Tiny easy-set pool, just over 1000 gal, 3-way test kit shows bright/dark orange

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stephenie

stephenie

Member
May 21, 2019
8
Ashland City
Hi! Casually picked up a small easy set pool with pump (10ft base, 8 ft at inflatable ring-top) at wal mart for $48. Tried to follow directions here Simplifying BBB for very small pools (e.g. Intex) (the link in the thread to a "concise" "edited" version is a dead link. Picked up "clorox pool and spa 3-way test kit" and "Clorox pool and spa vinyl pool shock", active ingredient sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione , in an attempt to follow the article, put in about 6.3 grams last night and ran pump all night. Now the test kit, where I add OTO is bright orange. I am infinitely confused. Please help! I got the pool for my daughter who has autism and I need to know if I have a dangerous chemical situation on my hands.
 
Thank you. I have already through those links, aside from the ebook, and can't find anything about the test being orange. Also, when I try to search keywords on the site I get a note that says words are edited out like "CL" and "high". Even when in quotes. Another question I have is the package that the sodium-dichloro-s-triazinetrone came in says do not pre mix and that "a violent chemical reaction can occur". Now I know that was wrong because the granules are still on the bottom of the pool and when I stir them up I can see they have bleached the liner. Safety is my first priority, being for my daughter, and I am a little annoyed that wal mart sells these pools so cheap without inadequate instructions on how to care for them and be safe. I would appreciate any info about the dark orange test result and whether the water is safe, and also, whether it really is ok to pre mix with water, and how to do that safely. TIA!
 
An OTO test for chlorine being orange means it is over the limit of the tester. So you should wait awhile before getting in the pool. The sun should burn off the excess chlorine pretty quickly.

You can pre mix dichlor. It is best to not let them sit on the vinyl as it will stain it. Once you have added enough dichlor to reach about 30-40 CYA, switch to bleach. Use PoolMath to determine how much. 3 or 4 ppm FC added per day should be good.
 
Orange is about 20 FC. That means you also added about 18 CYA, so you're waaaaay above shock level. Probably not fatal, but it could irritate skin, will likely irritate eyes, and will bleach swimsuits. Also note the pH test will be all wrong with FC that high. It'll be off the top of the scale, but it's not correct.

Now let's go back and try to figure out what went wrong. 8'X 30"easy set pool filled to 80% is 639 gallons, near as I can figure by goodling. To get from 0 to 3 FC using dichlor would take 13g. You only added 6.3g. That's less than half. Are you sure you didn't shift the decimal point a little and add 63g?
 
Thank you! Well, the pool's box says it's 1052 gallons (the base of the pool is 10"ft in diameter. It is 8" ft at the top). The pack of dichlor contains 13.4oz. I only used half. I didn't measure it but tried to get it right. So the 6.3 number is an approximation.
 
stephenie said:
Thank you! Well, the pool's box says it's 1052 gallons (the base of the pool is 10"ft in diameter. It is 8" ft at the top). The pack of dichlor contains 13.4oz. I only used half. I didn't measure it but tried to get it right. So the 6.5 number is an approximation.
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There we go ---ounces instead of grams! That'll do it.

6.5 ounces will have driven FC to 42 and CYA to 38. So you don't need to add any more of that. Save the other half bottle for after you drain and refill again, whether this year or next. If the lid is on tight, it'll keep. Use bleach now, or 10% pool chlorine-- Walmart has it cheap right now. We're talking less than 1/4 cup per day, so a jug will last a long, long time. You can also use it for laundry. Laundry bleach is weaker and nowadays is contaminated with cloromax polymers and anti splash stuff. Best avoid it.
 
Funny thing about the PH test, I gathered (from reading here) that it would not be accurate with the high FC reading. But it doesn't show high it shows a little lighter than 7.2 but darker than 6.8. Before I added anything to it it tested at 7.2.
 
Richard320 said:
There we go ---ounces instead of grams! That'll do it.

6.5 ounces will have driven FC to 42 and CYA to 38. So you don't need to add any more of that. Save the other half bottle for after you drain and refill again, whether this year or next. If the lid is on tight, it'll keep. Use bleach now, or 10% pool chlorine-- Walmart has it cheap right now. We're talking less than 1/4 cup per day, so a jug will last a long, long time. You can also use it for laundry. Laundry bleach is weaker and nowadays is contaminated with cloromax polymers and anti splash stuff. Best avoid it.
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Oh no!!!! HAHA. I blew it! Thank you for catching that!
 

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stephenie said:
I guess I should drain some of the water out and add fresh water?
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Why? The chlorine will dissipate pretty quickly, even with close to 40 CYA. More sun = faster breakdown.

Blinding tweety-bird yellow is about 10 FC. When it gets that low, it's safe to get in. You can try mixing pool water and some bottled water (or filtered, if you have one) 50-50 and test that. Just double results. Or 1/4 cup pool water, 3/4 filtered, multiply result by 4.
 
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