Pool School
Chlorine Lock
A lot of you have heard me use this term lately...
If your pool is in chlorine lock, the best thing you could do is dump it and start with freshwater. #chlorinelock #notyouraveragepoolguy #pooldrain
— Jeremy Knight.
What It Is
Chlorine Lock (Chlorine Inefficiency) A condition where added chlorine becomes ineffective, leaving sanitizer levels low and the water cloudy even after shocking.
How It Shows Up
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Cloudy or dull water
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Low chlorine readings despite adding chlorine
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Algae growth starting even with regular maintenance
How to Fix It
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Partially drain and refill to lower CYA
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Switch to unstabilized chlorine temporarily
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Rebalance water chemistry once CYA is in range
What Causes It
High Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer) When CYA levels rise above 100 ppm, the stabilizer binds to free chlorine and prevents it from disinfecting properly.
Why It Matters
Chlorine can’t sanitize the water, which leads to unsafe swimming conditions, wasted chemicals, and ongoing water clarity issues.
Prevention
Avoid overusing stabilized chlorine, test CYA regularly, and maintain stabilizer levels within the recommended range to prevent chlorine lock from returning.
OK, grab your seats... Pool School is about to begin!!!
Why do I need to drain my pool 101…
So we are looking at two different levels here that tell us we need to drain our pool. The hardness and the other cyanuric acid (CYA). The hardness is just due to good old Maricopa water. Blame Global Water for that one.
Now the high levels of cyanuric acid (CYA) are due to the stabilizer/conditioner that the pool has taken on over time from the tablets. Stabilizer/conditioner is like sunscreen for your water.
ARE YOU STILL AWAKE!!! Don’t make me throw an eraser at you!
This is the important part, so take notes!!!
So, the sun is always trying to pull the chlorine out of your water. That’s what the stabilizer “sunscreen” is for. But when the hardness levels get high along with the CYA levels, it actually does the opposite. The water will go into chlorine lock and there’s no amount of chlorine that will help you. If your pool hasn’t been drained in the last two years, please reach out to us.
OK, Pool school is in session.
Get to your desks!!!
It’s always a good idea to remove the vacuum before swimming. But please do not coil up the hose!!!
The hose will gain the memory of being coiled up, and your vacuum won’t be as efficient. Vacuum hoses can be anywhere from $10-$15 for each piece. So please be sure to lay the hose out straight and disconnect the vacuum from the house.
If your hose is already coiled up, you can lay it out in the sun and it should straighten out.
Class is dismissed...
Make EZ Knights Pool Care & Repair your go to for all of your pool needs!!!