HELP! Trying to get it all right?

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C

Cchandler

0
Jun 4, 2018
19
Commerce GA
So I am a total newbie but determined to learn this on my own rather than using pool store info. I have a Taylor DAS-FPD test kid and am now comfortable with it. Yesterday, these were my readings from the kit

FC-4.5
CC-0
PH-7.6
ALK-130
CYA-35
Cal Hard-250

Pool looks wonderfully clear. I felt like my readings were right on yesterday from what I read? So I testing my chlorine this afternoon, FC was 1.6 (about 36 hours from previous test).
Question #1: Why did I loose so much chlorine? Do I need to add CYA?
Question #2: I am using 3 inch trichlor pucks but want to switch to chlorine ....do I use bleach, clorox, liquid chlorine....the verbage is confusing to me.
Question #3: When you all refer to shock do you just mean a higher amount of liquid chlorine? I have the bag stuff from the pool store.


Thanks so much for any advice.
 
Cchandler said:
So I am a total newbie but determined to learn this on my own rather than using pool store info. I have a Taylor DAS-FPD test kid and am now comfortable with it. Yesterday, these were my readings from the kit

FC-4.5
CC-0
PH-7.6
ALK-130
CYA-35
Cal Hard-250

Pool looks wonderfully clear. I felt like my readings were right on yesterday from what I read? So I testing my chlorine this afternoon, FC was 1.6 (about 36 hours from previous test).
Question #1: Why did I loose so much chlorine?
Click to expand...
Chlorine is a consumable item. Most people lose 2-4 ppm per day. You lost 3 in 36 hours. It's normal.
Do I need to add CYA?
Click to expand...
Doesn't look like it, based on your low losses.
Question #2: I am using 3 inch trichlor pucks but want to switch to chlorine ....do I use bleach, clorox, liquid chlorine....the verbage is confusing to me.
Click to expand...
They're all the same stuff, Sodium Hypochlorite. Clorox is a brand name, the others are just marketing. Generally the weak stuff is bleach, the strong stuff is sold as pool chlorine. Good idea to move away from pucks. While handy, they add more and more CYA to the water with each puck, and while the FC dissipates, the CYA remains. It's like the STD of the pool world.
Question #3: When you all refer to shock do you just mean a higher amount of liquid chlorine? I have the bag stuff from the pool store.
Click to expand...
It could be powdered chlorine from the pool store. Unfortunately, it could mean dichlor, trichlor, cal-hypo in one of 4 or 5 strengths, lithium hypochlorite, or potassium monopersulfate. It's also sometimes used for the bleach and called Liquid Pool Shock. It can be a verb (not here, though) or an adjective, as in "shock level." It short, it can mean so many different things, it's almost meaningless. But don't use powdered chlorine no matter what they call it.
Thanks so much for any advice.
Click to expand...
 
Thank you Richard! So if I understand everything correctly, the pucks are used for convenience because they are slow dissolving and you don't have to add chlorine every day. Im gonna give the liquid chlorine a try! I guess by testing daily, Ill start to figure out my daily chlorine amounts.
 
Hi CC,
yeah, you have a lot to learn. Until you understand it all better, it best to remove the pucks and stick with liquid chlorine or bleach. They are the same thing, just different strengths.

Here are some useful links for you. Everyone on the forum pretty much is saying the same thing, just in a different way. When the confusion sets in, just get back to basics with these easy to use charts. I also recommend reading (several times), the ABC's of pool chemistry. Its just a quick summary of how things work.

Pool School - Recommended Levels
Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart
Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
 
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