The pool is under attack...

[ShelleyAnn]

I know the pool is under attack due to the chlorine smell, but it is still crystal clear and does not register cc with the FAS/DPS test. I shocked last night to 15ppm, woke up to 12 and now it's 5.5 after a partly cloudy day, still crystal clear. I just brought it back up to 15ppm because of the smell and the fact it's down to 5.5 after just one day. Do I need to keep it at 15 all day tomorrow to end this attack once and for all, or is just bumping it up to 15 tonight going to fix the problem and then I can let everyone swim tomorrow afternoon when it drops back down to 10ppm? I've read a lot about shocking to clear a cloudy/algae pool and how you have to keep it there for a while, but not just when you just smell it and notice the chlorine dropping.

FC 5.5
CC 0
PH 7.7 (keep having to add Borax daily)
CYA 40
TA 100


Thanks guys (Watermom included :) )

Shelley

[Watermom]

"Thanks guys (Watermom included )" --- You are welcome!

Since the pool looks clear and you have no measurable CC reading, I'd go ahead and let them swim tomorrow afternoon. If, after a couple of days, you still think you are fighting something, go ahead and try and sustain your shock level for a few days with testing a couple of times a day and each time adding enough bleach to get back to shock level. How does the amount of chlorine being used daily compare to what your pool normally does?

[ShelleyAnn]

I'm pretty sure it's higher than usual but I've never been able to test accurately since I just got Ben's kit. We had a bird poop attack a few weeks ago and got that chlorine smell so I shocked one night (guessing at 15ppm) and made sure I kept it on the high side of regular maintenance for a few days and it returned to the normal 2-3 qt of bleach (15 x 30 AG should be around 14,850 gal) every other night maintenance keeping in the 2-4/3-6 OTO test range. Going from 15ppm last night to 12ppm this am to 5ppm in the afternoon does say something though. I think it smelled better this evening after dosing it back up to 15.

I adjusted from 30 to 40CYA last weekend since I was able to test for that with the new kit. I also raised the Alk from about 60 to 100 thinking it would keep my PH steadier, but it still keeps going down and I have to adjust every 4 days or so w/ Borax.

I can't wait for all of this to become old hat. I guess when you get your first pool you just gotta learn how your pool behaves and learn how to anticipate its needs. I'm very grateful I haven't woken up to anything green :) I'm also very grateful to everyone's excellent advise on this site.

Shelley

[ShelleyAnn]

this morning

FC 14
CC 0

Do you think I'm in the clear?

Thanks.

[Watermom]

I think you are probably fine. Like you said, you just have to learn how a new pool behaves. Enjoy your pool and if you have further questions down the road, we'll be here!

[ShelleyAnn]

Down to 8.5ppm...7 hours after it was 14 this morning on a beautiful 90 degree sunny day. I think that's too much of a drop for normal sun consumption don't you?

[duraleigh]

Shelley,

eliminate the Sun from the equation. Test accurately at dusk, add Cl back to 14, and then test again tomorrow AM before the Sun hits your pool.

That way, any Cl loss has to be contributed to organics....shouldn't be much more than 1ppm if your pool is all cleaned up.

[ShelleyAnn]

Dave, I don't understand why the pool smells like chloramines. I shocked up to 16ppm (32 drops of FAS-DPD #2) last night at 9pm and this morning it's at 14.5 (29 drops of #2). It doesn't reads any CC after 5 drops of FAS-DPD#3, if it does, 1 drop of #2 takes care of it.

Everyone is noticing the pool water doesn't feel so great. I'm wondering if I shouldn't have taken the CYA from 30 to 40 last week.

FC 14.5
CC 0
PH 7.5 (adding a cup or so of borax almost daily to keep it up)
ALK 100
CYA 40

[PatL34]

Shelly,

Have you checked that you don't have anything in the skimmer and pool pump baskets that should'nt be there.:eek:

Just a thoiught:)

Pat

[ShelleyAnn]

I only wish. I check and empty them daily. Nothing more than a few blades of grass. Even though my pressure hasn't increased on my filter, I'm going to backwash and add a cup of DE for good measure. I read here on the forum you don't grow algae in a properly maintained pool, and therefore don't need to brush the walls, but I think I'm going to do that also even though I don't feel anything on them. It's a difficult job from outside an above ground pool but I don't think I should get in the pool at 14ppm FC.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions...keep 'em coming!

[ShelleyAnn]

Brushed the walls, vaccumed, backwashed, dropped in the lady bug, added bleach 4 times yesterday to bring it up to 15 and again at 9pm...I now have the most beautiful pool with crystal clear water that SMELLS so much like chloramines no one wants to go in it.

I think I am going thru what Voldaddy went thru in his Excessive Bleach Consumption thread of a week or 2 ago http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=2289

I have a HUGE MOUND of empty bleach bottles by the back door and my husband is beginning to get that "I told you this was going to be a maintenance nightmare" look. The frustrating thing is I'm not sure what got me in trouble. Our neighborhood had a terrible hail/rain storm last Saturday night that we weren't here to see that destroyed everyone's gardens and flower pots. Can this type of thing get you in this much trouble?

Shelley

[ShelleyAnn]

I finally won. It took tons of bleach also. I was starting to think the way it was smelling was normal, and that I was crazy to think there was something wrong. Well, now on the other side of it, I know that a healthy pool does not smell like chloramines. I just can't believe how hard it was to fight something that wasn't green or cloudy! It would have probably been worse if I didn't respond to the smell. I think brushing and vacuuming was an important factor to finally clearing it up.


Shelley