How do I get rid of Chloramines?

[sunshinetn]

I'm still a pretty new pool owner and trying to understand everything and it's taken some time. Last summer I fought algae all summer. I opened my pool 3 weeks ago and just now am getting it from nasty green gross to clear. It's not crystal clear yet, but it's 90% there and then it rains...of course my luck. I have a vinyl liner pool, sand filter, approx 30,000 gallons, SWG. The pool store has been having me use 73% Cal-hypo and it finally worked to get rid of algae. I always dilute in a bucket before putting in pool. My FC today is 4.5 which I usually dont keep it higher than 3, but this is where it's coming down from shock 3 days ago. My TC is 6 ( we got a 1/2 in downpour last night so that's probably why I have high CC now and the downpour causes all the worms to come out of the ground and end up in my pool (I mean lots of worms like 3 cups worth). I got them all out. My readings are:
FC - 4.5
TC - 6
Alk - 90
CYA - As of a few days ago it was 33 (I have my pool place test this)
CH -275
PH - 7.6
Salt 2904

So from what I'm reading since my CC is 1.5 the only way to get it down is shock it, right? Would 3 bags of super shock work? I'm still trying to understand what the "booster" button is for on my SWG and why I would ever use it? I read people saying shock is bad for liners and I've been reading about SLAM, but it kinda freaks me out thinking of pouring liquid shock in there. I'm so scared of burning up my liner or fading it and I read where one lady did that. I cant afford to replace the liner and I need this liner to last a long time. It's only 2 years old. So you know a little bit of what I've been doing b/c I've been fighting algae. I did 5 pds of shock last Friday with flocculent, 3 pds shock on Sat night and 6 pds shock on Sunday night and it finally got rid of all the algae. Saturday morning the whole floor was covered in probably 1/2 thick of yellow looking dead algae (was a nightmare to get up and I'll never do it again), Sunday morning patches of white dead algae here and there and Monday morning it was brown looking and very little of it. Water was finally looking blue and clear instead of having green hues. Monday I added clarifier and It's now Wed and I'm super happy with the clarity now I can finally see the liner on the deep end, but we are getting rain almost everyday for the next week and I dont know what to do. I've been sweeping 1 to 2 times a day walls and floor and backwashing when necessary and running the robot to get the dead algae up. I hate to keep shocking it, but I have too to get rid of these Cc's, right? I dont want to go backwards from all the work I put into it and got it looking so good for the rain to mess it all up. What should I do? My thoughts are to put 3 bags of super shock in it tonight. 63% chance of some rain tomorrow. I've broomed the walls and floor this morning and will do it again tonight. I'm running the robot constantly. The last 3 days I've seen a little something on the liner in the mornings and I'm thinking it might be dead algae still, but not for sure....though it's brown. Should I shock now or wait til this evening?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

STOP!!! Please stop listening to pool stores that just sell you trouble. Let me start from the beginning-
Read This --> ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
So you'll have learned CCs are Combined Chloramines which is the chlorine fighting the "cooties". The chlorine will oxidize them, and the sun helps burn them up and away.

Next if you're using a SWG you should be using liquid chlorine when you need an extra "Boost" of chlorine. It doesn't add any extra CYA or Calcium to the water. Vinyl pools don't need calcium, by the way. Heaters do, so if you have one calcium isn't a problem in the right amounts.

Next you need to understand that pool stores DON'T understand the Free Chlorine (FC)/ CYA Stabilizer relationship. If you have 30ppm of CYA you need about 4ppm in your pool so that you still have some chlorine left at the end of the day after the sun takes its "tax" of chlorine away. The sun usually burns off 2-4ppm daily if your pool gets a good amount of sun. If you keep your FC too low, you'll just be inviting algae to the party. Liquid Chlorine is the ideal chlorine.

See this chart--> FC/CYA Levels

So its important to have YOUR OWN test kit. No one cares more for your pool than you. Protect the equipment and liner quality by caring for it better than any pool company or store will. I would suggest the TF-100 as its my choice and costs less than the other approved option, the Taylor K-2006C. Look at www.tftestkits.net or any online seller for the taylor one.

Get a salt kit, either with the TF-100 or the stand alone Taylor K=1766 to be assured of your salt level.

We need to know:
FC
CC
pH
TA
CH
CYA
Salt

We do NOT use pool store potions. No FLOC, No Clarifiers, No routine "shocks", no routine algaecides...... we use chlorine and basic chemicals that are the *exact* same as the pool store sells but we get ours at the grocery store or hardware store. MUCH cheaper.

You probably need to do a SLAM process on your pool to rid it of algae an all that icky stuff. See this--> SLAM Process

How does that pool look now today???? Is it a chemical soup or clear and sparkling???

Maddie

 

[YippeeSkippy]

When you need to add liquid chlorine you do it by pouring it in a pencil thin stream into the water in front of a running pool return. This helps carry the chemical out and mix it in the rest of the pool.
When you have CYA in the right amount it "buffers" your chlorine so you can run higher chlorine but the water is very swim-able and enjoyable. It won't hurt your liner if you keep things in the levels we suggest. I promise.

 

[sunshinetn]

I had all the readings on my previous thread...you may have missed it. I would like to learn more about slam and how to do it. I do have a test kit TF-100. The cya is a little confusing to me. I dont understand how much the black dot should disappear. If I stare at it long enough I can see a slight dot. I use a salt tester HM digital Com-80 and I use a digital PH tester.

Also, based on my manufacture instructions for my Jandy SWG it says my warranty will be voided if I dont keep my chlorine between 1-3ppm and my cya between 30-50ppm. You still think i should keep it at 4 or try 3 and see if I have anymore algae issues?

So whatever I decide to keep the chlorine at...do I just test it daily then adjust my Swg according if I need more or less? I usually keep it at 50%. Then if I get chloramines use liquid chlorine?

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Don't stare at the dot...... look away and then glance at the tube. Don't try too hard to find the dot. Remember you can always pour the liquid back into the dropper bottle and retry again, and again. Have someone else try too and see if you come to a consensus?

Maddie

 

[sunshinetn]

UPDATE* - I just tested the FC this evening and its now 3.5 and CC is .5. This morning FC was 4.5 and CC was 1.5. The sun didn't shine a lot today but how did the CC go from 1.5 to .5 on their own? Not that I'm complaining..lol. I just always read that the only way to lower it was slam or shock it. So I'm confused.

 

[Oly]

CC- Combined Chlorine​

Combined chlorine is an intermediate breakdown product created in the process of sanitizing the pool. CC causes the “chlorine” smell many people associate with chlorine pools. If CC is above 0.5ppm, you should SLAM your pool. CC indicates that there is something in the water that the FC is in the process of breaking down. In an outdoor pool, CC will normally stay at or near zero as long as you maintain an appropriate FC level and the pool gets some direct sunlight.

Perform an OCLT to diagnose if you have an algae issue. Overnight Chlorine Loss Test