Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

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fyfin
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Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby fyfin » Wed Jul 27, 2022 1:43 pm

Ever since we moved to the villa we've never had a problem with the pool (except when we had the Sahara dust) and got that sorted. I have always used the floater and put 2 of the 5 in 1 chlorine tablets in when the old ones are totally dissolved. I check the readings on a digital meter and they're always in the right ball park figures.
Next door are holiday makers and he pays €100 per month to someone (not a company) to maintain it. The same people do a few around here.
However, my neighbour's pool has been getting very low and the jets are almost out of the water and green algae is forming on the floor of the pool. He messaged to let me know his family were coming out and I mentioned that the pool wasn't in great shape. I had gone over before to check because of the noise the jets were making and I could see no chlorine in the floater.

The family turned up and were happily splashing about in a pool that was so cloudy now you couldn't see a foot down and eventually the pool guy turns up and says they need more water in it DOH, it was his job lol. I couldn't see what he did but he told them all the readings were ok and off he went.

We were talking about it at coffee and I was surprised that 2 other people who have "professionals" do their pool say they don't use the floaters and put chlorine directly into the skimmers and that only amateurs use floaters.
Well, I guess I'm an amateur but I honestly thought if the chlorine tablets were put in the skimmers and the pump was off for a long periods it might be a problem with corrosion.

Also, could a cloudy pool (it's still cloudy today) have good readings on the meter for ph and chlorine?
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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby gavilan » Wed Jul 27, 2022 3:46 pm

I too was advised not to put chlorine tabs in skimmers to avoid corrosion ... dont know if the the following is of any use/interest but for around 10 years I have been using a 'Floatron', solar ioniser ... it greatly reduces use of chlorine and other chemicals ...and I only replaced the original one recently ... amazon sell them ...

https://ensol.es/es/purificador-de-pisc ... atron.html

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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby Pamela1 » Wed Jul 27, 2022 4:01 pm

We use a floater for the same reason, to avoid corrosion.We were advised by a man in the fereteria where we buy the products for the pool.

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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby fyfin » Fri Jul 29, 2022 1:53 pm

Well, they obviously tried to fix the cloudy pool (not sure about chlorine) but they left the pool pump on manual for the last 2 days but it's still cloudy lol.
Just came back - it's like a comedy show with these "professionals" . Just waiting for the next explanation.
The problem around here is that it's hard to find genuine pool maintenance companies, mostly ex-pats who had no prior experience and still charge €100 per month. Handy in the winter when it's once a month visit.
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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby fyfin » Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:33 pm

As a follow up - does anyone here with a pool not use chlorine at all? I regularly put tablets in the floater but it appears the company doing next door don't use tablets at all. They leave the pump on for much longer 24/7 for 8 days when visitors were here but no chlorine in skimmers or floater. They may have used some to shock when it was going green ad told them not to use it for 2 hours.
Using the pump seems to work as it looks oK now so is chlorine necessary at all. I know it disinfects or kills germs but is it necessary to keep a pool clean - seems not.
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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby Wicksey » Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:56 pm

I would have thought that chlorine is still necessary even if it is circulated? Our pool is 32 degrees, our friends has reached 34 which I would have thought would have encouraged it to go green if not chlorinated in some way.

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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby Wicksey » Wed Aug 17, 2022 1:45 pm

fyfin wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:33 pm As a follow up - does anyone here with a pool not use chlorine at all? I regularly put tablets in the floater but it appears the company doing next door don't use tablets at all. They leave the pump on for much longer 24/7 for 8 days when visitors were here but no chlorine in skimmers or floater. They may have used some to shock when it was going green ad told them not to use it for 2 hours.
Using the pump seems to work as it looks oK now so is chlorine necessary at all. I know it disinfects or kills germs but is it necessary to keep a pool clean - seems not.
Did you find out what is happening fyfin as to whether they are using chlorine? I haven't renewed the tablet in our pool as we're having to use the water to wash with and water the garden, so I don't want the chlorine to be too strong. However, I also don't want the precious pool water turning green :roll:

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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby El Cid » Wed Aug 17, 2022 2:21 pm

The chlorine tablets and powders contain other products such as algicides. Without these your pool will go green.

I very much doubt that anyone with a proper pool would not use chlorine tablets.

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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby Wicksey » Wed Aug 17, 2022 2:41 pm

No I didn't think you could do without them. I shall put another in but close up the holes at the bottom of the dispenser .... I shall be bleached myself having to keep using it for washing, although I do spare some bottled water to rinse off in!

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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby fyfin » Wed Aug 17, 2022 4:30 pm

I happened to be upstairs when they came last time so I saw their modus of operandi - two guys, brushing (no hoovering) and then I think they backwashed as they were at the controls. I think they brush towards the drain part, maybe adjusting it so less to the skimmers as I have done this myself. They were there 12 minutes so I'm not sure he's getting his money's worth.
I checked the floater and no tablets but I could see granules lying in the bottom of one of the skimmer baskets so I guess that's how they get chlorine into the system.
As Sid says though the tablets are usually more than just chlorine and I'm not sure if the granules are the same but maybe. The pump is now back on a timed schedule so we'll see if it works.
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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby El Cid » Wed Aug 17, 2022 5:07 pm

They probably used the skimmers as it is the fastest way of getting chlorine into the pool.

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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby fyfin » Wed Aug 17, 2022 5:13 pm

El Cid wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 5:07 pm They probably used the skimmers as it is the fastest way of getting chlorine into the pool.

Sid
It looks like all the pool cleaners do that around here. It's probably also more difficult to check lol.

I was just told it's not a good idea as it can lie there if the pump is not running and eventually corrode the plastic.
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Re: Chlorine in pools - how to do it?

Postby El Cid » Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:29 pm

If you do it, makes sure the pump runs long enough to dissolve all of it. Initially we had pipe leaks just by using tablets in the skimmers. The pipes were not the right type to withstand the chlorine. Once they were changed, no more problems.

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