Excessive bleach consumption

[CarlD]

Gee, it sounds almost as if you are fighting bacquacil or used a bromine concoction to kill algae. Those folks have to use lots and lots and lots of bleach before the pool settles down. BTW, I've forgotten--is your pH correct? Toward the low end of the 7.3-78 range? Have you considered keeping it between 7.0 and 7.4? Chlorine is more effective at lower pH levels.

Leslies usually has the reagent refills, and they sell them from their on-line site as well. They also have a FAS-DPD kit. Of course, Taylor's on-line site has all that stuff too.

[duraleigh]

VOL,

Rereading this whole thread, I do not believe you have shocked your pool.

Remember, shocking isn't about adding extra chlorine, it's about reaching breakpoint.....a chemical reaction that puts all your Cl back in the free state. I don't think you ever got there.

A complete set of test results....particularly CYA..... would eliminate a lot of guesswork and probably allow you to get your pool cleaned up

[VOLDADDY]

Here's my morning numbers. Last night I shocked to about 16 PPM about midnight. This morning at 9 AM i had a FC reading of 12.5. I will add another jug of bleach through the skimmer to get to around 15 again. I really appreciate everyone that has helped me out here.

I backwashed this morning and had some nasty water for about 3 minutes, I haven't backwashed in a week due to adding CYA through the skimmer. I then rinsed for about a minute and put back to filter. I am running my pump 24/7.

Here are my complete results-at least what I was able to test for with what I have left:

FC 12.5
CC 0
TC 12.5
PH 7.5
ALK 150

I will be going to the local Leslie's today and buying more reagents so I can do the CYA test and new DPD powder. We will have a large swimmer load today so I'm sure my number will drop when I test tonight. I hate going to Leslie's because I aleays spend too much $$$, like a kid in a candy store. I think I will pick up one of the whale brushes and brush my pool thoroughly, which admittedly I haven't done since I converted last year from Baquacil. I haven't seen 1 speck of algae so I have gotten lazy, letting the Aquabot do my work once or twice a week. I will post my CYA level later. Have a great weekend at your pools!

[mwsmith2]

I don't recall off the top of my head if this is a gunite or vinyl pool, but I do sorta remember a pool that Ben was messing with. He took the FC up to some insane number like 45 or so. Maybe it was even 75? I don't remember but it was some crazy big number. Of course, that's only safe to do in a gunite pool, but if you're getting tired of beating on this thing that may be a direction you want to try. I'd use the 12.5% stuff to do that so you don't have to buy out your local grocery store.

Michael

[VOLDADDY]

Unfortunately I have a vinyl pool, so blasting it at those levels isn't an option. I think I will become a part-time day trader and buy stock in Clorox...

[VOLDADDY]

Went and purchased more R-0013 and my CYA is 40. Should I bump it up any or leave it where it is since I am losing FC overnight and battling some wild alien life form in my pool?

BTW- I knew I would end up getting something in my local pool store that I just couldn't live without. Well, they had a Uniden cordless phone that is submersible and waterproof. It also floats. Needless to say, I now own one...How did I survive without one? LOL. I know women get the bad wrap for being compulsive shoppers, but I admit, I am in that category as well. I'm not allowed to go to Bass Pro Shops alone with my buddies again.

One other thing, the manager at Leslie's didn't know what DPD powder was. He had some rapid dissolve tablets but said they didn't have powder. I told him it was on their website for sale. I opened the chlorine extreme high and low kit and voila, there it was. I had to buy the whole kit to get the 10 gms of powder. He asked if I was running a commercial pool. I told him no, residential. He then advised me that my chlorine should never get that high and the normal kit was what I needed. I told him I am shocking to about 15 PPM so I needed it. He asked what I used and I told him bleach...the phrase deer in headlights applies here. Then the bleach is bad speech came. I told him I am fine with it and my pool looks fabulous. Long story short, come on Fed-Ex, USPS, or UPS, and get my new kit here so I can avoid this place!

[duraleigh]

VOL,

I can see it now. Adult beverages, an inadvertant tumble into that beautiful pool, and never losing a syllable because of the new phone!!

I see no reason to increase the CYA. It has no affect on the organics you're fighting.....and may actually make your Cl a little less effective.

Keep pouring the Clorox in there!

[VOLDADDY]

LOL! I knew other men would see why I had to have this phone...

[CarlD]

Ben always warns folks to be circumspect around pool stores. If you say "Liquid Chlorine" they don't blink, but go into a hissy fit and have a cow if you say bleach.

But that's nothing--if they tell you to use the "slug" method to lower total alkalinity and you tell them the truth that it doesn't work and it damages the liner, they go BALLISTIC!