No chlorine

[aimee3]

Ok.. Im having a terrible time keeping chlorine in my pool this year. First I was told I had 'chlorine lock out'. I spent a fortune on shock, used 5 bags in a 24' round, 48" deep AG pool. 2 days later, there was no chlorine showing on the test strip. THey told me to do it again.. So I did. THe next day the chlorine reading was normal on the strips, the day after that it was non existant. I had to go out of town for a week.. added MORE shock.. came home.. no chlorine. I went to a different pool store and THEY told me it WASNT chlorine lock out, but phosphates. I spent 75 more dollars on 2 bottles of phosphate remover and 5 more bags of shock. I added the 2 bottles, waited 5 hours, and added 2 bags of shock. They told me to wait a few days and and the rest of the shock and that should do it. I was away, and my parents came over to clean the pool and add the shock. THey said there was white stuff all over the bottom of the pool that wasnt vaccuming well.. more like making cloudy spots on the bottom of the pool. THey did their best, bumped and backwashed the filter, added the last 3 bags of shock. I got home today ( 2 days after they did this ) Most of the white stuff is gone, and the chlorine reading on the strips is once again ZERO. its supposed to change from yellow at the low reading to different shades of purple, and it just stays white. Please help! Oh, the last pool water reading I got had the ph and alk. as a LITTLE LOW ( pool man quote) but he told me to wait until after my vacation and the phosphate remover and shock treatment. That my pool would be fine until I got back. Im back.. i have NO chlorine again.. and I just dont know what to do or try. Thanks in advance.

[aylad]

You've been "pool-stored". You need to go to WalMart or the pool store, and get a drop-based kit (WalMart sells a 5-way for around $15). Run your own tests for Cl, pH, Alk, Calcium, and CYA, and post those numbers. With numbers to work with (not "a little low"), we can help you fix the problem.

I think the problem probably is that you have little or no stabilizer in your water, so the sun is consuming what chlorine you put in. With this condition,it doesn't matter how much you add, and in what form, it's still going to be gone by the end of the day. LIkewise, if you've got something blooming in the pool, it's going to consume large amounts.

Post up some good numbers, and we can steer you in the right direction. Also, tell us if the shock you've been using is dichlor or cal-hypo.

Janet

[aimee3]

Thanks for the quick reply Janet....

pool stored, huh? great! :mad:

Ive spent a few hundred dollars in July alone trying to get the chlorine to stay in the pool.

I will run out and get a test kit and post the numbers tomorrow. The pool store guy never gave me my exact numbers. Just ' a little low, but that can wait until you get back'.

I will also look at the shock and see what kind it is. Thanks so much and I cant wait to get this problem fixed. We have been calling the pool the 'money pit' this year!!!

[aylad]

Don't feel bad--it usually takes getting pool-stored at least once for people to find this site and learn how to take care of their own pool. I'll be looking for your test results...

Janet

[mkamp1515]

If you are losing your chlorine so fast, I would definitely think you have little to no stabilizer (CYA). I was having a similar problem and I increased my CYA and the pool is now holding the chlorine very very well. Good luck.

Mike

[kevincad]

Thanks for the quick reply Janet....

pool stored, huh? great! :mad:

Ive spent a few hundred dollars in July alone trying to get the chlorine to stay in the pool.

I will run out and get a test kit and post the numbers tomorrow. The pool store guy never gave me my exact numbers. Just ' a little low, but that can wait until you get back'.

I will also look at the shock and see what kind it is. Thanks so much and I cant wait to get this problem fixed. We have been calling the pool the 'money pit' this year!!!
Don't feel bad, you're now at the right place, learning the right things. I've got the same size pool as yours, in Georgia, where things like mildew and algae seem to thrive. I'm spending around two or three dollars a week on my pool, less when it isn't SO hot.

[jrv331]

Do you leave your solar cover on when the pool is not is use? I have a 24' pool and will lose all chlorine by mid afternoon if I leave my cover off. The sun is a killer on an uncovered pool.

John

[karrde97]

I have sun all day so I don't retain much chlorine. I was 'pool-stored' with the phosphate thing last year too. The only money I spend now is on bleach. I may use more than average because of all day sun. I measure my Cl & pH every night with the PS200 and do a full run of test once a week. Our water is great. I try to keep my Cl to recommended high end.

Just follow the guidelines on this site and it'll work.

[aimee3]

Sorry for the delay.. I went out today and the local pool store had NO drop based kits. They dont even sell them. Sigh... So i got a strip test that checks for Ph, Free Chlorine, Alk and stabilizer. Everything is low.. Ph was between 6.2 and 6.8. Free Chlorine is a big fat 0. Total Alk is 40, and stablizier was close to the 0 color. This is the best I can do with numbers at the moment. I will have to get a drop kit tomorrow at Pool City or somewhere.

Mike- I went to 2 different stores about not keeping chlorine and not ONE of them mentioned adding stabilizer!! Grrrr

John- we mostly keep it off. The one time we put it on for a few days, the water was green when we took it off. Once I get these chemicals right, I will start leaving it on. Its starting to get a bit chilly at night too.

Soo.. since everything in my pool is basically low or non existant, can i just start with bleach, borax and baking soda to start fixing my problem. I stopped at Kmart today and bought some of everything.. B B B :) Im ready!

[ubalr1]

Sorry for the delay.. I went out today and the local pool store had NO drop based kits. They dont even sell them. Sigh... So i got a strip test that checks for Ph, Free Chlorine, Alk and stabilizer. Everything is low.. Ph was between 6.2 and 6.8. Free Chlorine is a big fat 0. Total Alk is 40, and stablizier was close to the 0 color. This is the best I can do with numbers at the moment. I will have to get a drop kit tomorrow at Pool City or somewhere.

Mike- I went to 2 different stores about not keeping chlorine and not ONE of them mentioned adding stabilizer!! Grrrr

John- we mostly keep it off. The one time we put it on for a few days, the water was green when we took it off. Once I get these chemicals right, I will start leaving it on. Its starting to get a bit chilly at night too.

Soo.. since everything in my pool is basically low or non existant, can i just start with bleach, borax and baking soda to start fixing my problem. I stopped at Kmart today and bought some of everything.. B B B :) Im ready!

You can order the Taylor K-2006 Test Kit directly from Taylor Technologies here (http://www.taylortechnologies.com/) for $68 and free shipping. You can also order PS234 Test Kit from PoolSolutions here (http://www.poolsolutions.com/cart/shopping.php. Either way, you need your own kit.

[geordie]

In a pinch go to Walmart and get the 5 way drops based kit. It will work until you can get a better one. The strips aren't accurate enough to do much good. I have the same size pool as you do and with 0 chlorine I would start by adding 2-3 bottles of chlorine as soon as the sun is off the pool. What size bottles did you buy?

[Spensar]

If your CYA is at zero, you will need some of that too, which is at the pool store. Best approach to pool stores is know exactly what you want, and just buy that.

(If you do talk to anyone there and they ask what kind of chlorine you use, say it's liquid, or sodium hypochlorinate.)

Sound like you have some really bad stores there, here they give you a printout, with their chemical recommendations of course. Even then, it's better to do your own. Last year I went one day and the CYA reading was 25, the next day they said it was zero and recommended I add 4 pounds of CYA.....

[rastoma]

Sorry for the delay.. I went out today and the local pool store had NO drop based kits. They dont even sell them. stopped at Kmart today and bought some of everything.. B B B :) Im ready!


I'm a newbie myself here but one thing I learned before making my first post is stop going to the pool store. As it's been mentioned many times, go to Walmart and get the test kit they have there (surely you have a WM nearby :) Kmart might have one too.

The test kit you can order through this forum is best, but you need something now so go get the one at WM if you can.