Zero Free Chlorine Reading

We have a Buster Crabbe pool (rectangle 16 x 32) and use all Bioguard products.

For several years we have not been registering any free chlorine. The water is clear as a bell. The pool is winterized with Bioguard Winter Kit. We use Smart Shock, Backup Algecide, Balance Pak 100, 200 and 300. Polysheen if water is cloudy.

Upon reading some writings about the above problem I came across contamination of high ammonia. Our test water at the pool place says CYA is 60. The phrase that caught my eye was: 'except inch-thick layers of algal slime'. Not that we had that problem but we found upon opening the pool that a webby, floating material on the pool bottom had to be removed. We figured that it was earthworm remains. Would this cause high ammonia and therefore the reason that we have Zero Free Chlorine?

Hi, and welcome to the forum!!

First of all, how are you measuring test levels? Because a pool with zero chlorine is a pool full of bacteria, viruses, and probably algae, whether it contains ammonia or not. Second, the source of your ammonia, if you have it, could be any of the products that you're putting in the pool (many algaecides are ammonia-based). If you could list the ingredients of those Bioguard products, that would help us determine if any of them are ammonia-based. Have you had the water tested for ammonia specifically?

The webby material that you describe sounds like water mold and is a common complaint with people who use Bacquacil. It can form in chlorine pools, too, if the chlorine levels aren't kept high enough.

Bioguard backup algecide:
Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride 30.0% + additional 10%, rest is inert ingredients.

What about earthworms? That would be decaying organic matter and if a couple hundred decomposed and caused the black floating blanket, would that not tie up the chlorine?

Thanks.

Forgot to mention, we have never used Bacquacil.

We have a MutiTest 1200-V test kit. We use bottle indicators and not strips. We also bought an Ammonia NH3/NH4 test kit. Upon testing we found 0.25 ppm of that contaminant in our 17000 gal pool.

Do you have some more suggestions. Do you think replacing the sand in case there is organic matter on the sand would help? It's either the sand or the water. To me I would try the sand first.

Thanks for all your help.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rdscottrms

We have a MutiTest 1200-V test kit. We use bottle indicators and not strips. We also bought an Ammonia NH3/NH4 test kit. Upon testing we found 0.25 ppm of that contaminant in our 17000 gal pool.

Do you have some more suggestions?

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I think chlorinating would help . . . and staying away from BioGuard dealers would help . . . and getting a good test kit would help . . . and posting your pool info (so we can tell what you have) would help.

The Multitest 1200V is a low-grade (but not cheap!) testkit from BioGuard. The HTH 6-way drops kit at some Walmarts is twice the kit and half the price. But, it's no surprise that Bioguard doesn't sell a good kit. A GOOD kit would cut into their chemical sales! Get the HTH kit, or better, get the Taylor K2006 (link in my signature).

Forget about the ammonia. On an outdoor pool it will go away in a day or two, once you begin chlorinating adequately. What is "adequately"? Unfortunately, without knowing your CYA (stabilizer) level, we don't know. Start with 3 gallons of PLAIN 6% household bleach per 10,000 gallons of pool water, added directly to your skimmers -- AFTER removing ALL tablets, cartridges pills and ALL other chemical or 'mineral' containers ANYWHERE in the pipeline. Add the bleach in the evening, and test in the morning with a cheap OTO test kit (or the HTH 6-way), but NOT the Multitest 1200V. Test again in the evening.

If the chlorine is low in the AM, you have some sort of chlorine demand. If it's HIGH (dark yellow) in the AM, but low in the PM (clear to light yellow) you have low stabilizer. If it's HIGH in both the AM and PM, you have no chlorine demand AND have high stabilizer . . . unless it was a really cloudy day. Continue adding the bleach EACH evening, till you sustain a HIGH chlorine reading overnight. Adding the bleach via the skimmer will clean up your filter

0.25 ppm of ammonia will be gone by the AM after the 2nd dose . . . unless you use more funky or foamy algaecides!

Fill out the chart ASAP

Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results

and get an OTO kit immediately (cheapie, or HTH 6-way). Order a K-2006. As soon has you can, provide real test results (HTH 6-way or K2006)

Best wishes!