Newbie First Chlorine Test - Chlorine too high

[MarkLoshelder]

First time using TF Test Kit

[FONT=.SF UI Display][FONT=.SFUIDisplay]Chlorine Test-Daily (goal 2 ppm)[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Display][FONT=.SFUIDisplay]5/16 - 5 to 10 (simple test strip was "high" as well)[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Display][FONT=.SFUIDisplay][/FONT]
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[FONT=.SF UI Display][FONT=.SFUIDisplay]Chlorine Test - Weekly:[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Display][FONT=.SFUIDisplay]5/16 [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Display][FONT=.SFUIDisplay]FC = 8 (16 drops x .5) [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Display][FONT=.SFUIDisplay]CC = 1 (2 drops x .5)[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=.SF UI Display][FONT=.SFUIDisplay]TC = 9 (8 + 1)

My salt dropped to 2800 due to lots of rain (I guess). I added two 40lbs of salt (one per day to learn the incremental increase) over the last two days. Salt is currently at 3200 per intellichlor (verified with salt test strip). Salt generator is set to 38%.

Unsure what the next step is. Turn down salt generator and if so to what level?[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[Richard320]

High or low is entirely dependent on the CYA level. Pool School - Chlorine / CYA Chart What is your CYA level? Nowhere do I see a target of 2, not even with no CYA.

I'd say it's low at the moment, because you're showing 1 CC. A bunch of rain and maybe some runoff in the pool or a bunch of leaves could account for it, or you could be seeing the beginnings of an algae bloom.

Your next step is to determine the CYA level.

 

[MarkLoshelder]

I had the target wrong (the Chlorine content per the Daily Tests instructions states "...pools should consistently have a chlorine content of at least 2 ppm.

CYA - I haven't added any and I don't believe that the pool contractor uses it. I will test to verify.

The simole test strips (AquaCheck Free Chlorine) show a high reading, too.


Di I need to lower the chlorine content?

 

[Donldson]

8 FC is not going to do any damage, even if you have no CYA. But you do want to get some in there soon. Chlorine burns off quite quickly in sunlight without CYA.

I love how the alkalinity test on that strip is clearly being bleached out and unreadable. Just one of the many reasons that they are junk and should be thrown away.

 

[MarkLoshelder]

Are there any rules of thumb for setting SWG %? For example, never lower than X% and never above Y% if things are not out of wack?

 

[Richard320]

Are there any rules of thumb for setting SWG %? For example, never lower than X% and never above Y% if things are not out of wack?

Trial and error.

The key is frequent testing.

Let us say you have 70 CYA.
The FC/CYA chart shows 3 minimum and 5 target FC. You're running the SWG at 50% and it's dropping .5 every day. Before it gets to 3, you increase it to 60% and see if it's steady or climbing or still dropping. If it's still dropping, go up to 70%. Alternately, it's climbing every day, so you lower the percentage. If it holds steady day after day after day at some particular setting, leave it alone, you're done.

It''s safe to swim in up into the 20s for FC.