| Causes: the level of chlorine in the pool is directly related to two factors:
- How much chlorine is being added to the pool? This is a function of
the type of chlorinating system you have, what setting it is on,
and how often your pump is running.
- What is the chlorine demand on the pool? "Demand" is the
combination of all the things that use up or burn off chlorine including
swimmers,
sunlight, rain, water temperature, organics (like bugs and leaves),
and other air borne chemicals like fertilizers.
If your chlorine demand is low (not many of these things occurring) but
you are putting in chlorine 24 hours per day, chances are you will
have too much chlorine in the pool.
Solution: If the chlorine level in your pool is higher than 3.0 ppm follow
the steps below to reduce the chlorine in the pool.
- Turn off any chlorine feeder or generating device and wait for chlorine
level to drop - DO NOT SWIM IN WATER OVER 5.0 PPM.
- Consider your pump run time. If running 24 hours with a feeding
device, you are pumping chlorine into the pool 24 hours a day.
Most pools do not need this much circulation and can be monitored
with a simple timer. Smaller pools (under 15,000 gallons) should
start at 8 hours and increase, while pools from 15,000 to 25,000
gallons should start at 12 hours per day.
- Make sure whatever chlorinating device you have is not over sized
for your pool and how often you use it. Smaller pools that are
used infrequently need systems that do not put out as much chlorine.
- Consider a low chlorine solution like our FROG Mineral System.
Checklist for too much chlorine when using POOL FROG When using the POOL FROG the amount of chlorine in your pool at any given time is dependent on a number
of variables. Please review the following list and click on any issue that
may be
a cause for over chlorination.
Is your chlorine reading above 3.0 ppm?
To alleviate the over chlorination and start fresh, remove the chlorine source.
- Store chlorine away from children, pets or other chemicals.
- Run the unit empty until the chlorine reading has dropped to 1ppm.
- Reinsert your chlorine and follow the directions for achieving the
correct dial setting for your pool.
Could your hours of filtration (pump run time) per day be too many for your pool size?
Your filtration time has an impact on your chlorine levels. NSPI standards
call for a 1 to 1.5 turn over rate per day, meaning every gallon
of water should
travel through the pump 1 to 1.5 times per day. To calculate the
proper pump run time for your pool based on general NSPI
guidelines you will first need to know
how many gallons of water your pool holds and the flow rate of your
pump in gallons per minute. With this information, you can then
determine the proper pump run time for your pool.
Most pools run between 8 and 12 hours per day. Installing a timer
can make life much easier and filtration time more consistent.
Remember when your pump is running, you are continuously
putting chlorine into the pool.
Could your control dial be set too high?
The proper dial setting is important for maintaining the
correct chlorine level. See your manual or
click here for directions on how to achieve the correct setting. For a quick lesson,
begin with 1ppm chlorine residual in the pool after shocking.
Then add chlorine to your unit and use the chart in your manual
for an initial dial setting by lining up your pool size, pump size in horsepower,
and filtration time per day. Set the dial and monitor daily until the level
remains within your desired chlorine level. Increase or
decrease the dial setting by ½ increments only per day until the
proper setting is reached.
Could there be a lower than normal chlorine demand on your pool?
Chlorine demand is anything in the water or environment that depletes
chlorine including:
- Weather (rain or high heat which raises the temperature of the water)
- The number of swimmers using the pool per day
- Algae forming in the pool
- Landscaping chemicals containing nitrates
During times of low demand the control dial may need to be turned down
or over chlorination could result.
Could your unit be improperly installed?
- Pump Size: For best performance, the pump should be rated for between
40-80gpm.
The control dial setting chart contains NR (Not Recommended) if the pump size is considered
too large or too small for your size pool.
- Eyeball Fitting in Return Jet: For best performance the back pressure
on the sanitation unit should be a minimum of 4psi. High
back pressure
means a high water level inside the unit so more tablets are
wetted. Changing to a larger eyeball fitting will correct
this.
- Off-line Unit Plumbed In-line: Inside the off-line unit is a built
in diverter that pushes water up into the unit. Therefore it is meant
for use with lower flow rates. Installing this unit in-line will cause
too much water to be pushed into the unit resulting in over chlorination.
Could your pool have a special feature on it?
Examples of some special features include:
- In-Floor Cleaner
- Attached Spa
- Fountain
- Special Return Jet
- Light on Return Jet
If In-Floor Cleaning, Attached Spa and/or Fountain
are installed on your pool you should be aware that these special
features put a lot of stress on the sanitation unit. When they
turn on, they create a spike
in the pressure, which causes a force of water to shoot up
higher than normal inside the sanitation unit; therefore
a special installation is recommended.
Click here for special installation diagrams.
If Special Return Jets and/or Lighted Return Jets are installed
on your pool, please note that high pressure occurs when the
fitting at the return jet is much smaller than the pipe that is
attached to it causing
more water to back up into the sanitation unit. Hence the
term "back pressure." Special features attached to return jets
often cause an increase in back pressure, which increases
the water level inside the unit, which often results in over
chlorination.
Could you have a defective of broken part?
Although a part is seldom the reason for over chlorination, if no other
reason is found, there are two parts that should be checked at this point:
- A pressure relief valve is installed inside your unit at the base.
It is a clear plastic piece approximately 1 inch long with a plug in
the center and two arms attached to pegs. Check to see if it is loose
or missing. This provides another avenue for water to reach the chlorine.
If loose or missing, replace.
- The control dial could have a small crack that is allowing more water
to enter per setting. You can pull the dial out and check. If okay, lubricate
the o-rings and replace. If cracked or damaged, replace.
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