My Trouble Free Pool - Copper Sulfate

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Have you looked through the Pool School articles on this site, or watched the informational videos? If not, I highly recommend you check them out.

Here are a couple which would be relevant to you:


 
Thank you for the suggestion. I have seen the chlorine lock. That gave me the idea of draining the pool as soon as I suspected high CYA.
The first video isn't very helpful in my situation. I cannot keep a pool at shock level because I can only measure the chlorine up to 3ppm.

Let's just leave it. I need a testing kit and if I cannot get that or the chemicals to suggest on TFP I need an alternative like copper sulfate and PAC, that's what they all use here. Maybe because the water is 84F and there are no chemicals. Can only test pH and Cl...
 
Okoth said:
The first video isn't very helpful in my situation. I cannot keep a pool at shock level because I can only measure the chlorine up to 3ppm.
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Understood ... I posted the 1st video because you had asked in a previous post if you could "shock" your pool with liquid chlorine. The word "shock" gets thrown around a lot, so I wasn't sure what you meant by that question. Liquid chlorine and granule shock are both just methods of introducing chlorine into the water. So yes, you can use liquid instead of granular.

The question about how much liquid is equivelent to the granular, depends on how strong each product you have access to is. The Pool Math app can help to determine the amount of liquid to use though.
 
Here’s a thought @Okoth Could you get a colorQ tester ? The test kit reagents that you need are often flagged as hazardous chemicals (even though they aren’t) due to over regulation. But an electronic tester wouldn’t be in theory.

While not the most accurate and not recommended where better options are available, Some idea of your levels has to better than no idea. If you drained and started from scratch, you would know what you added and where your levels would be for CYA. You could then use that info to see that the tester consistently read 10% (?) lower than it actually was and dose liquid chlorine from that correction.

You could closely track what you’ve added and guesstimate roughly what you lost to to monthly degradation and rain. It would probably work for quite some time and draining every few years would reset you back to knowing exactly what’s in there.
 
Stoopalini said:
Understood ... I posted the 1st video because you had asked in a previous post if you could "shock" your pool with liquid chlorine. The word "shock" gets thrown around a lot, so I wasn't sure what you meant by that question. Liquid chlorine and granule shock are both just methods of introducing chlorine into the water. So yes, you can use liquid instead of granular.

The question about how much liquid is equivelent to the granular, depends on how strong each product you have access to is. The Pool Math app can help to determine the amount of liquid to use though.
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Thank you for reminding me anyway. There are some helpful videos, especially when you just got your pool and need to learn a lot about it. Thinking of going to Europe to get vaccinated. Can bring back testing kit.
 
Newdude said:
Here’s a thought @Okoth Could you get a colorQ tester ? The test kit reagents that you need are often flagged as hazardous chemicals (even though they aren’t) due to over regulation. But an electronic tester wouldn’t be in theory.

While not the most accurate and not recommended where better options are available, Some idea of your levels has to better than no idea. If you drained and started from scratch, you would know what you added and where your levels would be for CYA. You could then use that info to see that the tester consistently read 10% (?) lower than it actually was and dose liquid chlorine from that correction.

You could closely track what you’ve added and guesstimate roughly what you lost to to monthly degradation and rain. It would probably work for quite some time and draining every few years would reset you back to knowing exactly what’s in there.
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But an electronic tester would need tablets as well, right? I already bought Lovibond Scuba 2 almost 2 years ago. It's waiting for me in Holland but I can't get it yet. Probably already expired.

A total drain would be an idea. There are a few things. I have those testing strips. They give a good indication for FC and TC, but CYA has always been 0. Even before the draining. Either it's right or wrong, I don't know. Second thing is, I use TCCA tablets from China. They says it's 90% but someone said it's nearer to 70%. A bit hard to know what I'm putting into the pool.

I am thinking about draining and refilling the pool with mountain water. If I drain it at least I know CYA is 0. The first year I didn't have any problems with the pool but from the start of the second year it looked like there was black algae, very sticky, and then yellow algae and from that moment I could get the pool right anymore. What I don't get is why the chlorine is still above 3ppm after a week if I give a 200g TCCA tablet. 10 hours of blazing hot sun a day and a water temperature of 84 degrees. I can not imagine there is no CYA. Although I drained half of the pool water this month...

Alternative is salt but I don't know if that would prevent algae.
 

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Okoth said:
But an electronic tester would need tablets as well, right? I already bought Lovibond Scuba 2 almost 2 years ago. It's waiting for me in Holland but I can't get it yet. Probably already expired.

A total drain would be an idea. There are a few things. I have those testing strips. They give a good indication for FC and TC, but CYA has always been 0. Even before the draining. Either it's right or wrong, I don't know. Second thing is, I use TCCA tablets from China. They says it's 90% but someone said it's nearer to 70%. A bit hard to know what I'm putting into the pool.

I am thinking about draining and refilling the pool with mountain water. If I drain it at least I know CYA is 0. The first year I didn't have any problems with the pool but from the start of the second year it looked like there was black algae, very sticky, and then yellow algae and from that moment I could get the pool right anymore. What I don't get is why the chlorine is still above 3ppm after a week if I give a 200g TCCA tablet. 10 hours of blazing hot sun a day and a water temperature of 84 degrees. I can not imagine there is no CYA. Although I drained half of the pool water this month...

Alternative is salt but I don't know if that would prevent algae.
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If you use TCCA, there is CYA in the water. If you have CYA in the water, 3ppm FC is not enough to keep it clean.
 
Okoth said:
Alternative is salt but I don't know if that would prevent algae.
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Salt will not prevent algae, but the chlorine created by a salt water chlorine generator will.

The salt is just there to facilitate the electrolysis process within the generator, to create chlorine onsite and on demand.

It is definitely a better way to go, but you would need a way to test for salt, CYA, FC levels above 3, etc ...

Here is a good read for you:
www.troublefreepool.com

Salt Water Chlorine Generators

Salt Water Generators are designed to produce small amounts of chlorine continuously. This is perfect for day to day use and reduces work for the homeowner.
www.troublefreepool.com www.troublefreepool.com
 
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Flying Tivo said:
I think he has all the information he needs or wants. No need to overburden him anymore!
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Agreed, but just one thing.

If water is cheap, refilling may be one of the best options mentioned. You can run for several months relying on the initial CYA known level. It also removes the accumulated copper.

Water is expensive here, but even then it's under $100 to swap water.
 
So, I'm a newbie to the forum. I have a new AG pool that was installed maybe 6-7 weeks ago. Years back, we had one for maybe 6 years before moving. Question for the group. Family Leisure doesn't sell a "Salt Water" system, but rather they sell an "Perma Salt" system, which is basically a copper ion generator. To be clear, I do not have this system. Why would they start the pool fill process by adding bags of salt? Is this just a marketing ploy, or something to make the water more soft & pleasant?
 
Rob AG Pool said:
So, I'm a newbie to the forum
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Welcome Rob !! :wave:
Rob AG Pool said:
Family Leisure doesn't sell a "Salt Water" system, but rather they sell an "Perma Salt" system, which is basically a copper ion generator. To be clear, I do not have this system
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Score a big FAT slam dunk for you. You dodged a copper bullet there.
Rob AG Pool said:
Why would they start the pool fill process by adding bags of salt? Is this just a marketing ploy, or something to make the water more soft & pleasant?
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For them it’s probably just getting leg in the door to get it in your head that you already have a salt pool. Next month they’ll probably call you with special offers to upgrade.

But the feel of pool salted water is definitely a bonus for most folks. Notice I didn’t say ‘salt water’. The SWGs run at about 10% the salinity of seawater. Liquid chlorine dosed pools easily get to half of that or more over time as bleach is Sodium Hyperchlorite.

You get a free pass today as a newbie. In the future, start your own thread to ask questions that are off the original topic. When a mod sees this and moves it, take NO offense as it’s just how we keep everything on track. :)
 
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