High CC

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A

ari

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Jun 13, 2013
16
Jersey Shore
Hello all. I have been following this site for the past two seasons, this year i decided to take the plunge ditch the pool store and follow the BBB method. The issue i'm having is that my CC levels are very high and have been that way since i opened. Now i know that i'm supposed to keep shocking until it goes down. However, i'm reading all these horror stories of people putting 100+ gallons of bleach and still having high CC. My question is, if my pool is sparkling clean and the water does not irritate anyone's skin or eyes- what is so bad with high CC, why can't i just leave it as-is?
As some background, last season prior to closing my pool store told me i had very high nitrates and i need to drain half my pool, which i did, but it did not help the problem. And this season right after i opened i went to pool store to test and once again, they told me to drain half the pool because of very high nitrates. So i'm guessing the bleach/free chlorine i'm putting in is going to fight the nitrates and turning it into CC. But i'm back to my original question, if my pool is sparkling clean and the water does not irritate anyone's skin or eyes- what is so bad with high CC, why can't i just leave it as-is?
As far as test results, everything seems to be in order (PH= 7.9; TA= 90; CH= 160). My CNY is on the low side (even though i added conditioner twice and each one was supposed to increase by 30ppm. It is currently reading 20 or below. So my second question is, if i am convinced to keep shocking to bring down CC, should i first raise CNY level?
Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to provide, it's greatly appreciated!
 
:wave: First question--What type of test are you using to acquire your results? If you are relying on pool store results, don't. You really need a good test kits such as the ones recommended on this site. Until you are doing your testing yourself, you are basically just blowing in the wind. Believe me, I have been "pool stored" in the past too. :grrrr: I spent over $300 on their recommendations last year just trying to open my pool. :blah: Then I found this site. Now I only spend about half that for the entire season. :whoot: :whoot:
 
I have read pool school numerous times.
There is not a bad chlorine smell which is why i'm wondering why I can't simply leave it with high CC.
I am using the Taylor k-2006 test kit which i just purchased two weeks ago.
 
1) post full set of numbers...
2) based on that recommendations can be made...
3) High CC means there are organics in the pool (bad)
4) Very low CYA (0-20) makes it hard to keep shock levels stable with out frequent testing and chlorine addition.
5) I personally like slightly low CYA during shock 40-50

You have not completed the shock process if your CC's are high

But a real expert can come along and tell you if I am wrong here.....
 
FC and CC numbers keep changing which is why i did not post them. As of last testing @ 9:00 this morning FC was 1.5 and CC was 16. I added 317oz. of 6% bleach as per pool calculator to reach shock level of 10 as per Shock/CYA chart. I have been shocking for quite some time now, put in about 25 gallons of bleach so far and still have high CC and low FC which is why i asked my original question.
thanks again for all of your help.
 
ari said:
I have read pool school numerous times.
There is not a bad chlorine smell which is why i'm wondering why I can't simply leave it with high CC.
I am using the Taylor k-2006 test kit which i just purchased two weeks ago.
Click to expand...

1. Let's confirm that you are testing w/the FAS/DPD test correctly. Sometimes we miss a step here and there. First, you can watch the video and see if you are doing the same thing. Then, you can walk us thru your steps/testing method, if you want. Maybe we'll spot something.
http://www.youtube.com/user/tf100testki ... sults_main

2. What was the CYA level when you closed and what was the CYA level when you opened?

Welcome to the forum :wave:
 
I am testing exactly as shown in the video- in fact i am using the Taylor speedstir to make sure test is done properly.
I do not know what CYA level was when i closed. When i opened, and did the taylor CYA test, water was completely clear all the way to the top of tester. When i did CYA test yesterday, black dot dissapeared when water was all the way at top- i'm assuming that means CYA is 20 or around there.
thanks
 
How long ago did you add the CYA and what method did you use? is it fully dissolved yet?

If it is truly 20 or less fluctuating FC levels are normal especially if you have organics AND sunshine eating it up....
 

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I would continue to shock AND raise the CYA gently.... Don't stop shocking or you will lose all your progress.

With low CYA, sun and organics you will have to stay on top of your FC multiple times a day.
 
That sounds like the unusual CYA converted into Ammonia, there was no CYA in the water when you opened. You said you did two additions of CYA that should get you to 30 ppm, but yet you're still reading 20 or below.

With ammonia the FC is very quickly converted into CC, as in within 30-60 minutes. If that's the case you'll just have to stick with the chlorine dosing and testing to maintain at shock levels which could be hourly initially. All the ammonia will be gone and you'll start to hold FC. It could take a lot of bleach to get rid of it all. If you want you can purchase an ammonia test kit at a pet or fish store to verify that's the culprit.
 
I suggest you test for FC only (don't bother testing CC) until FC starts holding. When the FC starts holding, the ammonia should be burned up. Yes, it does sound like ammonia to me, too.

As mentioned, you can purchase an ammonia kit from a pet store, WallyWorld, etc. Some pet stores will test the water for you for free. You could call then and ask if you want.
 
Thanks for that advice butterfly, that makes sense not testing for CC.
Is ammonia the same as nitrates?
Do you think I should try to raise the CYA at this point?
I still don't clearly understand why I can't leave pool with high CC if water is sparkling and not causing any irritation or smell.
 
I still don't clearly understand why I can't leave pool with high CC if water is sparkling and not causing any irritation or smell.
Click to expand...
Chloramines (combined chlorine) are poor sanitizers. The presence of chloramines (and dichloramines/ trichloramines in particular) cause the following physical symptoms:
red, burning eyes;
burning sensation in nose, throat and lungs;
dry, itchy skin and dry hair;
breathing difficulty leading to "swimmers' asthma" particularly in young children.
In addition to these, the pool has a tendency to discolor, becoming milky or green with algae due to the low sanitizing ability of the combined chlorine.
Click to expand...
You may not be currently experiencing those symptoms but you will. If you drive in the wrong lane, you may not be hitting any cars yet, but you will.

Shock the pool. Do not just throw a "shock" product into the pool.....that won't work. read "How to Shock Your Pool" up in Pool School and then follow that article precisely.

Butterfly has you on the right track except I personally wouldn't do the ammonia test. Regardless of the outcome of that test, shocking the pool is the only answer.
 
Thank you! I like the driving in the wrong lane analogy- finally i can wrap my head around this.
I have been following shock procedures and will continue to do so. Should i try to raise my CYA at this point or wait until my FC starts holding?
 
ari said:
Thank you! I like the driving in the wrong lane analogy- finally i can wrap my head around this.
I have been following shock procedures and will continue to do so. Should i try to raise my CYA at this point or wait until my FC starts holding?
Click to expand...
I suggest to just leave CYA alone until you burn off the ammonia.

When shocking, hit it hard especially when the sun is off the pool and you should see faster improvement burning up ammonia. The more you do tonight (at night), the better. Test and add bleach/liquid chlorine back up to shock level as often as every 30 minutes.
 

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