How often to treat your pool

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MillarGS
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My Pool: Small recreational pool, kidney shaped, in ground, concrete and tiled, approximately 8,000 gallons.
Hayward sand filter, and pump.

How often to treat your pool

Postby MillarGS » Wed 16 May, 2018 07:33

How often to treat your pool ?
Can someone offer some advice ?
I have an outdoor, fresh water, kidney shaped recreational pool, approximately 8,000 gallons.
I am resident in the Philippines, therefore, most days, we are getting bright sunshine and temperatures in the very high 20's and low 30's C.
The pool gets the direct sunshine from sunrise until around 4.00pm.
I can treat the pool first thing in the morning, getting the pH level correct, then treating with calcium hypochloride to get the chlorine level right.
Maybe three hours later, if I test the pool again, the pH level is maintained, but the chlorine level is zero.
I know that the sunshine will burn-off the chlorine, but my questions are as follows ;
1) Is it safe to use the pool when after treating the pool, a few hours later the chlorine level is zero ?
2) How long is it safe to use the pool after treatment, even if the chlorine level is low ?
3) Should I be treating the pool each day ?
I vacuum clean the pool each morning, then send a robotic pool cleaner scrubber for about an hour.
I have taken to treating the pool with chlorine in the evening time, as the chlorine seems to last a little longer, and gives it the time to do its job.
But after two hours of sunshine in the morning, the chlorine level is zero.
I also have to top the pool up every three or four days, as evaporation from the sunshine takes its toll.
Any help / advice would be greatly appreciated.


Denniswiseman
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Location: United Kingdom

Re: How often to treat your pool

Postby Denniswiseman » Wed 16 May, 2018 09:06

What is your Cyanuric acid level (stabiliser)as this is relative to your chlorine usage
Using calcium hypochlorite will just add a lot of calcium if used continously, use sodium hypochlorite (plain bleach) instead which only adds salt
You may have an algae problem which is using up your chlorine and you may need to Slam with relation to your Chlorine / CYA Chart and Pool Levels
1 You can swim with zero chlorine but I would boost it before swimming to be on the safe side especially at your location
2 Just give it 1/2 an hour to disperse
3 Yes especially if you have zero chlorine
A complete set of numbers will help
FC:
TC:
pH:
TA:
CH:
CYA:

You need a decent FAS/DPD test kit (Taylor K2006C or TF100 or similar) as it will require testing quiet often
Teapot
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Re: How often to treat your pool

Postby Teapot » Wed 16 May, 2018 16:21

Using Cal Hypo, you won't be adding any stabiliser and that is surely the problem behind your post. Add cyanuric acid stabiliser or start using chlorine tablets to raise the stabiliser level to 30-50 ppm. you then need to raise the chlorine level and run at 2.25pp-3.75ppm of free chlorine. If can get any ACO from Dryden aqua this will also help a lot to reduce your chlorine loss and boost the sanitation of your pool whilst reducing your chlorine loss by 80%.

Fitting a summer cover will also drastically reduce your water loss through evaporation.
MillarGS
I'm new here
I'm new here
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed 16 May, 2018 06:57
My Pool: Small recreational pool, kidney shaped, in ground, concrete and tiled, approximately 8,000 gallons.
Hayward sand filter, and pump.

Re: How often to treat your pool

Postby MillarGS » Wed 16 May, 2018 22:57

Denniswiseman/Teapot,
Many thanks for your replies and advice.
It would seem that I need to start using stabilizer!
I have been using a basic Hayward test kit with Oto and Phenol Red, perhaps I need to invest in a better test kit.
Again, many thanks for the advice.

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