OTO chlorine test is orange . . . for a month

For over a month I've been trying to figure out why my chlorine test turn an orange color instead of yellow. After being told to shock the pool we did then to not ad any for a few days we did never dropped the alkalinity and hardness test are bleached out so I don't trust any readings. Took water in for testing at 2 different pool stores received different results. We then emptied the pool about 1/3 of the way then refilled. Haven't added anything yet and OTO is still orange. Help! This is a pebble tech pool type it is still clear water this is an older pool came with house about 30000 gallons. I'm not sure what to do now, we had wanted to change over to the bob method and thought this would be a good time. Also we have not let anyone swim, too afraid .

OTO orange = chlorine > 20 ppm.

The fact that it has remained that high for a month, means that your CYA (stabilizer) is ALSO very high.

Free chlorine levels of 20ppm would be a bit irritating (and very hard on swimwear), if there was no stabilizer in the water. But it would also disappear in a single day of full sun. Stabilizer 'inactivates' a portion of the chlorine and 'puts it in reserve', so you may have what is effectively 1 ppm FC + 19 ppm 'inactive reserve chlorine'. When the 1 ppm gets used up, another 1 ppm gets released (more or less) to 'active duty'.

You need to read the Best Guess page, linked in my signature which explains some of this. And, you'll need to get a K2006 test kit, in order to test your water levels . . . accurately. (Strips, whether yours or a dealers are NOT very accurate.)

BUT . . . you can swim. Just keep new swimsuits and permed or dyed hair out of the pool, and all will be well. Skin is VERY resistant to chlorine.

Meanwhile, do these things:

1. Check your tile line for 'scale'. Because of high evaporation and low quality fill water, your area in Arizona tends to have a problem with scale build up at the water line. If so, this may be a good time to drain 50 - 75% and refill. Doing so will lower your CYA, lower the scale producing salts, and lower your chlorine. But, check on water restrictions and cost.

2. As mentioned above, order the K2006 and read the Best Guess page.

3. Figure out how you got there. To get CYA that high (possibly > 200 ppm) someone has been chlorinating with stabilized chlorine (dichlor or trichlor) which add BOTH chlorine AND stabilizer to the pool.

4. Then, re-read the Best Guess page. You'll EITHER need to lower CYA (= drain a lot of water) and run 'normal' chlorine levels OR you'll need to run high chlorine levels to compensate for your high CYA.

The HiC2 method (high CYA, high Chlorine) has actually widely used in your area by companies like PoolChlor since the 1960's. They inject chlorine gas directly into pools with high CYA, where it immediately combines with the water and the CYA -- it's perfectly safe. The advantage is, with CYA that high, they can put so much chlorine 'in reserve' that their pools only have to be treated 1x per week. You can do the same thing, yourself. But it takes some adjustments to testing techniques. And if you take a sample to a pool store, they will freak out, unless they happen to be familiar with PoolChlor

5. Relax. Nothing you've told me suggests you have a serious problem, or even anything that would keep you from swimming (except bogus advice from pool stores!).

Nefretrameses --- If you are looking for your post that you put in this thread, you can find it here:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthr...eses-HI2C-pool

It is best if we don't try and work on two pools within the same thread.