Frustrated with Pool water! Why won't the chlorine stay at normal levels?

Question

We have a 21' above ground pool that was installed in May. I have had the hardest time keeping the chlorine levels high enough. I had trouble with pH being too high and alkalinity being too high, but I have those at normal levels now, but the chlorine will not stay above 0. I have an automatic chlorinator and have it on 6 right now. Only time I get a normal reading with chlorine is when I shock it with liquid chlorine once a week. We followed all directions when opening it with the stabalizer and getting rust out. The water is clear. I know the chlorinator is releasing the chlorine because you can smell it when the pump starts up. I ran the filter all night yesterday and last night hoping it would bring the chlorine up, no luck. The test strips say the stabalizer is almost 0 also. Can anyone help??? The pool place has not given any help. I would appreciate any advice (within reason LOL). Thanks for looking!

Answer 1

Stabilizer, conditioner and cyanuric acid are all the same thing.  On chlorine pools you need to maintain 25-30ppm.  This value can be tested by a pool supply house.  Without cya your chlorine needs to be added every day and can dissipate in several hours.  CYA allows the chlorine, any chlorine to live a lot longer.

All chlorine tests are not created equal!  Some test for free chlorine some total and some both.  If your test is reading free chlorine, that is the amount that is not combined and available for use, and you don't have enough likely since it has all been used up and that can only mean you need to shock or supercholorinate your pool to burn all the combine stuff out.

Once completed test water before swimming 1-3ppm with 5 max is recommended.  You will find it now easier to maintain your chlorine residual.

I am concerned that the chlorinator may not be working properly.  Take a water sample from the return line just after the pump comes on and test for chlorine.  Depending on the type of feed used sometimes you can remove a the hose to see if a good amount of water is going in and out and if you have to fill up the feeder on a certain basis.

You're welcome!!

Answer 2

ok well the sun takes the chlorine right out of the water so try putting some powdered chlorine in your pool in the evening and running the filter with it at night...stabilizer isnt a real big deal after your pool is up and running unless you have major problems you can quit using it...shocking it once weekly isnt too smart either pools can go into whats called a chlorine shock where it gives funny readings on the test...the less chemicals you put in the better. covering the pool while not in use saves the chemical balance also.

good luck!