New Pool Owner looking for Help

[Petcher]

Moved from HERE

Hi
I was hoping to get some advice on the following.
I have had a pool for a year being cared for by a weekly pool guy and I have decided to part ways with him.
I was going to the pool store to get measurements but I feel like they are not very reliable.
Yesterday they told me my PH was 8, added a cup of muriatic acid and it is now 7. I believe the 8 was wrong. Two days before it was at 7.4.

In any case, I have a 16k gallon salt water pool with the following readings:
FC - 0
TC - 0
PH - 7 as I said above
Calcium - 240
TA - 75
CYA - 60
Salt - 3200

The 0 chlorine issue has been going on for a week, it is a 4 week old salt system that seems to be producing chlorine…but not enough? I say this because when I measure chlorine by the return jet, it is at 3ppm.

I have been running the chlorinator (hayward tcell 925 and all diagnostics are right, all lights are green) and pump 24/7 for a week at 100% output.

Tomorrow, I will try to measure phosphates, getting the test then. The water is cloudier (slightly, not much) than usual but not turning green.

I even thought it could have been overchlorinated and bleaching the reagents but I dilute 10:1 and 25-1 and nothing.

Could I be experiencing increased chlorine need that the chlorinator cant handle at this point or is there something else that could be creating this situation?

Any help/suggestion is welcome.

Thank you

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! Here is what I am seeing from your description:
1 - How are you testing your water now? Do you have a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit? That is a priority.
2 - Your cloudy water is most likely the onset of algae. Your FC has been too low for much too long. This is why you can't maintain a good FC level. Also, your SWG will never be able to keep-up with an excessive organic level.
3 - Add some liquid chlorine right away. Try to get the FC up to about 8 ppm.
4 - If you have a proper test kit, I would recommend doing an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test once you increase the FC to about 8. If you fail, which is likely, then a SLAM Process would be in order to kill and remove algae.
5 - Take a moment to update your signature with all of your pool and equipment info. It will help later.

If you have any questions please let us know.

 

[Petcher]

thank you so much.

I added some details, the ones I know, to my profile.

I am using the 2006 but I believe I got the wrong one. Did not get the one with the high chlorine ppm. Will get that soon.

I will try to get the FC to 8ppm. It calculated roughly 1.5 gallons of liquid chlorine, but is it possible I may need lots more to get to that level if there is algae starting to grow? How long after adding it should I test to see the level? if adding 1.5 gallons, it gets nowhere close, it means there is definitely something going on?

Can I use home depot bought chlorine? I would rather not go to this guy’s store.

Thanks again.

 

[Texas Splash]

Yes, you can use liquid chlorine from HD, Walmart, etc. Whenever you find the best price. If you don't have a K-2006 test kit that has the FAS-DPD to test chlorine at 5 ppm or above, you won't be ale to perform an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test. But by using the PoolMath APP (Effects if Adding section), you should be able to determine approximate dosage amounts for now. In my almost 18K pool, 1 gallon increases my FC by about 5 ppm. You'll want to use liquid to help supplement the SWG for now.

 

[Texas Splash]

With accurate FC testing, we can coach you through an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test loss test to confirm or rule out algae. For now, just try to add about 4 ppm worth of FC each day. Don't feel pressured to do much more other than perhaps manage the pH in the 7.2 - 7.8 range. Best to stay out of the pool store to avoid poor advice and over priced products. Home testing with a proper test kit is always your best bet. If your numbers in post 1 are close, the FC is the biggest issue right now. I would check the pH again tomorrow to ensure it's not below 7.2. You don't want the water too aggressive at 7.0 or below which could (over time) cause some issues.

 

[Petcher]

Thanks for the words on your last post. It all seemed so easy initially.

Anyways, I put 1 gallon and 1 quart of 10% liquid chlorine. PH was at 7.4 and CYA at 60. It smelled like chloramines within 20 minutes and I tested after an hour (7pm) - came back with 3-6 FC . Still waiting for the TF 100 kit, arriving thursday. But the increase in FC should have been higher. 7.5 or 8. So there seems to be something there.

Running the pump overnight.

I will test in the morning to see, maybe all chlorine gets depleted and it is an easier diagnosis…

Thank you

 

[Petcher]

Hi - it is between 0 and 1 the FC after 10 hours - just tested.

So the question is do I keep on trying to get to 8ppm to do the OCLT with the better test kit or is it never going to happen and I would be wasting chlorine? I lost a lot more than 1ppm overnight.

If ok to proceed without it, should I start the SLAM process with the amount of chlorine that will in theory get it to the FC/CYA appropriate level (24) or wait until thursday night when I am expecting to receive the TF100?

Thanks

 

[PoolStored]

Hi - it is between 0 and 1 the FC after 10 hours - just tested.

So the question is do I keep on trying to get to 8ppm to do the OCLT with the better test kit or is it never going to happen and I would be wasting chlorine? I lost a lot more than 1ppm overnight.

If ok to proceed without it, should I start the SLAM process with the amount of chlorine that will in theory get it to the FC/CYA appropriate level (24) or wait until thursday night when I am expecting to receive the TF100?

Thanks

The best thing to do at this point is to add 5ppm of Liquid Chlorine per day until you test kit arrives. That will keep whatever you have at bay. It will not be a waste, it is the best thing you can do until you kit arrives.

We'll get you fixed up.

 

[Petcher]

Excellent, thank you.

One additional question, I have a pool cover that is off, rolled up right now. Presumably it has organics/algae/whatever on it too. Should I dump it into the pool as I SLAM it? Otherwise, I will go through the whole process, all three criteria passed post SLAMing and then put the cover again…problem again!

Thanks

 

[PoolStored]

Excellent, thank you.

One additional question, I have a pool cover that is off, rolled up right now. Presumably it has organics/algae/whatever on it too. Should I dump it into the pool as I SLAM it? Otherwise, I will go through the whole process, all three criteria passed post SLAMing and then put the cover again…problem again!

Thanks

The solar cover should be left off. Algae-killing creates some CC, and if you block the sunlight, it won't have a chance to burn off. If the cover might have some algae spores on it, yeah, put it in for a while and press it down so the chlorine reaches everywhere, but don't leave it on as a matter of course. It will also get in the way of all the brushing and vacuuming you should be doing.

 

[ShallowWater]

Just wanted to say that whenever you have a problem with chlorine levels dropping it is never a waste to add more chlorine. You need to get it high enough to kill off whatever is burning it up.

Keep adding chlorine until your test kit arrives and be prepared to add a lot more once it does.

 

[Petcher]

Yes, makes sense.

I ended up getting the kit today so I started the process.

Added chlorine and just tested 2 hours later. Got to 18 FC and it looked like 1 to 1.5 of CC. I brushed the whole pool beforehand.

My CYA was somewhere in between 40-50 so I think I got the FC number right. Should I test again in an hour and top up with more chlorine if anything got used up?

Pump is running, SWG is off.

 

[Newdude]

My CYA was somewhere in between 40-50

Always round up. (50) You can't read between the lines like your brain wants to. And the bonus is, it's WAY easier to decide which '10' it is by only filling to the lines.

Should I test again in an hour and top up with more chlorine if anything got used up?

2 hours is great. It's a process so you also need to conserve your supplies for the long haul.

If you're going out, dose early on your way out the door to buy you more of the time you are away.

 

[PoolStored]

I ended up getting the kit today so I started the process.

Niiiiiiiice! Congrats!

Added chlorine and just tested 2 hours later. Got to 18 FC and it looked like 1 to 1.5 of CC. I brushed the whole pool beforehand.

Your target for SLAM with CYA of 50 is 20. Make sure you are using a 10mL sample of pool water. If you use the 25mL sample, you will TEAR through reagent. If you have a syringe (5ml), you can even test with 5mL sample, 1 drop = 1 FC. This will save more reagent.

My CYA was somewhere in between 40-50 so I think I got the FC number right. Should I test again in an hour and top up with more chlorine if anything got used up?

Did you test your CYA OUTDOORS in sunlight, sun at your back and tube at your waist?

 

[Petcher]

Increased it to 20 per feedback.

Yes to waist and outdoors.

And it is raining now, quite a lot, which will obviously reduce ppm on FC but also CYA. Can I add CYA in the middle of the process, if need be?

 

[PoolStored]

Increased it to 20 per feedback.

Yes to waist and outdoors.

And it is raining now, quite a lot, which will obviously reduce ppm on FC but also CYA. Can I add CYA in the middle of the process, if need be?

Rain will have very little impact. You have 16K pool, likely something like 10x20. If you got an INCH of rain it would add 200 gallons. pft. Ignore it.

Do nothing else to your pool but slam. Everything else can wait. You got this, and we got you.

 

[PoolStored]

Can you post a picture of your pool? Do you have a ladder? Do you have removable lights? You will want to scrub inside any stainless ladder tubes and remove and scrub behind lights...anywhere algae can hide.

 

[Petcher]

Thanks.

No ladder just steps.

What do you mean by removable lights? It is fully embedded into concrete/plaster. I guess there is a cover and that could be removed (i assume so in the event the bulb goes bad) but i would have to drain half the water out of the pool to open it, right?

 

[PoolStored]

What do you mean by removable lights? It is fully embedded into concrete/plaster. I guess there is a cover and that could be removed (i assume so in the event the bulb goes bad) but i would have to drain half the water out of the pool to open it, right?

You say you have had the pool for a year. Did you build the pool? Do you have a spec sheet on the lights? Do you know anything about them?

Can you take a picture of the lights? That would help. I'm assuming there is no chrome ring around the lights?

 

[Petcher]

The pool is from 1967. I have owned the home for a year. I do not know if light was built with it or anything about it or the pool, to be honest. I will try to take a picture tomorrow