Low chlorine and ph

[londoneye]

Hi

I am sure someone can help me.

I have been working in UK for a few weeks and am back this weekend so tested poool.

We have waterair pool currently with winter security cover on, and filtered for 2 hours at night.

Water is nice and clear (or looks to be if I lift skimmer lid and take a peek! so assume rest is same), but ph is low now (about 6.5) and chlorine levels are fairly non-existent (free chlorine) reads as about 1 (a sort of grey colour rather than mauve).

Should I stick some shock in this weekend and then try to adjust the pH or will it be ok to leave it?

I am not back next until around third week April, and although OH is here, pool chemistry is even less of his thing than it is mine, and my knowledge is fairly shoddy.

I guess all the rain has run the chlorine out and taken the pH down, does that sound right?

PS:   First winter with pool so not quite familiar with process yet.   Haven't checked temperature of water because we are in Limousin and goes to say water is COLD at moment !

[Stu-le-brew]

Welcome to the wonderful world of pool chemistry, it is most important that you balance the PH before adding any chlorine, as I understand chlorine will not work unless the PH is correct ie between 7.2 and 7.6ish

Personally I would leave the pool till it gets a bit warmer (it snowed here this morning)

good luck from the Lot (dept 46)

Stu the brewer

[chirpy]

WELL in below 10centigrade you will not need to stop any algae as i beeive it needs higher temperatures.

Did you winterise pool i.e. adjust ph cl and salt level before covering???

I also live in Limousin -so happy ice-skating this weekend as snow is about-although  not too much if you are below 300metres>

depends on the area as we are a very large region.

[Baz]

Even if you have winterised your pool, you still need to check the water chemistry from time to time and adjust as necessary. Whilst algae will not be a problem at low temperatures, once the temperature rises if the Ph and chlorine levels are not stabilised then the green terror will appear and hard work and patience will be needed to get the water back to normal standards.

Baz

[londoneye]

Thanks all.

My main concern I suppose is whether the low pH will do any damage to the pool liner in short term.

I cant genuinely see the pool temperature going above 10 - 12 in the next three weeks until I am back; and then I can deal with it at that point.

I have been checking it through winter (pool chemistry) and it has been OK, although understandably the chlorine levels have been dropping.   Its only now really that the levels have gone so low and the pH also.

Unless absolutely necessary I dont really want to start pulling the winter cover away to put chemicals in; plus I am a little nervous as to what monsters may be lurking underneath after all this time.   No idea what I actually think I may find, but my mind tells me it will be horrible!!!!!!!!

[Poolguy]

Yes , yes, yes.. Its a familiar story.

Can I say, as you are a new pool owner, the installer should have told you how to maintain your pool. If its a self install, at least the manual should be able to help you ( I despair of these companies as it seems new owners are left to own resource even after handing over loads of cash).

So assuming that you have no help whatsoever form the above sources, then it is again down to us to help you out, the previous posters have offered some advice - if I may I shall add to it.

After heavy or prolonged period of rain, it is sure that you chemistry is all over the place. Your first remedy is to get a good tester, I suggest a photometer such as the Scuba+ so that you can test accurately ALL the parameters you need to keep under control and not just Chlor and pH (you also need to test Stabiliser CYN, and Total Alkalinity ALK). It all has to be in balance for your pool to be in good condition. (Its on my website www.poolguy.fr). The water temperature is an issue related ONLY to the production of algae, its is irrelevant to the maintenance of your pool structure and equipment in good condition.

If your chemistry is out and surely you would barely know as the Tester you are using is not reliable and certainly not telling you the whole storey, then you indeed risk damage to the liner and the pool fittings, especially with an acid pool, worse still is that you warrantee will be void.

I encourage you to correct the balance sooner rather than later. Check these levels in the following order and adjust:

Must do’s

Total Alkalinity                           - between 80ppm and 200ppm

pH levels                                    - between 7.1 and  7.6

Cyanuric acid(stabiliser)          - between 30ppm and 50ppm

Chlorine Levels                         - between 1.5ppm and 3ppm

 

Optional

Calcium Hardness                      - between 100ppm and 150ppm

Total dissolved solids              - between 1000 and 2000ppm

 

If you leave your pool to chance and hope that the problem will go away, for even fix itself, the you will learn the hard way that it does not. A pool requires constant attention, or as a substitute, the equipment that can mind the pool for you when you cannot.

If you want specific help then PM me.

 

 

[Jonzjob]

I have a Scuba+ and it really does take the guess work out of what the water state is! It is a good bit of kt!

One of the things that the stabiliser, cyanuric acid, does is to help to stop the UV rays from the sun from dissapating the chlor out of the water, BUT if you have too much stab. in the water it will actually stop the chlor from working by masking it. The only way to get rid of too much stab. is to change water and Poolguy will agree with that I am sure.

I will say again that my pool care bible is The Ultimate Pool Maintenance Manual by Terry Tamminen. It's a real mine of information about all of the questions you want to ask. It doesn't goe into the more modern aspects of water checking and the kit that's around today, but water chemistry has not changed for millions of years no matter what machines are used to check it. They just make it easier to check...

[londoneye]

OK thanks again.

Sorry, next stupid question, as my pool maintenance books doesnt seem entirely clear on this one.

I understand that i need to dissolve the PH plus in warm water, and it says to sprinkle over whole surface of pool.

Can't actually take all of winter cover off at moment as its too time-consuming, etc.   Could I just peel a bit of the cover back and put the pH plus in?

Also, it doesnt say if I should run the pump after putting in the pH corrector, or just leave it be.   It does say check every 3 hours and retest?

[Poolguy]

Londoneye.

If you are going to raise the pH using the Alkaline powder (pH+) before you check the total alkalynity then you might find that you get a reaction from the pool which is not what you wanted: for example; rapid rising and lowering of the pH, this is called 'pH bounce' and the cause, as I wrote before is Low TA. So for best results test it and adjust befoer you try to correct the pH.

If you are adding chemicals then it is necessary to circulate the pool to mix them in, sprinkling over the surface is acceptable for pH adjustment as is adding to the skimmer box. Dilution in water before is a good idea to dissolve the granules before they enter the pool.

 

 

[londoneye]

Oh lord, I am sorry to be a pain, but I dont have anything to deal with the  TA level.    I only have phH + and - and shock.    I didnt realise you needed anything for the TA.

Back to my maintenance guide I think - clearly I have missed something .....

[Jonzjob]

Have a look at this site http://www.havuz.org/pool_pool/pool_maintenance/water_testing/total_alkalinity.htm . I am sure that Andrew won't mind me butting in with it. It tells it better than I can.