never ending chlorine demand help

[cloudy water]

seem to be having the same probem I have done all the medal tests and al clear I just can not keep a chlorine count at all in the past week aone I have lowered PH to let chlorine do the work I have added 15lbs of granulated chlorine Omni brand not to mention the other 18 poounds of shock since April then just yesterday added nine more pounds shock still milky white held chlorine level of 9 for about 6 hours then by this morning it is back down to 1 I have put way to much money into this pool I dont know what to do now?
i have a 30 round above ground 4 feet deep so they figuer 23,900 gal
TDS 500
CYA 60
tot chlorine 0
free chlo 0
ph 7.4
total alk 122
no medal

[aylad]

Hi, cloudy water, and welcome to the forum!!

Just a couple of questions--when you added the 9 pounds of "shock" yesterday, what was the actual ingredient? Was it Cal-hypo? What is your calcium hardness reading in your pool? Was the water milky white before the addition, or after? Is your filter cartridge or sand?

Sounds to me like you just have a hugh chlorine demand that is eating the chlorine as soon as it goes into the water. Whether it's from algae, ammonia from CYA breakdown, or just pollutants in the water, the answer to that is to get the chlorine up to "shock" level, which for a CYA of 60 means getting the chlorine up to 20 ppm and KEEPING IT THERE, not letting it yo-yo up and down. The best way to accomplish this is to test and add more chlorine (preferably plain, unscented bleach) to get back up to the 20 ppm mark 2-3 times daily, or even more frequently if possible. It will take a lot of bleach at first, but it's the only way you're going to get the pool clear. After that, it will be easy (and cheap) to maintain if you're diligent about your testing. Run your pool filter 24/7 during this process, and clean the filter as your pressure indicates.

In a pool your size, each 3 cups of 6% bleach will raise your chlorine by 1 ppm. To get from 0-20, you need to add 8 gallons of 6% bleach. Pour it slowly in front of a return, being careful not to splash it on your liner. Then when you retest later, use the 3 cup guide to tell you how much more you need to add to get up to 20.

I would not use any more cal-hypo since I'm pretty sure that's causing most of your milkiness problems. Also, if your hardness level gets too high, the water will get and stay milky. Also, I would not use any more stabilized chlorine--no pucks or dichlor shock. They're going to raise your CYA level, which is already high enough. The high CYA level is why the shock level for your pool is so high.

We can help you get the pool clear--but you're gonna need a good bit of bleach and a LOT of POPP--pool owner patience and persistence!! Remember that it took awhile for the pool to get to this point, and the solution is usually not overnight....

Janet

[cloudy water]

OK I am going to start with the bleach I have a sand filter and it was green befor I put the 15 pounds of chlorine granuals in it I took my water to another pool store to see what they suggest and that was when I put 9 pouches of burn out by bio gaurd in it and 10 oz of algeside witch they call inhabit in and well still no chlorine reading on my strip. I am just affraid of the bleach I have small children and one of them has very sensitive skin. This is our second year with the pool the first year was bad because it had not been open for 2 yrs and I never did have a chlorine reading last year but it did clear up. I am now over 500 bucks of fancy chemicals in and it is no longer gren but is a milky blue with no chlorine reading. Do I need to get a full blown test kit or am I ok with the strips?I do un 24/7 my filter has been running none stop since April..I had the sand replaced last year about mid season after we got the alge all cleared up from the start up last year so I think I am good there.

[Watermom]

You do need a good kit. Test strips aren't all that accurate. Here is a link to a place that has a good price on the kit we recommend.

http://www.amatoind.com/taylor-k2006-test-p-555.html

Don't be afraid to use bleach in your pool. Bleach is the same thing as chlorine. Pool store liquid chlorine is the same thing but at an even higher concentration. (10% sodium hypochlorite vs. 6%.)

You are getting what we call around here "pool-stored." They are selling you all kinds of expensive things that are doing nothing to solve your problem but are putting a big dent in your wallet.

Stick with the bleach. Janet has given you some good advice above. If you will follow it consistently, you're pool will clear up just fine. Good luck. Let us know if you have more questions.

[aylad]

The strips are probably bleaching out due to the chlorine, so you actually have some when they indicate that you don't, which is one reason why they're no good for clearing up a pool with problems--they just are not accurate. If the bigger test kits are not in your budget, even if you go to WalMart and get the quick OTO for $6 that only measures chlorine and ph, you're still better off. Even better than that, there's a 6-way for $15 that measures most everything else you'll need. However, if you can afford it, the Taylor K-2006 is still THE best kit to get, and will save you money tenfold.
You don't want the kids in the pool during the time the shocking is happening. Keep them out of it until it's blue and clear--if you'll consistently keep your chlorine up to "shock" level, it won't be long before they can enjoy a clean, clear pool.

Janet

[cloudy water]

ok wil go to pool store tom to get the kit they have a decent one for 25 bucks I think, I have put the first round of bleach in I got the big jugs of clorox 1.84 gal I put two jugs in will see what it looks like in the morning.

[cloudy water]

Ok I got a 3 way kit from walmart for now not ready to face pool store lady right now..lol my free CL is reading above the 5.0 as is total CL my PH is at 7.2 and BR is at 11.0 it is still a cloudy white?

[Watermom]

Here is a little trick to make your test kit show a higher scale. (It does lose a little accuracy by doing this, but it will at least give you a ballpark figure.)

Since your chlorine level is reading above 5, which is the highest reading your kit can handle, you can use a dilution method. Take one part of pool water and one equal part of distilled water. Mix together and pour some into your test vial. Test as usual and then multiply the result by 2. If you find that you are still "topping out" the scale, go higher by taking one part pool water and 2 parts distilled water. Test with this and then multiply results by 3, etc. This will at least give you a ballpark number of how high your chlorine is.

PH at 7.2 is fine, but if it goes any lower, you'll need to add a little Borax to raise it. It must stay above 7.0 or it can damage your pool.

Since you said your cya (stabilizer) level is 60, you'll need to shock up to 20. (Go back and re-read post #2 in this thread where Janet gave you advice about shocking. If you will be very diligent about testing at least twice (and 3 is better) per day and each time, raise your cl level back up to 20, you'll get this pool clear. Keep running the pump and filter and backwash if the filter pressure rises by 8-10 psi over your clean filter pressure.

Hope this helps.

Oh -- by the way -- you don't have any bromine in your pool. You can just ignore the BR on the test block.

[cloudy water]

Ok how long do I have to keep it at 20 I havent gotten it there yet because it has been hot and the kids want in the pool so I havent gotten it up to 20 yet but once I do how long should I leave it there?

[Watermom]

Until you can go with not losing more than 1ppm of chlorine from sundown to sunup, you need to try and keep the sustained high cl reading.