Results for "chlorine reduction"

Water Chemistry Medium 2-3 hours over 2 days 239 👍 0

Can Pool Chlorine Make You Itchy? Causes & Solutions

Finally planning to tackle my itchy pool problem this Saturday — need to figure out why my arms and shoulders keep getting irritated despite maintaining 2-3 ppm free chlorine in my 20,000-gallon inground pool. I maintain pH around 7.4 and alkalinity at 100 ppm, so the basic chemistry seems fine. The itching mainly affects my arms and shoulders where I spend the most time in the water.

I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing about chlorine that could be causing this skin irritation. I shock the pool weekly with calcium hypochlorite and use trichlor tablets in my skimmer, but the itchy feeling has gotten worse over the past month. Could it be the chlorine itself making me react this way, or is there another water chemistry issue I should be looking into? I've tried moisturizing after swimming but that only helps temporarily.…more

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Winterizing Medium 4-8 hours 365 👍 0

Can I Cover Pool After Shocking? When It's Safe to Cover

Staring at my pool Saturday morning with shock treatment planned — should I have the cover staged and ready to throw back on or do I need to wait?
The guy at the pool store mentioned something about waiting before putting the cover back on, but I honestly didn't catch all the details - there was so much information!

I'm worried about covering it too soon and maybe damaging the cover or something. How long should I wait after shocking before it's safe to put the cover back on? Is there a specific chlorine level I should be looking for? Any guidance would be really appreciated!…more

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Algae Green Pool Medium 2-3 days 1,867 👍 21

How Long After Shocking Pool to Add Algaecide? Complete Guide

The pool service guy insists I wait a full 24 hours after shocking before adding algaecide, but that seems excessive when algae keeps spreading. I have two young kids who are eager to get back in the water, and I want to make sure I'm doing this chemical treatment properly.

Should I wait a certain amount of time between the shock treatment and adding the algaecide? I'm also concerned about when the water will be safe for swimming again. What chlorine levels should I be looking for before adding more chemicals, and how do I know when everything is balanced enough for the kids to swim safely?…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2-4 hours 224 👍 0

Can Pool pH Be Too High? Problems & How to Lower It

Between my pool test strips screaming dangerously high pH and my kids' eyes burning like fire every swim, something's definitely not adding up here. I tested it yesterday and it's reading around 8.0, which seems higher than normal. The water also looks a bit cloudy even though I've been adding chlorine regularly.

I'm concerned about whether it's safe for the kids to keep swimming. What problems does high pH actually cause, and how can I bring it down safely? I want to make sure the water quality is good before they get back in the pool.…more

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Salt Water Medium 30 minutes 298 👍 0

Do Salt Water Pools Need Chemicals? Complete Guide

Our saltwater pool area reeks of that sharp chlorine smell every morning, which seems impossible since we were told these systems are basically chemical-free.

But now I'm reading conflicting information online. The pool store told me I'd still need to buy some chemicals, but I'm confused about what exactly. I thought the salt system was supposed to handle everything? What chemicals do salt water pools actually need, and why? I want to make sure I'm taking proper care of the pool and keeping the water safe for my family.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2–6 weeks (treatment cycle duration) 27 👍 1

Do Bioactive CYA Reducers Actually Work?

During my routine water test this week, I discovered my cyanuric acid is sitting somewhere between 90 and 100 ppm — well above where it should be. Before I start tearing into a partial drain and refill (which means dealing with water costs, my local water restrictions, and rebalancing everything from scratch) — would one of those bioactive or enzyme-based CYA reducer products actually cover this situation and bring my levels down on its own?

I spotted a bottle of what looked like a bacterial/enzyme CYA reducer at the pool supply store, and the label was making some pretty bold claims about breaking down stabilizer without any draining. My pool holds about 18,000 gallons, so a drain-and-refill isn't exactly cheap or simple. The product isn't cheap either, so I want to know if it's genuinely effective before I spend the money.

Basically: does this stuff actually work the way it says it does, is it worth what they're charging for it, and realistically — how long am I looking at before I'd see results?…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2-4 hours 297 👍 0

Can You Shock Pool With High CYA? Safe Methods & Solutions

Between liquid chlorine and cal-hypo shock for tackling this algae mess when my cyanuric acid is already sitting at 80-90 ppm. I understand that high CYA reduces chlorine effectiveness, but I'm not sure about the correct approach for shocking under these conditions.

What's the proper methodology for calculating shock dosage when CYA is high? Should I be using a specific FC/CYA ratio, or is there a point where the CYA is too high to shock effectively? I want to ensure I'm using the right amount of chlorine without wasting chemicals or creating unsafe conditions.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 6-8 hours 670 👍 20

Can I Shock Pool After Adding Alkalinity? Timing Guide

Walked out to check my 20,000 gallon inground pool after dosing it with sodium bicarbonate this morning to raise alkalinity from 60 ppm to 100 ppm, and now I'm second-guessing my shocking timeline. My pH was sitting at about 7.2 before I added the alkalinity increaser, but I know adding baking soda can bump up the pH as well.

I'm planning to shock the pool tonight since we've had some heavy swimmer load this week and the water is starting to look a bit cloudy. Should I wait a certain amount of time after adding the alkalinity before I shock? I want to make sure the shock is as effective as possible and I've heard that pH levels can affect how well chlorine works.

My current test results show chlorine at 1.5 ppm, alkalinity should now be around 100 ppm, and I'm not sure what the pH has risen to after adding the sodium bicarbonate earlier today.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 2-48 hours depending on chemical 674 👍 0

How Long Do Pool Chemicals Take to Work? Complete Timeline

The pool chemicals are sitting right here and I'm ready to get this water balanced perfectly — just need the exact timing windows to plan everything out. I understand that different chemicals have vastly different activation periods, but I'm looking for specific timeframes for each major category.

Specifically, I need to know how long chlorine sanitizers take to become effective, the working time for pH adjustment chemicals, and the dissolution period for stabilizers like cyanuric acid. This information is critical for determining when it's safe to swim after chemical treatments and for planning sequential chemical additions without interference.…more

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Salt Water Medium 2-4 hours 281 👍 0

Salt Water Pool Skin Irritation: Causes & Solutions

Finally got my 15,000-gallon saltwater pool dialed in and my kids are still coming out with red, burning skin after every swim. We switched to saltwater specifically because I thought it would be gentler than traditional chlorine pools, but now I'm second-guessing that decision.

Is this normal for saltwater pools? What could be causing the irritation, and more importantly, how can I fix it to make sure the water is safe for my kids to swim in? I really want to understand what's going wrong with our pool chemistry so I can get this resolved quickly.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 45 minutes 234 👍 0

When Does My Pool Need Phosphate Remover? Signs & Testing Guide

Last week I bought my first pool and I'm completely lost trying to figure out if these weird water chemistry readings mean I need phosphate remover. The pool store mentioned something about phosphate removers, but I'm not sure when I actually need to use them. I've been keeping my chlorine levels where they should be, but I'm still dealing with some algae issues that won't seem to go away.

How do I know if phosphates are the problem? Is there a specific level I should be watching for, and what kind of test should I use to check? I want to make sure I'm not just throwing chemicals at the problem without understanding what's really going on.…more

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Water Chemistry Medium 15-20 minutes 279 👍 1

Hot Tub & Spa Water Care Guide: Complete Chemistry Manual 2026

Hot tub water care requires maintaining proper pH (7.4-7.6), alkalinity (80-120 ppm), and sanitizer levels while following regular testing and chemical adjustment schedules. Higher temperatures and smaller water volumes make spas more sensitive to chemical imbalances than pools.…more

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Salt Water Medium 4-6 hours 229 👍 0

Do You Have to Cover a Salt Water Pool? Requirements Guide

Standing in front of my saltwater pool after following three conflicting YouTube tutorials about covers, I'm now more confused than when I started. I keep hearing mixed opinions - some neighbors swear by covers while others never bother.

I'm mainly wondering if there are any actual requirements I need to follow, and what the real benefits are beyond just keeping leaves out. Also, if I do decide to cover it, is there anything special I need to know about winterizing a salt water system? Don't want to accidentally mess up my salt cell or anything expensive like that!…more

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Algae Green Pool Easy 15 minutes daily maintenance 354 👍 0

Does Covering Pool Prevent Algae? Complete Prevention Guide

I turned around at 2 AM to find my crystal-clear pool is now swamp green — desperately need to know if a cover will stop this algae disaster before tomorrow's party. The guys there keep pushing more and more expensive chemicals, and I swear they're just trying to upsell me on everything. Now they're telling me I need a pool cover to prevent algae, but I want to know if this actually works or if it's just another way to get money out of me.

I'm looking for honest advice here - does covering my pool genuinely prevent algae growth, or am I still going to need all those pricey chemicals even with a cover? I'd love to find some DIY solutions that actually work instead of constantly throwing money at this problem.…more

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Maintenance Easy 15 minutes research 212 👍 0

Do I Need a Pool Blanket? Complete Cover Benefits Guide

Staring at a $300 solar cover and a $500 safety cover trying to decide if either one is actually worth it. We swim maybe four months out of the year and the pool loses heat overnight like crazy. Does a pool blanket really make that much of a difference or is it just another pool industry upsell?…more

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