Dry water

[MuffysMuffin]

Hellos! So my water has been dry...causing dry skin and horrid feeling hair. I had wanted a SWG because I liked the water feel but was talked out of it by my local store back when we bought the house four summers ago. They stated we could get that using borates. Not exactly my experience and have been struggling to get that soft slippery feel. mostly feeling regretful. Is there anything I can do with my levels that’s help? In ground vinyl glass filter UV light chlorine pool 24k gallons
TIA
Muffy

 

[kimkats]

Muffy! Dry hair? Well at least it is not green!

Lets get this party started! First off how are you testing your water? If you are letting the pool store do their "free" test then that could be a large part of your problem. We have found time and time again where the pool store get the levels wrong

How are you adding FC (free chlorine) to your pool? I am going to guess tablets.

I await your answers!

Kim

 

[MuffysMuffin]

Well...for the first two years I used the free test at the store and used pucks via my chlorinator. But in my defense, I had only been lightly creeping here. I figured straw hair was learning curve. At the end of our second summer, I bought your kit.
I used it exclusively in the beginning but then HE started taking in samples to The Professionals and their report was always a tad higher in values. So sometimes I’d correct using your kit and sometimes he’d correct using theirs but overall we didn’t need to correct much honestly. Pool was clear. We didn’t reek of chlorine (I like it around 3). Problem was our hair was like a generic Barbie’s still. So here I am, a week into pool open and hoping for that silky water feel...will this be the year?!?

 

[Flying Tivo]

We need numbers to help you out better. Post your test result with your kit not the PS. Love your signature but we need more specifics about equipment. Remember you only need liquid chlorine, muratic acid and cya.

 

[JamesW]

I would suggest that you get rid of the UV and switch to salt.

 

[Pool_Medic]

It’s the chlorine that’s giving you that straw hair feeling. Pool stores love talking customers out of SWCG because it kills their sales of all their other mystery fixes. While at SWCG isn’t a set it and forget it system, I tell clients it’s very similar to their heating/cooling system in their house. It just requires a little bit of adjusting. The salt will actually make the water softer as well.

 

[zea3]

What is the calcium hardness level in your pool?

 

[MuffysMuffin]

Howdy all! I was out of town again. This is what I came back to:
FC: 1.5
Cc: less than 1 but more than 0
Ca: 250
TA: 130
CYA: 80
TC : 2.0
pH: 7.2
But like I said in my initial post, having my values “in range” didn’t seem to help the straw hair feel. I’m wondering if there’s specific numbers that will reduce the dryness.
TIA!

 

[mknauss]

You are extremely low FC and algae is getting ready to party. Add chlorine now!

Aerating to raise your pH should help the 'dry water' feel. If it persists, I would suggest adding 1500-2000 ppm salt to the water.

 

[MuffysMuffin]

Thanks. It was on my to do today for certain. I don’t have a SWP but wish I did!

 

[duraleigh]

I am guessing just a bit but I do not think chlorine is causing your dry hair.....I believe you are sensitive the the way calcium feels in your hair. When you describe "slippery" feel, what comes to my mind is a water softener. It removes the CH from your water and gives tap water a "slippery" "I can't rinse off the soap" feel.

If that is the case, I would suggest you try borates to you water. Your CH is fine where it is and you really don't need to lower it. Why did you say you had an experience with borates that didn't work?

 

[MuffysMuffin]

The borates didn’t give me that feel I had experienced in other pools. Other chlorinated pools even.

 

[jmikeb]

i think when marty suggested adding salt, he meant add salt to your chlorine pool. it gives it the silky feel.
your cya of 80 is on the upper limits, btw. your fc needs to be around 7-8ppm or so... never below 6

mike

 

[MuffysMuffin]

Add salt? COOL!! I was under the impression I could keep FC in the 4 range due to the UV light. What’s your take on UV?

 

[kimkats]

You mean that pretty yellow ball in the sky? It gives us LOTS of uv when the clouds are not covering it..........Those uv lights do not do much of anything to an outside pool. They only "work" on the water that is running through it at the moment and does not really sanitize the water. That is what chlorine is for.

Kim