New to this Forum from SoCal

[aylad]

You don't need to do the overnight test tonight..if you're getting green through the return, then you still have live algae living in the pool. Besides, if your CC really is 5 ppm, then that alone is an indicator to shock. So....shock the pool and try to hold it, til you see no more green, the pool clears, and the CC goes down to zero.

[DirtRider67]

Thanks for the advice aylad. So when you say shock it, do you mean to just use lots of bleach? I just went over and cleaned the filters for the 10th time in as many days. It's been covered in a milky white residue and washes off fairly easily. I checked the balance with the basic kit and the cc and fc are still the same which is over 5ppm. ph seems to be perfect and the ta is perfect. I have been running the filter pump non stop for about 10 days. is this over kill? do i really need to run it this much?

Thanks for any and all advice.

[DirtRider67]

Okay, i've done a bit more reading on this forum and think i have figured a few things out. So to keep the pool in shock, i need to be at a minum fc of 12ppm and no more than 15ppm. And since i have a salt system that may or may not be working, i should just keep it off while getting rid of the algae so i can better maintain the fc. Please correct me if i am wrong.

Question: is it better to have a lower cya so the chlorine can work better? Apparently having a high cya makes the chlorine work overtime and requires way more chlorine.

So, i ordered the Taylor kit and should be here shortly. what should i do in the meantime? I'm guessing that if i get a fc reading of 5 on the cheap kit, i should just adjust as accordingly.

[Watermom]

You are correct about your first paragraph.

Different pools need different CYA levels. For most people, around 40-50 is best. But, when you have a SWCG, you need to follow your SWCG manufacturer's recommendation which is usually around 80 or so. Check your manual.

Good for you for ordering the kit. You will love it and it will make things easier. Go back and reread post #6 in this thread where I linked an article for you to read called How to Test Without a Good Kit. Keep running the pump and stir up the white stuff on the bottom to try and get it into suspension so your filter can get it.

[aylad]

Your shock levels of 12-15 are a little low-that's for people with lower CYA levels than yours. With a CYA of 50, you should shock it to a minimum of 15 ppm, and since you're at the upper end of the range, I would go between 15-20. Check out the "best guess chlorine chart" in the link in Watermom's sig for the chart that explains the CYA/chlorine level relationship.

You probably do need a higher CYA level with your SWCG, as Watermom indicated, but until you get the pool cleared up, I wouldn't add more, and would just shut the SWCG off and clear it with bleach. No need in wasting cell life!

[CarlD]

If you are getting 10% chlorine at Lowes or H-D for $3.50, that's not a bad price. It may actually be 12.5% but they mark it lower to prevent lawsuits.

The reason you weren't given a CC level by the Pool Store and why they said it was 0 is that your FC and TC were the same. TC is total chlorine and TC = FC + CC. This is always even if your test strip says TC is lower than FC (which they do!) So if you have two of the 3 measures you can calculate the third. The standard DPD test that can measure only up to about 15ppm measures FC and TC. So CC=TC-FC. The far more useful FAS-DPD test (which is in the kit you ordered) measures up to 50ppm and measures FC and CC instead. Here TC = FC + CC.

Meanwhile there's nothing I can add to Jan and Lisa's advice on what to do. Good luck!

Carl

[DirtRider67]

Hi, thanks for all the great advice. I believe my last cya was at 20 and can't remember if i put more stabilizer in or not. I will recheck today.

I did find that post on how to test without a good kit and will try it today.

I went to wal-mart this morning and got 15 gallons of bleach at 1.27 ea. Do you think that's a better price than the chlorine at 3.50 a gal? I know i would need less but will it all work the same?

thanks again