Chlorine-shock

[TomLacey]

We opened our pool about 2 weeks ago. Since then we have not gotten a clorine reading. We are going crazy with this. It did have a green tint to the water it is finally crystal blue, still no reading. Pool store just keeps on selling us shock, one store said nitrogen block - just leave it and it will be ok? Sounds nuts. Please help my family is driving me crazy to go in, lol.

Thank you Sharon

[chem geek]

Did your Cyanuric Acid (CYA) level drop from over the winter and did you let your pool go and not chlorinate it over the winter? If so, then bacteria may have converted CYA into ammonia as described technically in this post and I describe my personal experience with this effect in this thread.

I assume that the problem is not that you are using a DPD chlorine test since that will get bleached out above 10 ppm FC making you think you have no chlorine when it's actually a high level. You need to get a good test kit -- either the Taylor K-2006 or the TF-100 with the latter kit having more volume of reagents so is comparably priced per test.

You don't need to use an expensive non-chlorine shock (MPS) to clear the pool. Chlorinating liquid or bleach would be far less expensive and is also an oxidizer. You can do a bucket test to see how much chlorine it will take and whether it may be more economical to do a partial drain/refill instead. 1/4 teaspoon of 6% bleach in 2 gallons of pool water is 10 ppm FC.

[Poolnoob]

Hey!

This has happened to my pool last year! I had it during the fall and all of a sudden after a harsh winter it disappeared.Right now I am actually looking for a way to cut down on expensive chlorine. Not only does it cost you an arm and a leg, but it also irritates our eyes and skin. How big is you pool, how many kids swim in the pool, how much sun hits your pool throughout the day?

Keep in touch,
PN

[discountpool]

Chlorine works to sanitize a pool by killing microbes or binding with unwanted substances. When it binds to a substance, it becomes inactive. The sun also can contribute to the deterioration of chlorine. A chlorine shock raises a pool’s chlorine level so that the bound chlorine is burned off. Since chlorine levels after a shock are so high, a person should not swim in the pool until the chlorine has returned to normal levels. Some people suggest adding a shock to a pool in the evening so that the chlorine can do its work all through the night without the sun deteriorating it.

[twistedemotion]

Properly maintaining pool water chemistry is perhaps the most important aspect of maintaining a swimming pool. There seem to be many types of chlorine on the market, and each pool supply company works hard to make their chlorine product seem new and different. Or consider using bromine instead. Wow. this is how far my reading takes me. I hope this helps though.