Do I have to use Liquid Chlorine?

[Briant2468]

I’m a 2week old 24ft round AG, 13,600gal, Cartdrige filter pool owner. I unfortunately trusted the pool store and had a Copper ionizer System and have abandoned that after realizing it is a scam and nobody but them understand it and I am reliant solely on them if I kept it. I also have stopped dealing with the pool store because when I try to return stuff still in an unaltered box they will only give store credit, and other problems . But that aside I like this forum And wish I had done my research ahead of time, but I’m doing it now. I like the idea of liquid chlorine with no additives (CYA,Calcium,etc...) but I do not like the every day adding it. Am I a bad person if I use a chlorine tablets in a floater? Is a Auto Feeder better? Is Robelle 5 in 1 a good tablet? Seems like a good idea. If not what? I just received my new Taylor k2006 test kit today and trying to learn it. Any help would be appreciated. Feeling overwhelmed trying to scramble to learn everything (my fault) starting to regret getting a pool. It was supposed to be simple.

 

[zea3]

It doesn’t make you a bad person to want to use tabs, but it will make you a frustrated pool owner if you let the CYA get too high. It looks like your CYA is already where it should be, so you don’t want to raise it any higher, which is exactly what tabs will do.

You may want to consider adding a saltwater chlorine generator to your pool. It will give you a constant supply of chlorine without having to haul jugs around.

 

[tim5055]

You mentioned 3" tabs. We really are not against their use. We are against their uncontrolled use. The pool store tells you that they are the easiest way to get chlorine in your pool. They are. But, they don't tell you (or really don't understand) that the 3" tabs also add CYA (also known as stabilizer or conditioner) to your pool. All pools need stabilizer, but not too much. Others here can give you the scientific details if you want, but lets just say CYA locks the ability of chlorine to sanitize. The more CYA you have the more chlorine you need to keep in the pool to keep algae at bay.

So, if you test and keep an eye on the CYA the tabs bring to the party, fine. As the CYA goes up, the minimum FC you need to keep goes up.

To be honest, once you "learn" your pool you may be able to get away with liquid additions every two to three days. I have sold the house with a pool, but I over-chlorinated a little on day one and could skip day two and three soemtimes. But, you have to understand your pool and be willing to sacrifice a little chlorine to the UV/Sun gods. Dropping below the minimum FC level is bad, as it allows algae an opening to get started in the pool.

 

[Richard320]

The testing is easy. There are plenty of how-to videos on youtube. A few notes: you can use only 10 ml water and only one scoop of powder and then each drop counts as .5. Simple math --- divide drops in half. 8 drops = 4 FC and so on. For the CYA test, there's no shame in repeating the test with the same solution time after time until you are comfortable with it.

No matter what Leslie's says, you don't need to add CH to your vinyl pool.

You must take care if you rely on pucks. Not only do they add chlorine, they also add more CYA and they are acidic so they lower pH and TA. As CYA climbs, so does the minimum FC level to keep algae at bay. So you need more pucks. Which raises the the minimum FC level to keep algae at bay. So you need more pucks. Which raises the the minimum FC level to keep algae at bay. So you need more pucks. And you end up in a terrible spiral that ends with a green pool.

Adding a quart or so of bleach every day is not such a burden. You'll eventually make it a habit.

 

[Briant2468]

The testing is easy. There are plenty of how-to videos on youtube. A few notes: you can use only 10 ml water and only one scoop of powder and then each drop counts as .5. Simple math --- divide drops in half. 8 drops = 4 FC and so on. For the CYA test, there's no shame in repeating the test with the same solution time after time until you are comfortable with it.

No matter what Leslie's says, you don't need to add CH to your vinyl pool.

You must take care if you rely on pucks. Not only do they add chlorine, they also add more CYA and they are acidic so they lower pH and TA. As CYA climbs, so does the minimum FC level to keep algae at bay. So you need more pucks. Which raises the the minimum FC level to keep algae at bay. So you need more pucks. Which raises the the minimum FC level to keep algae at bay. So you need more pucks. And you end up in a terrible spiral that ends with a green pool.

Adding a quart or so of bleach every day is not such a burden. You'll eventually make it a habit.

The testing is easy. There are plenty of how-to videos on youtube. A few notes: you can use only 10 ml water and only one scoop of powder and then each drop counts as .5. Simple math --- divide drops in half. 8 drops = 4 FC and so on. For the CYA test, there's no shame in repeating the test with the same solution time after time until you are comfortable with it.

No matter what Leslie's says, you don't need to add CH to your vinyl pool.

You must take care if you rely on pucks. Not only do they add chlorine, they also add more CYA and they are acidic so they lower pH and TA. As CYA climbs, so does the minimum FC level to keep algae at bay. So you need more pucks. Which raises the the minimum FC level to keep algae at bay. So you need more pucks. Which raises the the minimum FC level to keep algae at bay. So you need more pucks. And you end up in a terrible spiral that ends with a green pool.

Adding a quart or so of bleach every day is not such a burden. You'll eventually make it a habit.

Haha... it’s a vicious cycle. What do you mean you can use the same CYA solution over and over. It looks to me with the Taylor k2006 you can only test a few times. Is that true?

 

[Richard320]

Haha... it’s a vicious cycle. What do you mean you can use the same CYA solution over and over. It looks to me with the Taylor k2006 you can only test a few times. Is that true?

Pour it back into the mixing bottle and repeat it using the same sample. You don't have enough reagents to mix new samples.

 

[Briant2468]

Pour it back into the mixing bottle and repeat it using the same sample. You don't have enough reagents to mix new samples.

So I did my first test and when I added DPD powder it never changed so no Chlorine. I did Ph and it was 7.4. And the CYA I did and with the comparator full I still could see black dot, it was not cloudy like in videos. I could see through the mixing bottle clearly. Should I get some CYA at Home Depot? I have never done anything to add d CYA to it since I had it for 2 weeks unless Simple Blue Simple Salt primer added it. See picture

 

[Richard320]

If you didn't add any CYA., you won't have any in a fresh fill. So get some.

 

[jblizzle]

You could add about 20ppm of CYA and then use tablets for awhile to raise it up the rest. Testing and using bleach to supplement the FC as needed.

Also I don't think anyone pointed out to avoid the # in 1 tablets as they may have copper in them as well. Find 99+% trichlor if you decide to use tablets.

 

[Briant2468]

You could add about 20ppm of CYA and then use tablets for awhile to raise it up the rest. Testing and using bleach to supplement the FC as needed.

Also I don't think anyone pointed out to avoid the # in 1 tablets as they may have copper in them as well. Find 99+% trichlor if you decide to use tablets.

Do you know anything about Robelle 5 in 1 tablets? I am curious if they are good or a scam. I think I will try the TFPC for a little while. Just did my first test and feel a little less intimidated right now.

 

[Richard320]

Do you know anything about Robelle 5 in 1 tablets? I am curious if they are good or a scam. I think I will try the TFPC for a little while. Just did my first test and feel a little less intimidated right now.

What we know is what they publish.... which is that the other 4 ingredients are a trade secret. Here's the SDS.

Big rule around here is to not put anything in your pool unless you know what it is and what it will do. Nobody knows what's in there. Likely guesses are borax to counter the acidity and some kind of polymer clarifier (that will glue crud to your filter) and copper or silver compounds that act as an algaecide but offer little protection against bacteria and viruses. The fourth is chlorine. The fifth? Maybe stabilizer. Maybe something else. But those are all guesses. The only thing for sure is 94% trichlor which means 33% CYA.

 

[Briant2468]

What we know is what they publish.... which is that the other 4 ingredients are a trade secret. Here's the SDS.

Big rule around here is to not put anything in your pool unless you know what it is and what it will do. Nobody knows what's in there. Likely guesses are borax to counter the acidity and some kind of polymer clarifier (that will glue crud to your filter) and copper or silver compounds that act as an algaecide but offer little protection against bacteria and viruses. The fourth is chlorine. The fifth? Maybe stabilizer. Maybe something else. But those are all guesses. The only thing for sure is 94% trichlor which means 33% CYA.

Wow! Thank you for the research!!! I’ve already fell for one to good to be true thing and didn’t want to fall for another. Again Thank You.

 

[tim5055]

I’ve already fell for one to good to be true thing and didn’t want to fall for another. Again Thank You.

Richard touched on this, but here it is - TFPC tenet - Never put chemistry in your pool when you do not know the outcome

We find that many times pool store employees primary goal is to sell stuff, not necessarily get your pool in perfect condition. As to whether that is because of improper training, lack of knowledge or just to sell stuff I will leave up to you. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their advice and testing.

To know what is going on with your pool we need accurate test results we can trust, and those don't come from a pool store. We base our pool care system on your personal accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. I haven't seen you post that you had one, but if you do - please add it to your signature.

While you are woring n your signature, I feel you are less lost and confused than in the learning stage. We were all there once. If yuo stick with us, by the end of this pool season you will be answering questions for new folks showing up.

 

[DebbieO]

My pool was never "perfect" under the pool store guidelines. That way they could sell me stuff to correct what they messed up the previous week. A vicious cycle! You'll get it, and probably quicker than you can imagine. I gotta believe that adding chlorine everyday or every other day is still quicker than running a sample to the pool store. LOTS cheaper, too!

 

[Briant2468]

Richard touched on this, but here it is - TFPC tenet - Never put chemistry in your pool when you do not know the outcome

We find that many times pool store employees primary goal is to sell stuff, not necessarily get your pool in perfect condition. As to whether that is because of improper training, lack of knowledge or just to sell stuff I will leave up to you. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their advice and testing.

To know what is going on with your pool we need accurate test results we can trust, and those don't come from a pool store. We base our pool care system on your personal accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. I haven't seen you post that you had one, but if you do - please add it to your signature.

While you are woring n your signature, I feel you are less lost and confused than in the learning stage. We were all there once. If yuo stick with us, by the end of this pool season you will be answering questions for new folks showing up.

Thank you. Yes I just got the Taylor K-2006 on Friday, unfortunately I ordered it before I found out about this site and that I could order it here. I will update my signature. The test is not as intimidating once you do it once. I will stick with the TFPC method. I do not know if the Simple Salt System Primer put CYA in my pool or not. When I tested it my CYA was definitely below 30. So I just added a 1lb of CYA and see how it goes. Thank you for your response.

 

[zea3]

Bringing up the CYA level gradually is smart. The Taylor K2006 is a good kit, and when it is time to order refills you can get them from tftestkits.net.

 

[kimkats]

You are already ahead of the curve by having a good test kit! Good job! I am going to share a set of links I put together for new pool owners. I bet you have already seen a couple of these links but I don't want to take a chance of you not knowing about one:
Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

Trouble Free Pool

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Kim

 

[Briant2468]

You are already ahead of the curve by having a good test kit! Good job! I am going to share a set of links I put together for new pool owners. I bet you have already seen a couple of these links but I don't want to take a chance of you not knowing about one:
Print these out:
Pool School - Basic Pool Care Schedule

Pool School - Recommended Levels

Bookmark these:
Pool School - Recommended Pool Chemicals

Trouble Free Pool

Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Kim

Thank you!!! I will check them out.

 

[Tpopz]

Feeling overwhelmed

Stay calm......and swirl(your test samples)

It’s really that easy......eventually.

A pool is like a pet, a new pool is like a puppy. It takes a bit of effort and understanding initially to get your pool to respond how you want and you gain that understanding by frequent testing. I’m no expert yet, but my testing is becoming predictable. I have a pretty good idea what my pool needs before I run the numbers. The numbers just make it possible to stay on track.

There are several alternatives to daily dosing.

Salt water chlorine generator
Stenner Pump (peristaltic pump)
Liquidator

But, starting off with daily dosing will give you a deeper understanding of your pools needs.

 

[Briant2468]

Thank you. I’ve only tested a couple times and it’s not that bad. I am trying to get my CYA up, I added 1lb today and will test tomorrow. Then I will work on my TA, I think it is 120-130. My ph is 7.6. Once I get everything balanced I think it will go ok. SWG sounds cool but and I would like it and a lot of people here talk good about it but the product reviews are bad on everything I see.