Chlorine level is low

[sherriemoseley]

Hi I'm new to this method. I'm tired of driving 20 miles to the pool store every other day and I've already spent $200 on chemicals that still have not completely cleared my pool. I have been reading a lot of the posts on here the past week so I thought I'd give it a try. I bought a DPD test kit from Leslies. My pH is 7.8. My chlorine was zero I guess. I put 2 gallons of bleach in Saturday evening and checked chlorine Sunday... still zero. I added another gallon of bleach Sunday evening and checked it Monday...still zero. Added 2 more gallons Tuesday evening and checked it today it was .5 so I thought I might have a bad kit...so I added a 1 pound bag of shock (Trichloro-s-triazinetrione* Available chlorine 48.6%) and finally saw some color on the test! The test only goes up to 5 and the color was darker than that. So did I mess up by adding the shock? What should I do next?

[Watermom]

Hi Sherrie and welcome to the Pool Forum!

You didn't do anything by adding the shock as long as the shock is not a trichlor blend that has copper in it.

To be able to give better advice, we need to know more about your pool -- type, size, type of filter, size of pump. How does the water look? Can you post a complete set of numbers taken with your kit? We recommend buying a DPD-FAS kit (Taylor K-2006) but since you already bought the DPD kit, you can just pick up a K-1515 from the test kit link in my signature below and it will give you the test that your kit is missing which allows you to measure chlorine levels higher than 5.

Post the requested info and somebody here should be able to help you.

[sherriemoseley]

Ok I ordered the K-1515 kit but I wont be getting it for about a week. I have an above ground 18x52 round pool with a Heyward sand filter that says 50 pounds and a 1 HP Heyward pump. My pH is still reading 7.8 but the chlorine reading is clear so I guess its zero. The water is a little cloudy and there is still a little algae on bottom. What should I do until I get that other test kit?

[Watermom]

I'm guessing your volume to be around 9000 gallons. Can you get a CYA reading? If we know your CYA reading, that will help us give better advice.

[sherriemoseley]

Well I guess I have to get another test kit. The kit I have from Leslies is "Basic Poolcare DPD Test Kit" Free Chlorine or Bromine,pH and I ordered the k-1515 today so now my question is what other kits am I gonna need before I can do anything else?

[sunlove]

Hi sherrie,
In the meantime just continue adding the 1-2 gallons of bleach every night. You don't want to let your chlorine be at 0 at any point right now because of the algae already present

[PoolDoc]

The kit I have from Leslies is "Basic Poolcare DPD Test Kit" Free Chlorine or Bromine,pH and I ordered the k-1515 today so now my question is what other kits am I gonna need before I can do anything else?

Here's the Leslie's page: http://www.lesliespool.com/Home/Pool...Test-Kits.html

Tell me exactly which kit you have (none there are called "Basic Poolcare DPD").

[sherriemoseley]

18571

DPD Basic Test Kit

[PoolDoc]

Arrg-g-gh. NOT one of my favorite Taylor kits (Taylor # K1001); the Taylor K1000 (OTO) is much more useful. I do NOT like DPD color match kits, for all sorts of reasons. But for a variety of reasons, the pool industry LOVES them. At least, the pH test in that kit is good.

OK. Standard recipe again:

1. Get an OTO kit locally, (see the test kit info page link in my signature) but continue to use the pH test from the Taylor K1001
2. Get 2 gallons of plain 6% bleach (can probably get bleach and kit at Walmart).
3. First evening after you have both, test the pool, add 1 gallon of bleach, test the pool again (record the color -- orange? even if it doesn't match)
4. Following AM, test the pool again, and again that evening. Let us know what you see.
5. Order a K2006 (same test kit info page)
6. Tell us what sort of pool you have (vinyl, FG, concrete) and the make / model of both your pump and filter
7. Give us a list of the chemicals you've put in since opening. We'll need exact brand names, since terms like "shock" or "chlorinator" have no particular meaning.

[sherriemoseley]

Okay I have continued to add a gallon of bleach every evening and I just received my k-1515 kit today. I just ordered the k2006 so in the meantime can I use the kits I have? Also I'm a little confused on the k1515 because it says: For 1 drop=0.2 ppm,use 25 mL sample or For 1 drop=0.5 ppm,use 10 mL sample.So which one do I need to use 10 mL or 25 mL? I am off work tomorrow and would like to do your recommendation tonight and tomorrow AM. I already posted my pool info on this thread 5-4-12. As far as the list of chemicals I've put in since opening, I reeally cant give you the names of any of it because I used it all as instructed by Leisure Depot and no longer have the containers. I know we did pH increaser and a flocculant and I had to vacuum algae to waste,then Calcium Plus which I still have some left and the brand name is Sparco and lots of shock which I think the brand name was Pool Life, maybe?