Converting to chlorine from PermaSalt

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cm35

Well-known member
Jun 30, 2024
120
Hillsboro Tx
Hello all. I’ve had this pool since July 2017. PermaSalt system has been perfect until this year. Mustard algae (looked like little sand deposits) and some greener algae under the two sets of steps. Couldn’t get rid of it. Algacide from the stores did nothing. Powdered shock did nothing. Started using jugs of 12.5% bleach from pool store. That got it all clear. Crystal clear for a week now. Bought a big test kit from Leslie’s. 89.00. It’s actually a Taylor Total Pool Care DPD Test Kit. But doesn’t have FAS DPD.
Any ways I’ve been going through an awful lot of chlorine gallons this past week. Water is crystal clear and has been for days now but chlorine levels are just disappearing so much it’s ridiculous. I’m waiting on a FAS DPD kit to arrive.

What can be causing all this chlorine to evaporate so quickly.
The pool store talked me into tabs floater to help maintain but a bit ago I looked up the chemical and it has stabilizer in them. Oh well.

Free .5
Total 1.5
Ph 7.5-7.6
TA 110
CH 220
CYA 57

Do I got home and ran the calculator with a target range of 4ppm and it said to add 63oz of 10% chlorine bleach. So I did. It also said to add 7 oz of muratic acid.

So as of now this is where I’m at. I can figure out the levels of most all chems, but the chlorine loss on a pristine looking pool has got me stumped. I don’t think I can afford like two gallons a day.

Saturday from sunup to sundown took 2.5 gallons to keep it just under 10ppm. But 10 is the upper limit on my tester for now.

Any ideas??

Thanks.
 
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Welcome to the forum.
Coming from Pristine Blue you need to be concerned of the copper level in your water. You may want to consider a significant water drain and refill to be sure you do not activate the copper by raising your FC to a proper level.
 
It was PermaSalt. I’m unfamiliar with Pristine Blue.
My copper levels are .4ppm the Permasalt chamber has been turned off. 4 days ago the copper .7ppm
It will continue to drop to zero within the week. I know that much from when I had to wait for a new chamber in the mail.

Thanks!!
 
cm35 said:
My copper levels are .4ppm the Permasalt chamber has been turned off. 4 days ago the copper .7ppm
It will continue to drop to zero within the week.
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Welcome! :wave: Watch the pool closely for stains. Much will depend on your copper content, pH, and FC levels. Copper, just like iron, doesn't just degrade or leave the water unless it's exchanged with fresh water. It may go into suspension which makes it almost impossible to test accurately.
 
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cm35 said:
It was PermaSalt. I’m unfamiliar with Pristine Blue.
My copper levels are .4ppm the Permasalt chamber has been turned off. 4 days ago the copper .7ppm
It will continue to drop to zero within the week. I know that much from when I had to wait for a new chamber in the mail.

Thanks!!
Click to expand...
My bad. Same issue. Your water has copper in it. I would suggest a healthy water replacement.
 
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I’ll consider it.
The chlorine loss is substantial for such clear water now I’ve visibly gotten rid of the algae.
I did the overnight test last night. At 9:30 after dark it was 2ppm free and like 1ppm total chlorine.
This morning at 630 it showed no free chlorine and .5 total. Pump did not run all night.
 
cm35 said:
I’ll consider it.
The chlorine loss is substantial for such clear water now I’ve visibly gotten rid of the algae.
I did the overnight test last night. At 9:30 after dark it was 2ppm free and like 1ppm total chlorine.
This morning at 630 it showed no free chlorine and .5 total. Pump did not run all night.
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You probably got algae and need to SLAM once you get the FAS-DPD. And does your kit test CYA?
 
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I my CYA is about 52-55. It comes down each time I do a small backwash/bypass to waste and refill. That algae must be some really tough stuff. My water has been sparkling crystal clear for over a week now.
 
cm35 said:
I my CYA is about 52-55. It comes down each time I do a small backwash/bypass to waste and refill. That algae must be some really tough stuff. My water has been sparkling crystal clear for over a week now.
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The taylor test only reports CYA in the 10’s. If the dot doesnt quite dissapear between the lines on the tube, we round it up to the nearest decade. So your CYA should be reported as 60ppm and you need to be keeping your chlorine above 4ppm when you’re done with the SLAM per the FC/CYA chart.

Your test results arent making sense so post up updated numbers when you get the kit. The algae doesnt need to be tough when theres no chlorine in the water. If yours was down to 2ppm and then zero, algae is just what happens in that case.
 
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I just tested and I have zero free chlorine and 3ppm Total chlorine. I put in one gallon of 12.5% chlorine this morning at 530am. At 12:00 noon right now free was almost gone. Water looks amazing.
FC 0.0
TC 3.0
Ph 7.2
TA 120
CYA 50
CH 220

My FAS DPD test kit is here ready for a SLAM.

Could this be from a set of steps that are filled with sand to help weight down reseeding the water?
I just thought of that a bit ago.

Thanks everyone!!
 

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I haven’t used the fas dpd yet.
I’m using the R-0001 5 drops. Then R-0002 5 drops for free chlorine. Comparing the red scale to the color of the water.
Then it says 5 drops of R-0003 to determine Total chlorine. And comparing again.
I’ve been very careful to follow instructions and even had someone to watch and follow directions with me.
 
Well I’m learning things all the time. Lol
Maybe I do need to do a fas-dpd test because I may have outran the normal 5ppm testing limit of the drops in the standard tests.
Possible I’m already so high. The fas-dpd would prove that out.
 
cm35 said:
I haven’t used the fas dpd yet.
I’m using the R-0001 5 drops. Then R-0002 5 drops for free chlorine. Comparing the red scale to the color of the water.
Then it says 5 drops of R-0003 to determine Total chlorine. And comparing again.
I’ve been very careful to follow instructions and even had someone to watch and follow directions with me.
Click to expand...
I take that back. It’s not impossible. I had the numbers mixed up. If those are accurate and I kind of doubt they are that means you have 3 ppm cc which may not be pleasant to swim in
 
I’ve got internet people here now. In a bit I’ll do a fasdpd test. I’m curious if I’ve been putting too much bleach in.
That may explain my readings on a test that only goes to 5ppm. And at that high the red color is hard to compare.
 
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