+ Reply to Thread
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 1 2
Results 11 to 20 of 20

Thread: Is a Pool Chlorine Level Above 10 PPM Unsafe?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    751

    Default Re: Hello and CYA @ 240-300

    Thanks.

    So a related question;

    If I remember correctly, with my CYA at 80, the recommended shock level is 20. How much should I allow it to drop before swimming again?
    22'x40' Grecian Lazy L 20K gal IG vinyl pool; Aqua Rite SWCG T15 cell; Hayward Pro Grid 6020 DE filter; Hayward Superpump 1hp pump; 12 hrs; Taylor K-2006; city; PF:6

  2. #12
    PoolDoc's Avatar
    PoolDoc is offline Administrator Quark Inspector PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    11,386

    Default Re: Hello and CYA @ 240-300

    Women's fashion suits might want to wait till it's 15 or so. You just need to wait long enough for it to mix, so it's 20 all over, instead of 10 in most places and 40 near the returns. If you add it via bleach poured around the pool . . . 15 minutes should be plenty.

    With a CYA of 80, 20 ppm is not going to have ill effects on swimmers.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    751

    Default Re: Hello and CYA @ 240-300

    Quote Originally Posted by PoolDoc View Post
    Women's fashion suits might want to wait till it's 15 or so. You just need to wait long enough for it to mix, so it's 20 all over, instead of 10 in most places and 40 near the returns. If you add it via bleach poured around the pool . . . 15 minutes should be plenty.

    With a CYA of 80, 20 ppm is not going to have ill effects on swimmers.
    Thanks Ben. If I understand you correctly, if I follow my usual practice of shocking (I use cal hypo; pre disolved and poured throughout the pool) in the evening and letting the pump run all night, then it's OK to start swimming the next morning/day?
    Last edited by JimK; 05-26-2012 at 12:17 PM.
    22'x40' Grecian Lazy L 20K gal IG vinyl pool; Aqua Rite SWCG T15 cell; Hayward Pro Grid 6020 DE filter; Hayward Superpump 1hp pump; 12 hrs; Taylor K-2006; city; PF:6

  4. #14
    PoolDoc's Avatar
    PoolDoc is offline Administrator Quark Inspector PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    11,386

    Default Re: Hello and CYA @ 240-300

    Sure! It's also OK to swim that EVENING.

    Using cal hypo? High calcium and SWCGs don't play well together.
    Do you have a K-2006?
    Do you know how to MANUALLY clean your DE filter?
    Is your SWCG DOWNSTREAM of your filter?
    If the answer to all those questions is yes, you might want to use an alternative method of dosing with cal hypo that will limit the calcium build-up in the pool. Meanwhile, you need to know where your calcium levels are at present.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    751

    Default Re: Hello and CYA @ 240-300

    Quote Originally Posted by PoolDoc View Post
    Sure! It's also OK to swim that EVENING.

    Using cal hypo? High calcium and SWCGs don't play well together.
    Do you have a K-2006?
    Do you know how to MANUALLY clean your DE filter?
    Is your SWCG DOWNSTREAM of your filter?
    If the answer to all those questions is yes, you might want to use an alternative method of dosing with cal hypo that will limit the calcium build-up in the pool. Meanwhile, you need to know where your calcium levels are at present.
    I don't have that exact kit, but I have a few kits. One is a Taylor kit that I use to measure PH and TA (using R0014 reagent for PH, and R0007/R0008/R0009 for checking TA), another is a Taylor K1515-C (FAS-DPD Chlorine test), and a Tayor kit to test CYA level (using R0013 reagent), also a Jack's Magic Sequest kit, LaMotte test strips for borates, and most recently Aquacheck test strips for checking salt level (glad to report that the salt reading from the test strip reads almost the same as the SWCG display; gives me confidence my salt level is good). I did have a Taylor kit for checking calcium levels, but I had difficulty seeing the color change, so I returned it.

    I do have calcium checked 2-3 times a season (May through Sept/Oct here). I checked my records since 2004 and calcium level has always been in the 200-250 range. I've never had any scaling on the salt cell or other parts since having the pool installed in 2004. It seems we get enough rain here to keep calcium levels from building too much. It's not uncommon that we will get enough rain in one storm that requires pumping excess water out of the pool. I haven't checked calcium yet this season (will do so soon), but I have no reason to think it will be any higher than usual. BTW, I've always used cal hypo to shock. Given this, is using cal hypo a problem?

    I take the DE filter apart and manually clean it thoroughly at the end of each season. The salt cell is downstream (ie - after) the filter.

    In my situation, do I need to be using an alternative method of dosing cal hypo (what is the alternative method??)?

    Thanks again for your help. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
    22'x40' Grecian Lazy L 20K gal IG vinyl pool; Aqua Rite SWCG T15 cell; Hayward Pro Grid 6020 DE filter; Hayward Superpump 1hp pump; 12 hrs; Taylor K-2006; city; PF:6

  6. #16
    PoolDoc's Avatar
    PoolDoc is offline Administrator Quark Inspector PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars PoolDoc 5 stars
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    11,386

    Default Re: Hello and CYA @ 240-300

    If you've been using cal hypo, and have had stable chlorine over a full pool season, then no, it's not necessary to switch.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Central NJ
    Posts
    66

    Default Re: Hello and CYA @ 240-300

    Over the past 3 summers I have a tended my pool with over 300ppm CYA and under 30ppm of CYA. I loved reading this thread. I think the pool was much easier and more affordable to operate when the CYA was in the 70-80 range. Obviously I was keeping the Cl at a level appropriate to the CYA according to your table. I had zero problems and I suspect that high doses of Cl (40ppm) combined with 70-80 CYA was a fabulous pool closing combo. My lame (I am a social worker not a chemist) theory was that the CYA would maintain a higher Cl level longer making the early Fall, where it is more likely warmer, more protected from Algae. The colder months should have under the cover temps below 50. So, open the pool early and have it be blue? I think it worked... Granted, I have a 12 year old liner I'm not much concerned about. But the same theory (40ppm) to close worked with my CYA at 38 last year? Is the cover the reason, does a covered pool lose Cl THAT much slower because you shield it from the sun? I have a solid cover by the way. And there is still algae to kill on opening but it is pretty darn good compared to the old days of the closing company broadcasting 2lbs. Of Cal Hypo and covering.

    I think, regarding the daily operation of my pool, that the 70-80 CYA level made my life the easiest. I see no difference in Cl smell or damage to suits or hair. So, if my observations are reasonable, it leaves behind the question of whether higher level CYA exposure is damaging us in any way?
    Last edited by PBLsQuad450; 05-27-2012 at 08:47 AM.
    33,000ish gallon, 20X40 IG Vinyl Liner, no heater. Full sun, Sand filter. Been pool stored more times than I can count, not anymore! Thanks PF!

    20'x40' rectangle 33K gal IG pool; Bleach; Hayward sand filter; AO Smith 1HP pump; 14hrs; Taylor K2006; utility water; summer: ; winter: ; iPhone; PF:3.6

  8. #18
    chem geek is offline PF Supporter Whibble Konker chem geek 4 stars chem geek 4 stars chem geek 4 stars chem geek 4 stars
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    California
    Age
    64
    Posts
    2,226

    Default Re: Hello and CYA @ 240-300

    An opaque cover will block the UV in sunlight and have the chlorine last a lot longer. The colder water temperatures also slow down all chemical reactions including those that use up chlorine. In my own pool that has a mostly opaque electric safety cover, my chlorine loss rate with no bather load is around 0.7 ppm FC per day at 88ºF (with bather load and opening the pool every day for 1-2 hours the loss is closer to 1 ppm FC), but at 50ºF over the winter this drops to somewhat less than 0.1 ppm FC per day (about 1 ppm FC every couple of weeks). This is with the FC at around 10% of the CYA level and the CYA at 30 or 40 ppm (depending on season) though it gets diluted from winter rain overflow that I intentionally do (pool pump on cover pumps water into the pool and overflows from under the cover to an overflow drain.

    If you truly have an opaque cover, then you should not need to have your chlorine start out that high if the water temp is cold when you close in winter and when you open again in spring. Usually, people only need to do that if their cover is not opaque because sunlight will continue to break down chlorine. Note that sunlight breakdown of chlorine is independent of temperature so having an opaque cover is important if one isn't going to be adding chlorine over the winter and wants to open up the pool algae-free.

  9. #19
    CarlD's Avatar
    CarlD is offline SuperMod Emeritus Vortex Adjuster CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars CarlD 4 stars
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    North Central NJ
    Posts
    6,607

    Default Re: Hello and CYA @ 240-300

    Quote Originally Posted by JimK View Post
    I don't have that exact kit, but I have a few kits. One is a Taylor kit that I use to measure PH and TA (using R0014 reagent for PH, and R0007/R0008/R0009 for checking TA), another is a Taylor K1515-C (FAS-DPD Chlorine test), and a Tayor kit to test CYA level (using R0013 reagent), also a Jack's Magic Sequest kit, LaMotte test strips for borates, and most recently Aquacheck test strips for checking salt level (glad to report that the salt reading from the test strip reads almost the same as the SWCG display; gives me confidence my salt level is good). I did have a Taylor kit for checking calcium levels, but I had difficulty seeing the color change, so I returned it.
    With the test kits you have, you have the equivalent of the K-2006. The FAS-DPD test in the K-2006 is the same as the K-1515-C you have. The pH test is the same, too. As is the TA and CYA tests. You are fine that way.
    Carl

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Dec 1969
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    751

    Post Re: Is a Pool Chlorine Level Above 10 PPM Unsafe?

    Quote Originally Posted by CarlD View Post
    With the test kits you have, you have the equivalent of the K-2006. The FAS-DPD test in the K-2006 is the same as the K-1515-C you have. The pH test is the same, too. As is the TA and CYA tests. You are fine that way.
    Yeah, I would buy individual kits as I learned what to test and gained confidence doing it myself.

    It would be more convenient having everything in one box, but it would be cheaper just to buy a small tacklebox for that purpose rather than buying a new K-2006 kit.
    Last edited by Orca; 08-19-2013 at 05:21 PM. Reason: clarify title
    22'x40' Grecian Lazy L 20K gal IG vinyl pool; Aqua Rite SWCG T15 cell; Hayward Pro Grid 6020 DE filter; Hayward Superpump 1hp pump; 12 hrs; Taylor K-2006; city; PF:6

+ Reply to Thread

Similar Threads

  1. Chlorine tabs vs chlorine bleach generic
    By Cahoonh in forum Using Chlorine and Chlorinating Chemicals
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 06-13-2013, 09:28 AM
  2. High Chlorine Level with no Chlorine Added in 6 weeks
    By morechoff in forum Pool Chemicals & Pool Water Problems
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 06-27-2006, 07:52 AM
  3. Free Chlorine vs. Total Chlorine adjusting
    By Truckman in forum Testing and Adjusting Pool Water Chemistry
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: 06-08-2006, 05:00 PM
  4. alternatives to chlorine/non-chlorine pool maint
    By leewest in forum Dealing with Stains & Metals, . . . and 'Minerals' & 'Ions',
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 04-04-2006, 10:53 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts