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test? You might also let us know what your current CYA level is so we can see how the FC is balanced per the [FC/CYA][/FC/CYA].
Have you checked the dates on the HDX chlorine. I usually get my LC at Walmart but they are out I looked at Home Depot and the HDX I saw was mostly old some from last year still on the shelf. It would be water by now. If you have some old LC and Some newer it could explain inconstant numbers.
FC6,ph7.4, TA 80 CH550 CYA 20. City water CH is 220. I will add stabilizer in the morning. It has been hotter than normal last 2 weeks by about 5 degrees. Last added CYA 2 months ago. I only have Chlorine in the Stenner tank. I have read another system where they say to add water so the salt goes to the bottom and the chlorine stays on top. The tank is grey not translucent. I have a canopy to shade it. In the garage the chlorine was kept in runs about 85 and this past week outside has been 90F.
Getting your CYA up should help. You also might want to consider testing your FC after the Stenner runs to see if your actually hitting your target. Since you typically run it at night you might have to change the schedule to make this more convenient. One of the advantages of the stenner is you don't have to dose it all at once. I run my chlorine pump a couple times throughout the day and my FC stays very consistent.
The last HDX was still in the shrink wrap. My concern has been it degrading in the tank 91F today.
The overnight chlorine test would be hard to do except for a night that it is high. I run the pump at midnight just to make the timer setup easy. if I need 3 hours then 3AM turn off. Even if I change to 7PM when the sun is almost off of the pool if it has crashed it could take 8 hours to pump it up to 7. I have wondered if I am not getting good mixing shallow to deep end. Without the floor sweep working the return is at the steps at the end of the L and the spa about 4 feet away. I figure with the phoenix all of my suction is from the bottom and the I part of the L.
I was at Home Depot today they had HDX 10% LC shrink wrapped on the pallet that had a date code of 17345 which is December 11 2017. I went to the cleaning isle and bought HDX Germacidal bleach 8.25% that was about 2 weeks old.
I had similar problems with my Stenner system a while back. It turned out to be an internment suction side leak at some compression fittings I used. I installed a flow meter on the suction side and could occasionally see an air bubble go by. I found and replaced the cracked hose and all was well again.
I get my HDX at HD too and usually see date codes ranging over 100 days. Last month they had a pallet from 2017. Today I got some dated 18200, but it's a good idea to check each box.
I get my HDX at HD too and usually see date codes ranging over 100 days. Last month they had a pallet from 2017. Today I got some dated 18200, but it's a good idea to check each box.
18141 on the cases bought yesterday. I am about 20 miles from the HDX plant that produces it and about 1 in 3 or 4 homes in the area have a pool so maybe that is why this area is fresh HDX.
It would technically take several, actually multiple years for it to be straight water.
I had intermittent readings at the start of the season. I ended up pulling the Stenner pump to find out if it had issues. The sanoprene tube had a crack and was having intermittent suction leaks.
You may want to pull the unit and check it over.
You may want to pull the unit and check it over.
I will check the Stenner. I think there is a dozing issue that I start chasing. I had it set for 2.5 hours and dropped from 7 to 5 over 2 days while gone. Then I was gone for 3 days and had it go from 4.5 to 2. Then I jumped from 2 to 9.5 after 90 oz of chlorine. If I keep my run time between 2.5 and 3.5 hours it seems stable but if I go over that then the chase begins 90 oz last night jumped me from 2.5 to 9. That would make sense if the HDX is over 12.5 instead of 10% If I add nothing tonight then tomorrow I will be low on chlorine. My R-0870 has a expire date of 4/19 and my R-0871 has a expire date of 09/18 and it is almost gone. Could it be old test agents or somehow the pool not mixing properly over 24 hours as I check it between 7 and 8 every night I am home. BTW the 2 days I was gone I was running 3 hours and the 3 days I was gone 2.5 hours at 16 oz per hour.