Crazy chlorine evaporation rate

[centralphoenix]

Hi all,

I have owned my pool for two seasons now (this is the third) and have always used the chlorine pucks and tested my pool water at a pool store and it seemed to work ok. However, this past winter I've developed some algae and decided to learn more about the pool maintenance. I found this forum and bought the test kit to take a good care of my pool. My CYA was crazy high, well over 100 so I drained the pool, power washed the walls and started from scratch using liquid chlorine. I shocked the pool with 1.5gal of chlorine at night two days ago and it was at FC=11 yesterday morning.

My current reading about 1.5 day later is
FC/TC = 3 (no CC)
CYA = 50/60 (it's hard for me to tell when I can't see the black dot anymore, but somewhere there)
CH = 425 (tap water in Phoenix has very high calcium, it was about 350 a month ago)
PH = 7.2
TA = 90

Now what I want to understand is, granted I live in Phoenix, AZ, should I throw a chlorine puck in from time to time to keep a source of chlorine and maybe get the CYA a little higher? Adding a gallon of chlorine every 2-3 days seems crazy, but if that's what it takes it is what it is.

P.S. it is now 5pm and my pool is fully shaded so it's not like it has full sun exposure through the entire day. It starts getting shade around 2pm or so.

 

[an1vrsy]

Your CYA is high enough, as it is, if you're using one of the recommended test kits, either the TF-100 from tftestkits.net or the Taylor K-2006C. Adding a gallon of chlorine every 2nd or 3rd day should change to adding chlorine every day. The sun burns off chlorine daily, you want to replenish what burns off way before you get near the minimum per the CYA/FC chart.

CYA values round up to the next higher number, so per your numbers, your CYA is 60. Your minimum per the chart is 5 ppm free chlorine. Your target is 7 - 9 ppm.

 

[clambert1273]

Should be adding daily really if your manually dosing. I'm in your environment & UV alone at 60 cya is pushing daily loss around 6 FC a day. I have my swcg set currently to keep mine steady at 9 fc and so far it's working but I know our weather will switch gears to normal soon and then I will take my CYA to 80 until hibernation

 

[greencat]

I am in Queen Creek and I go through a gallon of chlorine every 3-4 days. My CYA is a bit higher and pool is just for my dog but it is in full sun all day long, so sounds about right.

 

[jimbethesda]

Adding a gallon of chlorine every 2-3 days seems crazy, but if that's what it takes it is what it is.

Get a SWCG.

 

[centralphoenix]

I might have misstated - I am measuring/adding chlorine daily - I am just wowed with the rate at which it disappears (a gallon every 2-3 days) and it's just the beginning of summer. I think at this rate it makes more sense to invest in a SWCG as jimbethesda suggested...

 

[Crusje]

I go through a bottle of 12.5% every 2-3 days. At least I can get it for 5.29 a bottle. I'll probably get a swg next year though to make everything easier