New Above Ground Pool
- Thread starter ddmckmle
- Start date
You may have caught it early. You're doing great by testing and adding and keeping an eye on things. If you do end up having to SLAM, it will be very brief and your chlorine usage will (should) go back to normal afterwards. But we don't know if we're there yet so just perform the overnight test when you can and we can go from there.
I just checked my FC level and it is 3 the same thing it was this morning at 8:13 this morning and then I added 54 oz of 10% chlorine. I am still going to do the overnight chlorine loss test to make sure. It has not even been a month since put up the pool and started using it.
There is a possibility that your CYA is not what you think it is therefore allowing more chlorine to go unprotected and burn off to the sun during the day. We will rule that out or in with the overnight test, but try not to get frustrated. It's all part of the learning process.
Have you been brushing your pool? Once a week is usually a good practice because algae can form a film that won't allow the chlorine to get to it. You have to brush it off so that it gets fully exposed and killed. Any steps, pool ladders, or any other areas with crevices where algae might like to grow should also be inspected and brushed regularly.
Have you been brushing your pool? Once a week is usually a good practice because algae can form a film that won't allow the chlorine to get to it. You have to brush it off so that it gets fully exposed and killed. Any steps, pool ladders, or any other areas with crevices where algae might like to grow should also be inspected and brushed regularly.
One thing I forgot to mention is over the 4th weekend we had lots of people swimming and I heard that it should be shocked after a lot of people have been in the pool, is this true. I have brushed and vacuumed the pool often but I never thought of the ladder although I do take it out once a week to mow the grass.
Typically, if you never let your chlorine drop below minimum (per the chart), you won't ever need to "shock" your pool.
However, if you were somewhere in the lower end of acceptable... and then you had a bunch of folks in the pool.... then yes that could have put you in the position you are now.
Usually what I will do with a pool party type situation is raise the chlorine right before (maybe 2 extra ppm) and then again afterwards. Because when you have people in the water they are generating sweat and dirt etc that will consume some of your chlorine. If you were already teetering on the low end, then those extra bathers jumped in and used up the rest of your chlorine, then that will definitely create an issue like you have now.
But let's not just blindly shock the pool. We want to confirm that's what is necessary with the overnight test. Then, if you fail, you will start your SLAM Process which (if necessary) will only take a short time because your water is already clear (per your report).
However, if you were somewhere in the lower end of acceptable... and then you had a bunch of folks in the pool.... then yes that could have put you in the position you are now.
Usually what I will do with a pool party type situation is raise the chlorine right before (maybe 2 extra ppm) and then again afterwards. Because when you have people in the water they are generating sweat and dirt etc that will consume some of your chlorine. If you were already teetering on the low end, then those extra bathers jumped in and used up the rest of your chlorine, then that will definitely create an issue like you have now.
But let's not just blindly shock the pool. We want to confirm that's what is necessary with the overnight test. Then, if you fail, you will start your SLAM Process which (if necessary) will only take a short time because your water is already clear (per your report).
I also forgot to ask, are you testing combined chlorine? What are you getting for that result? Remember free chlorine and combined chlorine are different.
I added 33 oz of chlorine I will check the FC in about an hour to see where it stands and then check it about 6:15 in the morning to see if I lost any FC, hopefully did not lose any.
Ok my FC is 7 hopefully it will be the same or 6 when I check it at 6:15 in the morning.
Another point to ask is the strength of the chlorine you are using. Is the chlorine fresh? Have you done any testing after you add the chlorine to check to see if the FC got up to the level you were expecting? Pending the outcome of the OCLT, when you add FC next time, wait 30 minutes and then test the FC again to verify the FC got to the expected level. It's happened to others where the liquid chlorine they were using was bad.
My FC this morning is 7 which means I did not lose any over night. Now my PH is high.
FC 7
CC 0
PH 8.0
TA 110
CH 120
CYA 60
FC 7
CC 0
PH 8.0
TA 110
CH 120
CYA 60
If you aren't losing any overnight, then it would seem that your culprit is UV light. Are you sure your CYA level is what you think it is? When you measure, fill the tube to the first line. Look away, and then glance back and see if you can see the dot. Only glance. Do not stare at the tube and furiously look for the dot otherwise you will see it every time. Repeat and fill to the next line and so on and so forth only glancing each time until you can't see the dot at first glance.
I know you said your chlorine was fresh and 10% but didn't you measure enough last night to get to 9ppm and when you tested you were only at 7ppm? Either chlorine is weaker than you think, measurements are off, or the volume or your pool is larger than you think.
For pH, you have 2 things working against you. Your total alkalinity of 110 puts upward pressure on your pH as does your fountain. I understand the fountain cools the water, so we'll have to just deal with that. But your total alkalinity can be reduced to make your additions of acid less frequent. As I said before, lower your pH to 7.2 and then let it drift up to around 8 and repeat. Each time you lower the pH you will also lower the total alkalinity. Eventually, you will get to the point where total alkalinity and pH find a happy medium and settle down (or at least the rise in pH will occur more slowly).
I know you said your chlorine was fresh and 10% but didn't you measure enough last night to get to 9ppm and when you tested you were only at 7ppm? Either chlorine is weaker than you think, measurements are off, or the volume or your pool is larger than you think.
For pH, you have 2 things working against you. Your total alkalinity of 110 puts upward pressure on your pH as does your fountain. I understand the fountain cools the water, so we'll have to just deal with that. But your total alkalinity can be reduced to make your additions of acid less frequent. As I said before, lower your pH to 7.2 and then let it drift up to around 8 and repeat. Each time you lower the pH you will also lower the total alkalinity. Eventually, you will get to the point where total alkalinity and pH find a happy medium and settle down (or at least the rise in pH will occur more slowly).
Ok, then that points us more toward the CYA level being lower than you might think.
The other explanation for chlorine usage going up would be the 4th of july party... but that would have probably stopped or gone back to normal once all the waste in the pool was taken care of by the chlorine.
You can try raising your chlorine to SLAM level for 24 hours and see if your chlorine usage doesn't go back to normal (1-4ppm per day). There might be some remaining gunk in the pool from all those bathers (sun tan lotion, body oils, sweat, gunk, etc) and a little boost of chlorine might be what's necessary to clear it all up
The other explanation for chlorine usage going up would be the 4th of july party... but that would have probably stopped or gone back to normal once all the waste in the pool was taken care of by the chlorine.
You can try raising your chlorine to SLAM level for 24 hours and see if your chlorine usage doesn't go back to normal (1-4ppm per day). There might be some remaining gunk in the pool from all those bathers (sun tan lotion, body oils, sweat, gunk, etc) and a little boost of chlorine might be what's necessary to clear it all up
I will try that when I get back home from the VA Hospital and I will redo the CYA test and do it like you said.
I re-ran the CYA test as you described above and the CYA still reads 60 and I also rechecked the FC and it it down to 3 ppm from 7 ppm at 6:15 this morning.
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