Hello,
I run my community's 54,000 gallon pool and can't seem to get it to hold chlorine this year, I think. Here's what I've been experiencing:
When the pool was opened for the season the pump died and it took about a week to replace it. The replacement pump has been running for just over a week with bathers being allowed in the pool since Memorial Day. The water has been cloudy but steadily improving since installation of the new pump.
Last Tuesday I took a water sample to the local pool store and they told me I had no free chlorine and that my totalcholorine was 1.37. But when I was testing with my Taylor Kit using liquid reagents my CL levels were through the roof. I thought they might just be trying to sell me chemicals so I went to Wal-Mart and grabbed some Clorox test strips. The results from the strips matched the pool store's.
Throughout the week my reagents tested at a lower and lower level for CL finally getting to about 2.0 for both tests even though the strips continued to test no free Cl and high to ideal total Cl. I did my research and thought I needed to shock the pool to try to get the free Cl levels higher which I did once, sometimes twice a day. I added 25 gallons of liquid shock last week alone.
Yesterday morning everything tested balanced (both Cl readings at 2.0) but it was a hot day and the bathing load was heavy. By mid afternoon, no free Chlorine. My doser is set to the highest level and I even put two 3" pucks in each of my three skmmers that morning.
Today, same readings in the morning, no Cl. I took another sample to the pool store and they said the stabilizer was a little high, 58, and suggested I shock with 12 lbs turbo shock to break "Chlorine Lock." However, I went back to the pool this afternoon and the Cl readings were at 2.0. So now I am nervous to add the turbo shock. Could the chlorine lock broke already? It's a cooler, rainy, no bather day today so maybe that is playing a rool? Should I turbo shock the pool tonight?
Thanks in advace for the help!