Constant Low Chlorine Levelsby Ida & Tom
First of all it does not hold the chlorine proper levels even though we keep putting in tablets, liquid chlorine etc. Secondly, the cyanuric acid is high at 140ppm and the phosphate level is at 500. We are always on the way to the pool shop to buy more chemicals. Could you please give us an idea what to do to resolve this issue? Thanks Ida and Tom Thanks for the question First, I'd like to have the rest of your chemicals readings: Chlorine pH Alkalinity Calcium Hardness Metals (iron and copper) Total Dissolved Solids It makes troubleshooting much easier and the process of clearing up your pool will go much faster. Without these numbers I'm just guessing at what the problem is. The question says the chlorine levels are not holding at the proper levels. At what levels are you trying to reach? The CYA is very high. The reason that the chlorine can't hold is because you would need to bring the chlorine up in proportion to the CYA. CYA needs to be 7.5% of the chlorine. If you run the chlorine at 2.5ppm, then 7.5% of that is 33. 2.5 divided by 7.5% = 33 In your case, you would need to run the chlorine level at 11ppm if you have a CYA level of 140ppm. 11 divided by 7.5% = 146 The only way to reduce the CYA is to do a partial or full drain, refill, and balance the chemicals again. You're probably going to need to drain 2/3 of the water and refill with fresh to get the CYA down to between 30 - 50ppm. Take out the chlorine tabs right away. You don't want to increase the CYA. Now for the phosphates. I recently answered a question from a lady in Chicago that has a big problem with phosphate remover. High Phosphates Over 1000 & Cloudy Water And these posts: Swimming Pool Phosphate Level Over 1000 High Phosphate Levels And Low Chlorine Issue... It's basically this: Phosphates are food for algae, but, if you keep the chlorine level between 1.5 - 3.5ppm, the algae will be killed by the chlorine. Good chlorine level = no algae or bacteria. It doesn't matter the level of the phosphates. I would advise you to NOT get a phosphate remover. It's an added expense and something your pool doesn't need. You can have a phosphate level up to 1000 and it'll be fine. You don't need to buy any more chemicals. Just drain and refill, keep the CYA between 30 - 50ppm and chlorine between 30 - 50ppm. Some items you can find the grocery store to balance your chemicals such as bleach, baking soda, and 20 Mule Team Borax. Do You Really Need All These Chemicals For A Pool Or Are They Just Trying To Get Your Money? If you could give me the chemical readings, we can go into a little more detail and get your pool up and running quickly. To post a reply, or if you have a similar question, you can see your post on the Q&A page in the "Chlorine" category. Swimming Pool Questions and Answers Check back to this post for answers. Hope this helps and have a great Summer. Robert |
