Constant High Chlorine Readings

[matthewnadeau]

Well, I guess my first question (to myself) is "why am I using a test kit that only goes up to 3 ppm on the Cl reading"? I always assumed that as long as I was above the "ideal" range of 1.0 - 1.5 ppm that I would be OK.

Sounds like I need to get myself a new test kit and ensure that my Cl is kept at a higher level and then also use liquid Cl along with the tablets.

Thanks for your help.

[aylad]

Yeah, the "ideal" range of 1.0 - 1.5 is for an inside pool without CYA, or an outside pool with a very low stabilizer level--but then the chlorine doesn't stay in the pool for long. Since the advent of stabilized tablets, the folks who write the guidelines either have forgotten to update the ranges, or never figured out the CYA/chlorine relationship to begin with--but it's been proven over and over again that as the CYa level rises, so must the chlorine level to be as effective.

When you manage your pool, a good test kit will save you tons of time, money, and aggravation. We recommend the Taylor K-2006 kit. It can be found online at several different places, but if you get it here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002IXIIG?ie=UTF8&tag=poolbooks&linkCode=as2&camp %20=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0002IXIIG"><b >Ta%20ylor%20Complete%20FAS-DPD%20Pool%20Water%20Test%20Kit%20K-2006</b then the Poolforum gets a commission from the order. In the meantime, here's a link http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=10073 that describes how to force your kit to measure higher chlorine levels. It's only gonna give you a ballpark, but it's better than nothing until you can get a good test kit.

I would stop using the tablets in your pool at this point--the CYA will continue to rise as long as you're using it, and when you get to CYA of 100 or so then it's very, very difficulty to maintain a clean, clear pool even with elevated chlorine levels. It's your call, though....

Janet

[matthewnadeau]

Thank you for the recommendation on the test kit. Unless I'm reading it incorrectly, it looks like the Taylor kit only reads Cl levels up to 5 ppm. Are there kits that read higher, or do I need to dilute the sample to get a higher range?

[Watermom]

The Taylor K-2006 is a FAS-DPD kit and can read levels way higher than 5. More like at least 50 and probably much higher.

[CarlD]

Be careful! The Taylor K-2005 kit is a straight DPD test kit that only measures FC to 5ppm. The K-2006 is the one with the FAS-DPD test that measures to (at least) 50 ppm.