High Chlorine 20ppm and White Water Mold

[nickg99]

Hi,

I just got started learning about all of this and have been trying to balance out our stock tank pool which is 700 gallons.

It seems the chlorine level has been really high, I have to dilute it to get an accurate reading and it appears it's at 20ppm.

We are using the 3 inch clorox pool tablets which are 99% trichloro. I guess I have to just take out the float and use something to reduce the chlorine?

Do smaller tablets like the 1 inch introduce less chlorine?

I have some bioguard chem-out which is sodium sulphite, I imagine this could help reduce the chlorine in the near term?

I also have some doheny's non chlorine shock which is potassium monopersulfate which I guess could also help.

On top of all of this we got white water mold and it seems to be still mildly present, I cleaned everything out several times and shocked the pool with pool essentials 4 in 1 shock which is 45% trichloro.

The white water mold only seems to show up as very tiny thin threads when we are using the pool and then is completely gone once we are out.

I used a poolmaster 5 way kit to determine that ph is at 7.2 or slightly above and alkalinity is at 110 ppm.

Sorry if this is too much or not enough info but I'm just looking to see what the best and simplest way forward is.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello Nick and welcome to TFP! Usually in pools (or containers) under 3K gallons, we treat by following the seasonal pool link below. Often times it's just easier than trying to run a SLAM Process or buying a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit for such a small body of water. But if you start over and follow that link you should do fine. If you don't want to drain, then you wold have to perform a SLAM Process which would require one of those other test kits, or at the very least the FAS-DPD portion so that you know you are accurately measuring the elevated FC level. Remember though, to do a SLAM Process, you must know the accurate CYA test. That's key when you refer back to the FC/CYA Levels so you know which FC level you need to be at. Hope that makes sense. If you have more questions, just let us know.

Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools

Smaller seasonal pools can see just as much enjoyment as their larger counterparts. In this guide we'll show you how to maintain your temporary pool.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Texas Splash]

Nick, I should also note that since you've been using pucks for a while, I suspect your CYA level is probably quite high. A high CYA also makes water management difficult and the only way to reduce a high CYA is by exchanging water.

 

[nickg99]

Thanks, I did a lot more reading after posting but I think your summary helps me out. I have ordered the TF-100 and am looking forward to getting the testing under way. For now I have taken out the pucks, letting the water evaporate, will dilute by refilling and hope that helps until I get the test kit. I'll start using liquid chlorine going forward and following all the guides on the site. Hopefully this will make everything a lot simpler.

Do you recommend the slam to ensure the white mold is gone or is it to get the pool back to normal regarding chlorine levels.

 

[Texas Splash]

Yes, whatever that white substance is, if it's organic the SLAM Process is the way to go. Also be mindful that CYA (and CH) don't go down just from evaporation, but by exchanging water. I don't want you to be too disappointed if you let 2-3 feet of water evaporate, top it off, and find the CYA the same.

 

[mknauss]

letting the water evaporate, will dilute by refilling

Welcome to the forum!
The CYA does not leave the pool that way. It will degrade a small amount over time, but evaporation does not remove CYA.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[Texas Splash]

Hopefully finding a good source of liquid chlorine is not a problem for you. But I'll tag @Richard320 who knows a few areas that might be good to know about.

 

[nickg99]

So maybe just drain it and refill is simplest and start with the TFP method going forward?

I read so much today and yesterday that I thought I read the CYA evaporates, thanks for the correction.

 

[Richard320]

Dealer Locator | HASA Pool is where I'd start.

 

[DorsalSpine]

Drain and refill for 700 gallons is the easiest approach. You can do a thorough cleaning while it is empty.

 

[nickg99]

When I first filled it I bypassed our water softener which also has a coconut fiber filter, would it be better to just use the soft/filtered water as a starting point?

 

[DorsalSpine]

It's only better if you can feel the difference. I put borax in my pool and my wife says she can feel the difference. It seems the same to me. How often do you have to top it off?

 

[nickg99]

Not too often, but I was using a solar cover at first. Due to how small the pool is the solar cover was keeping it too hot so now that it's uncovered I add water every other week.

 

[nickg99]

So what do I need to have on hand once I refill, is liquid chlorine, borax, muriatic acid, and stabilizer enough to have on hand or are there any other thing I should get?

 

[DorsalSpine]

That pretty well covers things.

 

[nickg99]

Oddly enough I put a second capful (that's how it's measured) of the bioguard chem-out in and it brought things back down.

The first capful got me from 20ppm to 16ppm and then the next one brought it down to 3-5ppm (my current poolmaster test kit is hard to determine the exact shade of yellow)

I added some water and this morning I think I'm down to 1ppm so I added the floater back in for a moment, home depot is delivering liquid chlorine today.

Looking forward to getting started doing things the right way and for the TF-100 to arrive, should I have ordered anything extra with it or is that enough for now?

Also my ph hovers at 7.2 - Should I boost it to 7.6 with borax?

 

[DorsalSpine]

The TF-100 is a good start. You mentioned borax earlier. Try it and see. You may find that your tank has a natural PH it wants to stay at. Trying to tweak that can be a pain. Sometimes if it's close enough it's close enough. You may like the feel of borates in the water.

Use pool math to see how much borax to use. Keep track of it. Borates are like CYA, they stay until you exchange water. You can purchase test strips for borates. I usually just keep track of how much I've added. I'll purchase the strips at some point. I changed water last year so it's not a big deal yet. At some point I'll need to test the borate level.

 

[nickg99]

So if I don't have the TF-100 yet, is there anything I can do to estimate CYA level so I can add liquid chlorine?

 

[Texas Splash]

is there anything I can do to estimate CYA level so I can add liquid chlorine?

If you did a 100% drain, then your CYA will be zero, so you can use the PoolMath APP to calculate how much stabilizer to add to get the CYA to a desired number. For summer, 40 is probably a good start. You can always increase to 50 later if needed to compensate for the heat.