Cloudy pool free chlorine is not reading stabilizer is low but pH is ok?

How do you get the ideal reading of chlorine in the pool?

When chlorine enters the water, it is in a form that is an active sanitizer and an oxidizer called "free chlorine". It will react with any number of contaminants in the water. When it reacts with ammonia compounds in the water, which come from bathers' perspiration and urine, it becomes "combined chlorine". In this form, chlorine is a much slower sanitizer. This form also causes chlorine odor and eye irritation. When using the 5-way strip, the difference between the free chlorine reading (pad 1) and the total chlorine reading (pad 2) is the combined chlorine reading.

What is free chlorine in a pool?

Free Chlorine is the Chlorine which is free to do its work in the pool, as opposed to Combined Chlorine which is chlorine that has combined with contaminants and is tied up and ineffective as a sanitizer in the pool. Sometimes you will see it abbreviated as FAC, which stands for Free Available Chlorine.

Why is pool store getting a chlorine reading but the sticks that are used at home don't?

The test strips for home read free chlorine. You could have a chlorine lock where your total chlorine is there but free chlorine is being used up by bacteria. You may need to SUPER shock your pool with granulated chlorine. Another possibility is your strips are old. They usually are good for a year after the date on package. Also keep them dry and closed when not in use.

Low free chlorine?

Try a water conditioner, designed to help your water hold on to chlorine longer. Sometimes a non-chlorine shock can help condition the water to help stabilize your chlorine levels. Could be high heat, phosphates, nitirites, nitrates, or aggressive water. If it's cloudy, a little green, a serious dose of shock may be enough to stabilize it.

How do you get the free chlorine level down in your saltwater pool?

To give you an accurate answer, it's important to know how many gallons are in the pool, how high is your Free Available Chlorine (FAC), and what is your Combined Chlorine Reading. Is pool enclosed and protected from sun etc? Is your chlorine generator working properly? You could simply shut down the generator and test your pool everyday at the same time. Keep records of pH, Free Chlorine, Combined Chlorine, Alkalinity, etc. It's important that you maintain a proper pH at ALL TIMES.

How can you change combined chlorine to free available chlorine?

Just shock it to break point and your at free chlorine.

How much algaecide do you use for 20000 gallon pool?

always dose chemicals according to the directions on the bottle. in the case of algaecide they will usually give you the number of oz needed per 10,000 gal for a treatment dose (meaning you already have algae) and number of oz per 10,000 gal for a maintenence dose (meaning you dont have algae but want to proactively prevent its growth) however chlorine is the best algaecide. shocking a pool with liquid chlorine when the pool has algae works very well. also completely brush the pool and clean skimmers and all other parts of the pool below the water line. in addition if algae is present test and balance all chemicals. also if you chlorinate with chlorine tabs or di-chlor or any type of stabilized chlorine or if you have added chlorine stabilizer (cyanuric acid) be sure to theck your stabilizer/cyanuric acid level. 30-50 ppm is an ideal stabilizer level. as chlorine stabilizer/cyanuric acid levels rise (especially exceeding 100ppm) it decreases the effectiveness of the chlorine in the water. you will still be able to test for chlorine and get a good result it is just that the high stabilizer level is not allowing the chlorine to do its job. the only way to remove cyanuric acid/stabilizer is partially drain pool and refill with fresh water. high phosphate levels can also promote algae growth there are many causes for algae. a good place to start is to check your water chemistry especially your free chlorine and total chlorine and make sure free chlorine is high enough and that you dont have a combined chlorine. checking water chemistry may shed light on another issue and you can resolve it and save your money by not needing to buy the algaecide. algaecide alone will not usually solve your algae issues. usually there is some other issue causing the algae in the first place. consulting a pool professional is a good idea. most pool retail stores will test your water chemistry for you for free if you bring in a water sample. to add to the above, it is important to balance Free chlorine, pH, Alkalinity, calcium hardness and stabilizer. in addition to keeping stabilizer around 50, pH must be under 8.0 (7.4 to 7.6 is ideal). when pH exceeds 8.0 or stabilzer is high, chlorine does not work properly. Do not believe anyone who wants to sell you expensive "specialty chemicals". Specialty chemicals are very expensive and are not ever the best answer to pool water problems. Just properly maintain these basic items (and your filter system) and you will have sparkling clear blue water. I strongly suggest buying a Taylor pool test kit #K2005. read there booklet inside and you will know more about pool chemistry than most "professionals" you ever meet combined. This kit will educate you on how to perfectly balance your pool water.

Can you swim in pool hat has a normal chlorine level but the free chlorine level is high?

There is 3 measurements of chlorine in a pool or spa. Total chlorine, combined chlorine, and free available chlorine. Free available chlorine is the good chlorine that is active in the pool killings germs and algae. Combined chlorine is chlorine is basically chlorine that was once active but has killed germs or bacteria and is now inactive in the pool. Total chlorine is free available and combined chlorine added together. If your combined chlorine is higher than free available chlorine then the water needs to be shocked to eliminate the combined chlorine. But be careful here. If you don't reach what's called break point you will only add to the combined chlorine. There are products on the market which will only remove combined chlorine without effecting your free available chlorine if you are unsure about reaching breakpoint. Hope this helps.

What chemical do you add when free chlorine is low?

Chlorine

Your pool is cloudy and smells?

If the smell is a very strong Chlorine odor, your pool water has CHLORAMINES, also called COMBINED CHLORINE. A strong Chlorine odor is rarely caused by high levels of Chlorine in the water as everyone thinks. It is actually the exact opposite, there is not enough Chlorine being used in the water to properly sanitize and oxidize contaminents and swimmer waste. This is what leads swimmers to think they are allergic to Chlorine after swimming in a hotel or health club pool or spa that is not properly chlorinated. Chloramines will cause the eyes to burn and become very red, ( improper pH will also cause this same irritation ), the skin can become itchy and a rash may appear. Also irritation of the back of the throat is common and in some cases bathing suits can be discolored or stained. Bottom line is, cloudy water with a strong Chlorine odor is not safe to swim in. The strong odor is a warning that the Chlorine in the water is not sufficient to remove harmful waste and contaminants. The water must be properly tested for the following, Free Chlorine / Total Chlorine / Combined Chlorine / pH / Total Alkalininty / Calcium Hardness / Cyanuric Acid pH & Total Alkalininty must be balanced first. Then enough Chlorine Shock or Non-Chlorine Shock must be added to remove the Combined Chlorine ( Chloramines ). If using Chlorine Shock, you must add enough to the pool to bring the Free Chlorine reading up to a level that is TEN TIMES the test result of the Combined Chlorine Test. Example, Combined Chlorine test is 2.0 ppm, ( parts per million ), you must add enough Chlorine Shock to the pool water to bring the Free Chlorine test reading up to at least 20.0 ppm. The addition of the Chlorine Shock must be done all at once. If you do not acheive ten times the Combined Chlorine reading, also known as BREAKPOINT CHLORINATION, in one single dose of Chlorine Shock all added at the same time, the problem will only get worse. So be sure you have enough chemical on hand before you proceed. After 24 hours, if Breakpoint has been achieved. the water should be clear and the Free Chlorine test reading will drop back down to its original level. Using a Non-Chlorine Shock is easier and usually cheaper, not to mention safer to handle and store for the average homeowner. Simply follow the dosing directions on the package and your water will clear and the smell will disapate. This problem can be avoided by properly testing and balancing the water at least once a week. Any pool store will test your water, usually at no charge, if you bring them a sample from your pool or spa.

What is the difference between free chlorine and total chlorine?

Combined chlorine is when the chlorine molecule has attached itself to other molecules in water. In other words it has "combined" with something else in the water. Those could be iron, manganese, ammonia or other things depending on the source water. Free chlorine is the molecules that are "free" in the water to do the disinfection.

Cloudy pool free chlorine is not reading stabilizer is low but pH is ok?

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