Difficulty maintaining chlorine

[pooldv]

+1 on not needing to shock your pool. I haven't shocked my pool ever in 3 years of TFPC.

Just maintain your levels as follows.

Here are some of my fave Pool School articles in case you missed any of them.
TFPC for Beginners
ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry

Here are the Recommended Levels for your pool.
Here is the Water Balance for a saltwater pool.
Here are the Recommended Pool Chemicals and how to add them.
Use PoolMath to figure out how much to add.

And update your signature with your pool info as described here.

 

[Chrissykr]

Thank you all so very much for your information! My pool hasn't looked as good as it does now in years!

It will only get better as everything comes together. I still look at my pool in amazement that a pool can look like liquid glass. When my kids are underwater it looks high def, I never tire of looking at my water.

 

[Frustrated!]

My free chlorine has been staying at 4-5 range. Combined at 0.2 range! it looks fantastic! I do think it kinda smells like a chlorine pool... is that normal? it is not a strong chlorine odor, just smells "clean".

 

[Texas Splash]

Congrats on the success from your hard work! We sometimes notice a faint smell of chlorine in our pool as well - not overwhelming, just there. My wife says it reminds her of when she grew-up going to a local community pool. ha. To make sure though, it's just a faint chlorine smell, and not like ammonia right?

 

[Propbndr]

My free chlorine has been staying at 4-5 range. Combined at 0.2 range! it looks fantastic! I do think it kinda smells like a chlorine pool... is that normal? it is not a strong chlorine odor, just smells "clean".

That is totally normal. Some people are more sensitive to odors and taste than others. eg. my son swears he can "taste" the salt in my pool, so far no one else can.

 

[Frustrated!]

Yep, just a faint smell... and I thought the exact same thing as your wife... it reminded me of being at the community pool when I was young!

 

[Frustrated!]

Hi all!

I have another question.... We have had some heavy rains. I tested and received the following:
FC 2.4
CC 0.1
pH 7.2
Alk 110

Should I increase the chlorine to maintenance levels or should I do a shock level?

Thank you!

 

[Speedo]

If you still pass the 3 criteria, no need to SLAM.

Once you've learned how your pool reacts to intense sun, rain/storms, etc. You can guesstimate usage and test to verify.

Don't forget that when you're dosing, the goal is to add enough to be at the target at the next dose. (Example: If my reading is 4.5, and my target is 4; I would add 1.5-2 so that today's full sun won't use up so much that I'm below 4 by the end of the day.)


Also -- When you're up for a challenge, look in to making an aerator to slightly raise your pH. (It's not quite as difficult as it may seem, a trip to the hardware store and some tinkering with PVC.)

 

[pooldv]

Rain does not have nearly as much, if any, effect on pool chemistry as people think it would. I don't test anymore often when it rains than when it doesn't. Even with the intergalactic record rainfall that we received in May. But, when I did test I had to add salt and CYA more often than usual.

 

[Frustrated!]

Thank you!
Before last night's torrential downpour, I retested after adding 32 oz borax and 2 gal clorox. Readings were:
FC 13.6
CC 0.1
pH 7.4
Alk 110
CYA 60

Don't know why my CYA went up 10, but still normal. Water looks fantastic and I hope to be plunging in this weekend (in between thunderstorms )

 

[pooldv]

That is what we are here for!!!