I know an actual on-topic discussion, I'll try not to do it again any time soon (grin).
I have been using way too much chlorine recently and the pool company thinks it is algae behind the pool light. Any tips on how best to get out? Can I do it at normal water levels or will I need to drain. As long as the light is turned off do I need to turn everything off at the breaker? Do I need to pull the light all the way out or can I loosen it and put the suction hose for the Kreepy Krawly near by to suck it out? Any other suggestions?
I pulled and put a new bulb in my light this season. No algae behind it to speak of.
Yes. No need to drain. Usually one Phillips screw to remove the light from the niche. Located at the bottom of the light rim.
I do... so do it...
The light sits in a metal recessed niche. It is filled with water to keep the light cooler. The suction hose should work fine. I did not bother. I just got some old plaster splatter out by hand after the light was out. Just sit the light and wire on the deck so you can clean.
Inspect the wire and coil the wire a bit so it fits neatly back into the niche. When you remove the single screw, then lift upwards to remove the light from the small top tab(s).
Thanks. I used almost $500 of shock and chlorine last month and still wasn't able to get the chlorine up where it needed to be and pool has been cloudy. After multiple shocks, one time double shock three days in a row, with little increase in free or total chlorine, this is the latest guess.. er suggestion.
Do you have a long pole, to drag the bottom to search for cadavers? I'm missing my pet elephant, about the last couple days.
Might be cheaper than $500 to drain the pool through backwash, and put in all new water?
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Thanks. I used almost $500 of shock and chlorine last month and still wasn't able to get the chlorine up where it needed to be and pool has been cloudy. After multiple shocks, one time double shock three days in a row, with little increase in free or total chlorine, this is the latest guess.. er suggestion.
Not even close. I had a $200+ water bill last month just for the small refilling I had to do for backwashing and the evaporation from 100+ degree weather.
How was your stabilizer in the chemical test. If it is way too high, draining off some water is the only real answer. I would use nothing but liquid chlorine to chlorinate for a while (no tabs or blocks) to try to get that stabilizer number down. I am guessing it is not raining there. In Florida the rain will keep the pool flushed out.
A couple decades ago, my parents had a pool. They drained it one time for cleaning, and that was a very special couple days. We called the FD about filling it back up. Would have been a bad idea, there is often a lot of rust in the mains. They used the fill valve, and it took several days.
Sorry to hear water is so expensive.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
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Not even close. I had a $200+ water bill last month just for the small refilling I had to do for backwashing and the evaporation from 100+ degree weather.
The color is white and cloudy. I haven't been able to see the main drain, but I have a fountain running about half way down the pool and I can see the hose to that all the way through.
Kurt indicated he was not seeing any chlorine, free or total. You don't need the pool store to test for free either. That can be done with a Taylor test kit, which, IMO pool owners should have.
Again, I agree that you can have problems where free chlorine is not showing up. But it's my understanding that excess stabilizer does not actually effect the level of free or total chlorine or make either not show up. My understanding is that free chlorine is there, but CYA forms a weak bond to it and hence inhibits it from working. Too much CYA and you have chlorine it's just not as effective. Kind of like the higher the PH the less effective chlorine becomes. It's still there, measurable, just not as effective as a sanitizer.
What chlorine level are you targeting when you shock it and how much, if any shows up? If it shows up, does it last for a day or more or just a few hours?
I'd be targeting at least 20ppm since you're having problems and suspect algae.
He doesn't need to test up to 20ppm. I just meant put enough chlorine in so that if it was just pure water with 0 chlorine he'd end up with 20ppm.
If you want to test to higher levels with the typical test kit you can take 1/4 pool water, 3/4 bottled or distilled water. Test it and multiply the result by 4. Or 1/8 and multiply by 8 etc. For me it's good enough to see it turn brown with one drop of test solution. Then you know it's way above the normal range.
With 5 gallons of 20% chlorine he'd take a 15,000 gallon pool to 70ppm, assuming nothing eats up some of it. I probably wouldn't go quite that high, but putting more in up front is generally agreed to be better for problems like this than doing a little at a time. I've heard pros recommend 40ppm for algae problems. So, I think we're on the same page. One thing for sure, with a 5 gallons of
12 or 20% chlorine he'd get a lot of chlorine, shock the hell out of it and it wouldn't cost much at all.
When I was first learning about pools, one of the first things I learned was how expensive it can get when you take a trip to the local pool store and do what they say. It was "You need
30 lbs of Balance Pack 200", You need 25 lbs of Super Shock Z, and so it goes. When you learn what the chemicals are, it gets cheap fast. Just put two bags of baking soda totaling 25lbs from Costco in last week. That cost a whopping $14. At the pool store, it would be 3 or 4X that.
The 5 gallons was just what my pool guy said to do and it worked great. One jug (2.5g) several days earlier didn't.
I know about the baking soda. That is a money saver.I have never had my total alk get so far out of whack that a half a bag wouldn't fix it. Usually it only takes a few scoops to get it right back in the groove.
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