What do my chlorine levels need to be?

[Watermom]

A couple of things:
I know you think your ph will come up on its own, but since 6.8 is probably the lowest value on your tester, the ph actually could be much lower. Any reading below 7.0 is acidic and can damage your pool. I'd go ahead and add a couple of cups of 20 Mule Team Borax slowly to the skimmer while the pump is running. Wait a few hours, retest ph and redose until you at least get it to 7.2.

Also, you need to get some chlorine in there or you'll be surprised how quickly your pool will turn green. Since I assume that you still have not added any stabilizer (cya), you can do one of two things. You can either use trichlor pucks to chlorinate with which also contain cya. You say that you usually have high ph. Trichlor is acidic and will drive your ph down with use. If you do decide to use trichlor, you'll need to test your cya level periodically. After you get it where you want it, (I like 30-40ppm of cya), then you'll need to discontinue the trichlor and just use bleach. Another option is to go ahead and just add an initial dose of cya and then just use bleach to chlorinate with. That is what I do. Add enough cya per the label instructions to get you to a level of about 30. (Pour it directly into the skimmer.) Then be patient. CYA takes a long time to dissolve in your filter, so don't backwash or add more for about a week. Then, retest your cya level before deciding if you need to add any more. You want to go slowly. You can always add more cya, but reducing it isn't as easy.

Until you get a cya reading in your pool, you'll have to watch your chlorine level closely as you will quickly lose the chlorine to the sun. As your cya level comes up, this won't happen so fast. Hope this helps.

Watermom

[cnk]

I think that I will just do the bleach and CYA since that is what I've already purchased, but what I need to know is what level I need to keep the chlorine at. I thought that I had read 3 ppm on the previous board, but I'm not sure.

[Watermom]

It depends on your cya level. The higher your cya level is, the higher you have to keep your chlorine level. If you add enough cya to have a level around 30-40, then maintaining a cl level of around 3ppm should be OK. Again, it just depends on your cya level.

[cnk]

Thanks alot for your help. That at least gives me a level to shoot for.

[ScottS]

I saved this chart on my PC from the old site. Hope it helps!

-------------------

Ben's 'best guess' FC/Stabilizer table for algae free operation of OUTDOOR pools
-- as of July 2003 --

Stabilizer . . . . . . Min. FC . . . . Max FC . . . 'Shock' FC
=> 0 ppm . . . . . . . 1 ppm . . . . . 3 ppm . . . . 10 ppm
=> 10 - 20 ppm . . . . 2 ppm . . . . . 5 ppm . . . . 12 ppm
=> 30 - 50 ppm . . . . 3 ppm . . . . . 6 ppm . . . . 15 ppm
=> 60 - 90 ppm . . . . 5 ppm . . . . . 10 ppm . . .. 20 ppm
=> 100 - 200 ppm . . . 8 ppm . . . . . 15 ppm . . .. 25 ppm

[apoolman]

CNK, The answer to your question is a MIN of 1.5 If your pool has a CL level lower than 1.5 then it is not safe to swim in. The NSFP reg book shows this year for 2006 for CL levels to be between 2.5 and 7.5. Your CYA should not go over 100 PPM. the only way to reduce this level is to drain water off the top of the pool and replace with fresh water. There is no chemical to reduce CYA in a pool. CYA stays at the top 3 inches of the surface of the pool on a calm steady day. Draining from a skimmer or a scum ledge is the best way to lower CYA if it gets too high.

[DavidD]

the only way to reduce this level is to drain water off the top of the pool and replace with fresh water. .... CYA stays at the top 3 inches of the surface of the pool on a calm steady day. Draining from a skimmer or a scum ledge is the best way to lower CYA if it gets too high.

That is the first time I’ve heard that. Any studies/documentation that backs this up? If this is true, it would make lowering CYA much easier. Sorry to be skeptical but sounds way too good to be true. Chemistry was a long time ago so hopefully I'm wrong in my un substantiated doubt, I HOPE!.

[PoolDoc]

. CYA stays at the top 3 inches of the surface of the pool on a calm steady day. Draining from a skimmer or a scum ledge is the best way to lower CYA if it gets too high.

Uh, that's totally bogus!

As a CPO myself, and a former instructor, I can assure you that that idea is NOT from CPO training. If you got an instructor who taught you that, you got one from the bottom of the NSPF's barrel. Bad luck for you, but please don't dump his goofy ideas here!

It's also not true that

• all pools with FAC at 1 ppm are unsafe -- it IS possible to be 'safe' at that level, or that
• there's something magical about the range between 2.5 ppm and 7.5ppm, or that
• it's impossible to run a safe and sanitary pool with 150 ppm of CYA!

Please, learn more, before you try to post authoritatively. Unfortunately, having one of the nice CPO patches and certificates does NOT make you an expert.

And . . . you need to ID your connection with the industry in a signature line to EACH and EVERY post, which identifies who and what you are in the industry, but does NOT try to 'sell' your services.

Thanks,

Ben
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