Quote Originally Posted by rdscottrms View Post
We have a MutiTest 1200-V test kit. We use bottle indicators and not strips. We also bought an Ammonia NH3/NH4 test kit. Upon testing we found 0.25 ppm of that contaminant in our 17000 gal pool.

Do you have some more suggestions?
I think chlorinating would help . . . and staying away from BioGuard dealers would help . . . and getting a good test kit would help . . . and posting your pool info (so we can tell what you have) would help.

The Multitest 1200V is a low-grade (but not cheap!) testkit from BioGuard. The HTH 6-way drops kit at some Walmarts is twice the kit and half the price. But, it's no surprise that Bioguard doesn't sell a good kit. A GOOD kit would cut into their chemical sales! Get the HTH kit, or better, get the Taylor K2006 (link in my signature).

Forget about the ammonia. On an outdoor pool it will go away in a day or two, once you begin chlorinating adequately. What is "adequately"? Unfortunately, without knowing your CYA (stabilizer) level, we don't know. Start with 3 gallons of PLAIN 6% household bleach per 10,000 gallons of pool water, added directly to your skimmers -- AFTER removing ALL tablets, cartridges pills and ALL other chemical or 'mineral' containers ANYWHERE in the pipeline. Add the bleach in the evening, and test in the morning with a cheap OTO test kit (or the HTH 6-way), but NOT the Multitest 1200V. Test again in the evening.

If the chlorine is low in the AM, you have some sort of chlorine demand. If it's HIGH (dark yellow) in the AM, but low in the PM (clear to light yellow) you have low stabilizer. If it's HIGH in both the AM and PM, you have no chlorine demand AND have high stabilizer . . . unless it was a really cloudy day. Continue adding the bleach EACH evening, till you sustain a HIGH chlorine reading overnight. Adding the bleach via the skimmer will clean up your filter

0.25 ppm of ammonia will be gone by the AM after the 2nd dose . . . unless you use more funky or foamy algaecides!

Fill out the chart ASAP
Pool Chart Entry Form
Pool Chart Results
and get an OTO kit immediately (cheapie, or HTH 6-way). Order a K-2006. As soon has you can, provide real test results (HTH 6-way or K2006)

Best wishes!