One of the biggest problems that you can run into with your swimming pool is that it stops holding chlorine. We refer to this in the industry as the chlorine zeroing out. There are several reasons for this and it is more noticeable in the Spring and Summer when the weather starts heating up and the Sun’s UV Rays become stronger.
If you are a homeowner you will be spending a ton of money on chemicals each week. Conversely, if you are a pool service professional this account will be draining all of your profits away. You can do one of two things. Drop the client or charge them the chemicals and leave them at the poolside. I like purchasing a 50-pound bucket at Cal Hypo and leaving it in the equipment area. That way the customer is paying for the chemicals and you are not losing money on the account.
Algae (microalgae) , Organic Debris, Phosphates, and Nitrates can all affect the chlorine in the pool. If your pool has visible algae chances are the chlorine is being used up fast as it tries to fight the algae. Phosphates and the less common Nitrates can also quickly destroy the pool’s chlorine level. If the pool water is cloudy or there is visible algae, then there is a water quality issue. One way to solve this is to bring the chlorine level up to shock levels of 20 ppm and run the pool for 12-24 hours. You may also have too little Conditioner (CYA) in the pool. Test the CYA level and make sure it is at least 30 ppm, 80 ppm is preferable, otherwise, the Sun will burn off the chlorine within hours.
If you have a Salt Water System (Salt Water Generator) and you do not run your pool long enough, the salt cell cannot produce enough chlorine each day to reach a sustainable level. You can also have the pool running long enough but you may have the salt output set too low. Set the salt output to 100% and then decrease it if it is producing too much chlorine. Not the other way around.
You could also be using bad chlorine. What I mean by this is chlorine that is expired, especially in the case of liquid chlorine. Over time the power of the chlorine gets weaker. Just like leaving a gallon of bleach in your laundry room and not using it for several months. When you do use it you will notice that it is very weak and does almost nothing when added to the washer. Liquid chlorine also will get weaker over time. So if you purchase it at your local Walmart or Home Depot don’t be surprised if it is ineffective because they failed to rotate their stock. Shock in a bag has a shelf life of about 2 years but that too can get weaker over time. Keep your chlorine fresh by purchasing what you need when you need it and try to buy it from a local pool store versus the big box retail or hardware stores.
The pool’s filtration system and run time could be a factor. This is often overlooked and is crucial to the pool holding chlorine. If the skimmer basket is clogged with debris or the pump basket is clogged the pool will not circulate well. The filter is just as crucial so if it is dirty or the cartridges or grids have tears in them, chances are the pool will have a zero-chlorine reading due to the organic contaminates not being filtered out properly. First, check your pool filtration and your skimmer and pump baskets and make sure they are running efficiently.
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