never ending chlorine demand help

seem to be having the same probem I have done all the medal tests and al clear I just can not keep a chlorine count at all in the past week aone I have lowered PH to let chlorine do the work I have added 15lbs of granulated chlorine Omni brand not to mention the other 18 poounds of shock since April then just yesterday added nine more pounds shock still milky white held chlorine level of 9 for about 6 hours then by this morning it is back down to 1 I have put way to much money into this pool I dont know what to do now?
i have a 30 round above ground 4 feet deep so they figuer 23,900 gal
TDS 500
CYA 60
tot chlorine 0
free chlo 0
ph 7.4
total alk 122
no medal

Hi, cloudy water, and welcome to the forum!!

Just a couple of questions--when you added the 9 pounds of "shock" yesterday, what was the actual ingredient? Was it Cal-hypo? What is your calcium hardness reading in your pool? Was the water milky white before the addition, or after? Is your filter cartridge or sand?

Sounds to me like you just have a hugh chlorine demand that is eating the chlorine as soon as it goes into the water. Whether it's from algae, ammonia from CYA breakdown, or just pollutants in the water, the answer to that is to get the chlorine up to "shock" level, which for a CYA of 60 means getting the chlorine up to 20 ppm and KEEPING IT THERE, not letting it yo-yo up and down. The best way to accomplish this is to test and add more chlorine (preferably plain, unscented bleach) to get back up to the 20 ppm mark 2-3 times daily, or even more frequently if possible. It will take a lot of bleach at first, but it's the only way you're going to get the pool clear. After that, it will be easy (and cheap) to maintain if you're diligent about your testing. Run your pool filter 24/7 during this process, and clean the filter as your pressure indicates.

In a pool your size, each 3 cups of 6% bleach will raise your chlorine by 1 ppm. To get from 0-20, you need to add 8 gallons of 6% bleach. Pour it slowly in front of a return, being careful not to splash it on your liner. Then when you retest later, use the 3 cup guide to tell you how much more you need to add to get up to 20.

I would not use any more cal-hypo since I'm pretty sure that's causing most of your milkiness problems. Also, if your hardness level gets too high, the water will get and stay milky. Also, I would not use any more stabilized chlorine--no pucks or dichlor shock. They're going to raise your CYA level, which is already high enough. The high CYA level is why the shock level for your pool is so high.

We can help you get the pool clear--but you're gonna need a good bit of bleach and a LOT of POPP--pool owner patience and persistence!! Remember that it took awhile for the pool to get to this point, and the solution is usually not overnight....

Janet

OK I am going to start with the bleach I have a sand filter and it was green befor I put the 15 pounds of chlorine granuals in it I took my water to another pool store to see what they suggest and that was when I put 9 pouches of burn out by bio gaurd in it and 10 oz of algeside witch they call inhabit in and well still no chlorine reading on my strip. I am just affraid of the bleach I have small children and one of them has very sensitive skin. This is our second year with the pool the first year was bad because it had not been open for 2 yrs and I never did have a chlorine reading last year but it did clear up. I am now over 500 bucks of fancy chemicals in and it is no longer gren but is a milky blue with no chlorine reading. Do I need to get a full blown test kit or am I ok with the strips?I do un 24/7 my filter has been running none stop since April..I had the sand replaced last year about mid season after we got the alge all cleared up from the start up last year so I think I am good there.

You do need a good kit. Test strips aren't all that accurate. Here is a link to a place that has a good price on the kit we recommend.

http://www.amatoind.com/taylor-k2006-test-p-555.html

Don't be afraid to use bleach in your pool. Bleach is the same thing as chlorine. Pool store liquid chlorine is the same thing but at an even higher concentration. (10% sodium hypochlorite vs. 6%.)

You are getting what we call around here "pool-stored." They are selling you all kinds of expensive things that are doing nothing to solve your problem but are putting a big dent in your wallet.

Stick with the bleach. Janet has given you some good advice above. If you will follow it consistently, you're pool will clear up just fine. Good luck. Let us know if you have more questions.

The strips are probably bleaching out due to the chlorine, so you actually have some when they indicate that you don't, which is one reason why they're no good for clearing up a pool with problems--they just are not accurate. If the bigger test kits are not in your budget, even if you go to WalMart and get the quick OTO for $6 that only measures chlorine and ph, you're still better off. Even better than that, there's a 6-way for $15 that measures most everything else you'll need. However, if you can afford it, the Taylor K-2006 is still THE best kit to get, and will save you money tenfold.
You don't want the kids in the pool during the time the shocking is happening. Keep them out of it until it's blue and clear--if you'll consistently keep your chlorine up to "shock" level, it won't be long before they can enjoy a clean, clear pool.

Janet

ok wil go to pool store tom to get the kit they have a decent one for 25 bucks I think, I have put the first round of bleach in I got the big jugs of clorox 1.84 gal I put two jugs in will see what it looks like in the morning.

Ok I got a 3 way kit from walmart for now not ready to face pool store lady right now..lol my free CL is reading above the 5.0 as is total CL my PH is at 7.2 and BR is at 11.0 it is still a cloudy white?

Here is a little trick to make your test kit show a higher scale. (It does lose a little accuracy by doing this, but it will at least give you a ballpark figure.)

Since your chlorine level is reading above 5, which is the highest reading your kit can handle, you can use a dilution method. Take one part of pool water and one equal part of distilled water. Mix together and pour some into your test vial. Test as usual and then multiply the result by 2. If you find that you are still "topping out" the scale, go higher by taking one part pool water and 2 parts distilled water. Test with this and then multiply results by 3, etc. This will at least give you a ballpark number of how high your chlorine is.

PH at 7.2 is fine, but if it goes any lower, you'll need to add a little Borax to raise it. It must stay above 7.0 or it can damage your pool.

Since you said your cya (stabilizer) level is 60, you'll need to shock up to 20. (Go back and re-read post #2 in this thread where Janet gave you advice about shocking. If you will be very diligent about testing at least twice (and 3 is better) per day and each time, raise your cl level back up to 20, you'll get this pool clear. Keep running the pump and filter and backwash if the filter pressure rises by 8-10 psi over your clean filter pressure.

Hope this helps.

Oh -- by the way -- you don't have any bromine in your pool. You can just ignore the BR on the test block.

Ok how long do I have to keep it at 20 I havent gotten it there yet because it has been hot and the kids want in the pool so I havent gotten it up to 20 yet but once I do how long should I leave it there?

Until you can go with not losing more than 1ppm of chlorine from sundown to sunup, you need to try and keep the sustained high cl reading.

Ok I seem to have the CL under control now but e hd a alot of rain and it turned bright green and smells like a lake? I broke down and got a alge destroer and have added about 4 gallons of bleach it is now to a light green but still smells of lake water? Oh I also added 4lbs of baking soda the CL is at about a 15 and ph is 7.2 filter has been running none stop I got in and vacumed and then brushed the walls and bottom I have no slimey spots so what do I do next? Thank You for the help

Don't add things to the pool that you don't get advice about first here on the forum. I don't know what "algae destroyer" is but the only algae destroyer that really works is chlorine. Please post a complete set of current water testing results. (Did you ever get a good test kit so you can test your own water?)

Then, we'll go from there.

Don't put the algae destroyer in, if you haven't already. I made the mistake of using that stuff in my koi pond one year. NOt only didn't it help, but it made my water very foamy and killed most of my flowering plants AND the fish, even though it advertised that it wouldn't.

Stick with bleach.

Janet

ok latest pool store readings

TDS 1100
cya 0
tot chlorine 0.2
free CL 0
ph 7.9
tot alkal 138
tot hardness 309

now it seems I have no stablizer was wondering if there was a stabalizer that didn't come from pool store I have been putting bleach in bt nothing is stayig I guess because of stabalizer problems pool is very green agine and bleah is not helping???

I would double check the stabilizer level to make sure it really is 0. If it really is 0, then either you never had any stabilizer to begin with (you would have had to add it in the forum of a powder or liquid called "balancer" or "conditioner" or "stabilizer". Either way, the active ingredient is cyanuric or isocyanuric acid.). If you never had any to begin with, then the sun is depleting your chlorine, and you need to add enough to get up to about 30 ppm. If you actually had CYA of 60 to begin with, and now truly have 0, that means the algae bloom and accompanying bacteria have broken down the CYA and now you have a mess on your hands. You really need to double check that number to help us figure out which it is. (And if you added the stabilizer, let us know that, too).

The bleach will fix the pool IF you get the chlorine level up and KEEP IT UP as we described in earlier posts. That means keeping the kids out of it, and testing and adding more bleach 2-3 times daily or even more if possible. However, if you don't get the chlorine level up and keep it up there, you're spinning your wheels. Bleach and filtering will clear it, but only if it's done properly. Don't add any more baking soda, algaecide, or anything else but plain, unscented bleach. If you truly have 0 stabilizer, then 6 gallons of 6% bleach should take your chlorine up to 15 ppm, which is the level you need to maintain. Test 2-3 times daily (or as often as you can), and add more bleach to get back up above the 15 ppm mark. 1/2 gallon of bleach will raise your chlorine by approximately 1 ppm, so you can use that as a guide to figure out how much to use each time. If you DO still have stabilizer in the water, then you need to go up to 20 ppm and hold it there.

With some persistence and patience, it will work--but you're gonna have to stay on top of it.

Janet

I will get back on the bleach but I have not had to add and stabalizer this year at open of season when I had water checked they said I had stabalizer and it was good I have always had Chlorine demand this is the first time they have said I have no stabilizer how do I doulbe check the test? I will put 6 gallons of blach in am and see what it reads thank YOu

What kind of test kit are you using. Unless you bought a good kit, you won't be able to test your own cya as many of the cheaper kits do not have this test.

If you'll go to WalMart and buy the 6-way drop based kit they sell for around $15, it includes a CYA test and you can test it yourself. The problem with stabilizer (or any parameter) being "good", is that you don't know what they are comparing the "good" to. Stabilizer is stabilizer, and what level you have dictates what level of chlorine you have to keep in the pool to keep it clean. So without a good idea of what the stabilizer level is, you're just guessing when it comes to how much bleach to add. I would either get the other test kit and test it myself, or take your water sample to that store and one more, if possible, and have it tested again.

Janet

ok my Wal Mart only had 6 way stripes so I got them and the pool store is still saying no stabilizer but the stripe says it is good at 100 so I have added 6 and half gallons of bleach we will see what it says in the morning..

Are you using WalMart strips or the WalMart HTH drop test kit aylad recommended?

I don't understand how a CYA level of 100ppm is indicated as "good"--it's far too high if it's accurate, which it probably isn't as strips are notoriously hard to read correctly.

all they had were strips and I miss read it it is at 50ppm the bleach seems to be working I have gone from a very green pool to a light green so we r making progress my ph was high so I added acid I will test agine tomorrow.

Keep hitting it with bleach. As often as you can per day, test and add enough bleach to get it back to shock level.

Also, you don't say what your readings are but, if your chlorine level is higher than 10, your pH test will falsely show higher pH than you actually have. So, don't test pH or add muriatic acid unless your cl is below 10ppm.