Ideal chlorine amounts causing dry itchy skin?

[Kellyp]

Hello all, to begin, a thank you for all the generous advice give on this site. I've been reading since a year before I had the pool installed and it's has helped prepare me to care for the pool. My question is this: what is my ideal chlorine level? I know that it's relative to cya, and mine is a bit low at 55 I have added cya via a sock in the skimmer to bring it up to approx 75 as recommended by pool Math. My ph constantly drifts back up to 7.8, I try to keep it to 7.2 by adding dry acid almost daily. (I know you'll say muriatic is better, but I am super sensitive to scents and I'm scared to use it because of the fumes, so that is out for me). So my skin is extremely dry and itchy almost burning when I get out of the pool. Is my chlorine too high at 5 or pH too high at around 7.6 (where it usually goes before adding acid) or is it a combination? Or is TA off? It is becoming unpleasant to swim. I am a newbie who has read this site extensively, but maybe have been overwhelmed by the info. Can anyone help me find the perfect balance? The first month of the pool, before swg was online. my chlorine stayed around 3 and I was not having the skin issues. All my details are in the sig, but I am happy to supply any other info. Thanks in advance.
FC 5
Cc 0
Tc 5
Ph 7.8 added acid
CH 300
TA 80
CYA 55 added this a. m.

 

[jblizzle]

Re: Ideal chlorine amounts

Welcome to TFP!!!

I highly suggest you switch to Muriatic Acid. Using the dry acid is adding sulfates to your water which build up and cause issues with your SWG.
If you get any fumes, you are doing something wrong. Just check the wind direction and make sure you are up wind and slowly pouring the acid from a few inches above the water.

No, FC of 5ppm is not too high for a CYA of 55ppm and it or the pH should not be a cause of your dry skin.
There is no such thing as a perfect balance and really none of your test results would indicate anything that I would think could cause issues with your skin.

You test results look pretty spot on to me.

 

[Kellyp]

Thank you for the fast reply. Since you see nothing wrong with my numbers I'm more confused�� would trying to keep chlorine at 3 be okay with current and goal cya? Current cya is 55, goal is to bring it up to 75 per pool Math. Thanks again.

 

[jblizzle]

With a CYA of 55ppm, the minimum FC for a SWG pool is 3ppm, meaning it must NEVER drop below that.

Often more irritation develops with lower FC as then the CC can slightly build up which is much more irritating.

If you choose to keep the CYA where it is, I would not lower the FC below 4ppm. It is almost certainly not the 5ppm of FC that is causing your issues.

Have you added any other weird chemicals to your pool?

 

[Jimrahbe]

Kelly,

Something is wrong, and I don't mean with you..

A saltwater pool normally has to best water as far as the feel goes... I feel cleaner when I get out of the pool than when I get out of the shower.

I suggest that you quit trying to push your pH down to 7.2... Most saltwater pools like their pH at the high end of the range. Don't knock it back until it is over 7.9 and then only take it down to 7.5 or 7.6.

I too recommend that you use MA instead of dry acid.. I suspect that adding dry acid everyday is part of the problem.

If anything, I think your FC is too low, not too high. I run my pool at about 7 or 8.

Does your pool have that public pool smell of chlorine?

How many hours a day do your run your pump and what is the cell output?

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Kellyp]

Again, thanks for the assistance. No, I have been reading tfp since long before the pool was in and from that decided to only add the bare minimum of chemicals. The only thing I've added is the sodium bisulfate and some cyanuric acid, which I've only added one time, this morning. Pump runs 12 hours per day, chlorine is set at 50 percent. Pool is in full sun all day, water temp stays between 85 and 90. I have tested for CC's at least 4 times per week and have always had 0. The tf 100 directions are pretty darn clear so I'm confident I've done all testing precisely. I'm really stumped because nothing I've done lately is different, but the problem started about a week ago after some intense rain storms. Still, my numbers have never been out of line. I will adjust chlorine and pH as you suggest Jim, and leery as I am, I will try muriatic for the next pH adjustment as you and Jason have recommended. Thanks again.

 

[CarolineM]

I was experiencing the same issue and my skin had become flaky white. I lowered my PH and added Borates and the problem is now gone. The Borates make the water silky, we really enjoy it.

 

[jblizzle]

I am confused now that I see you added CYA.

What was the CYA and the FC last week when the irritation was occurring.

 

[Msch99]

A minor detail, but my understanding is that your CYA reading should be 60, not 55. Round up or at least to the nearest because half way is not 55, it isn't a straight line reading. Either way the minimum is 3ppm, with a target of 4ppm, so not a biggie The Chlorine/CYA chart does show 60 as not recommended, 70 looks like the lowest for SWG pools. But if it works, don't mess with it huh!

 

[jstblush]

Kelly,
I am like you and don't really like dealing with acid. But I do have to add it so I buy this lower strength (90% lower fumes) acid. It costs more, but I don't care. It makes me feel more comfortable using it. Maybe you could try using it too if it would make you more comfortable. Hope that helps.
Sherry

20% hydrochloric acid, which is 13 degrees baume

 

[Jimrahbe]

Kelly,
I am like you and don't really like dealing with acid. But I do have to add it so I buy this lower strength (90% lower fumes) acid. It costs more, but I don't care. It makes me feel more comfortable using it. Maybe you could try using it too if it would make you more comfortable. Hope that helps. Sherry

Sherry,

Do you still notice a smell? Is it just less intense or what??

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Kelly,

I looked at your pool size and your IC40 when running at 100% output and 24/7 will add about 6 ppm of FC to your pool each day. Running 12 hours a day gives you an increase of 3 ppm and 50% of that is an increase of only 1.5 ppm per day. It could just be that your pool does not use as much FC as normal, but that seems awful low to me. Most pools use 2 to 4 ppm per day.

Is it possible that you are always testing just after the SWCG has done its thing, and that later in the day the FC drops below the minimums?

Not sure that is the case, but I have to ask... You need to be testing just before the SWCG turns on... That is where you need to be seeing your "Target" FC level.

I like the idea of buying the weaker MA, just make sure you use twice as much.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[jstblush]

Jim,
Yikes! I have NO IDEA what it smells like!!! I try my best to NOT smell it no matter what! I thought that was a no-no! Anyhow, I don't smell anything because I kinda, somewhat hold my breath. LOL

Sorry, not much help. All I know is it makes me feel better to deal with a lower strength.
Sherry

 

[Jimrahbe]

Sherry,

I too try never to smell it, but so far I have never been too successful at it..

There is a lot of difference in sticking your nose in the bottle and catching a slight whiff of it...

Jim R.

 

[jstblush]

I too try never to smell it, but so far I have never been too successful at it.. :razz:

hahahaha....that's why I buy the lower strength...plus, don't forget, I hold my breath. Now, as long as I don't pass out (from holding my breath) it will all work out fine!

Kelly might feel better using the lower strength too.
Sherry

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Kellyp, one thing to be aware of, and you don't mention your age but.....as you age you skin naturally gets drier. So if you're hanging out in the pool it may be getting dryer than you're realizing from water, sun, age, etc.

Just something to be aware of.

Maddie

 

[Kellyp]

Sherry, thanks for the suggestion for weaker muriatic acid, I will definitely look for that. Luckily cost is not such an issue that I won't spend more to feel more comfortable handling it. msch99, I do realize that 55 is not a reading on the cya tube, I was really just trying to give everyone an idea of where exactly the black dot disappeared. CarolineM, I am going to try the borates as well, since it is a TFP approved addition . Jblizzle, the CYA has been "55" (really 60, I know) since the pool was put in. Just yesterday I began the sock in skimmer method of adding to try to get it to 75 which is what is suggested in Pool Math. My last reading, taken earlier today was 70 exactly. I almost always test in the morning before the pump begins to run. Since no one saw anything egregious in my numbers, I did a bit more research and I'm starting to believe that I'm just sensitive to chlorine. I have always been a swimmer, but in the lake or ocean, now I am swimming laps everyday in addition to jumping in to play with the grandson and think its just overexposure to chlorine. My daughters and grandson don't seem as bothered by it as me. There were several suggestions on neutralizing chlorine after swimming, so I'll try those as well. Thank you to everyone who offered help.

 

[jblizzle]

It is possible that you are sensitive to chlorine, but pretty unlikely. Again sensitivity is usually to the byproducts of stuff being broken down (the CCs).
For many skin conditions, a bleach bath is recommended with a much higher FC level than one would find in your pool.

 

[Kellyp]

Well, I'd love to blame chloramines, that would make it easier, but since i never have any when i test, it has to be something else. I think I forgot to answer the previous comment about cc's, but aside from testing for them daily, (yes, as a new pool owner I'm sure i over test) there has never been even a whiff of chlorine, stinging eyes, green hair, etc.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Kelly,

You said in your original post that before you turned on your SWCG everything was fine. It was a choline pool then and it is chlorine pool now..

What else changed about the same time? Were you using a lot of Dry acid during the first month, compared to now??

Thanks,

Jim R.