NJPools.club Community

First, take a deep breath! I know it's stressful when your pool isn't cooperating, but panicking won't help the chemistry. I've dealt with similar issues with my own pool here in SoCal. Have you checked your CYA (cyanuric acid) levels? If they're too high, your chlorine can become ineffective even if the chlorinator is working. Also, concrete pools can sometimes have hidden algae in the pores that consume chlorine overnight. Try brushing the walls thoroughly and running your filter longer before the OCLT.

Ivy's right about checking basics, but let's troubleshoot that Zodiac system! Which model do you have? Many have diagnostic modes you can access through the control panel. Check if it's actually generating chlorine - sometimes the cell needs cleaning with acid or the salt level might be off. Also, have you calibrated the system recently? My neighbor had a similar issue and it turned out his salinity sensor was reading 500ppm too high, so the system thought it had enough salt when it didn't.

Good point about the equipment, Frank! While you're checking the technical side, also consider your pool's balance. Concrete pools in our climate can have pH swings that affect chlorine effectiveness. Test your pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness too. Sometimes it's not the chlorinator but the water chemistry making chlorine disappear. And remember - if you've had heavy bather load or organic debris, you might need to shock the pool before running the OCLT test.

Exactly! And here's a pro tip: Zodiac systems often have error codes that don't show up on the main display. Try holding the 'diagnostic' button (if your model has one) for 5 seconds to see any hidden alerts. Also, check if your cell is actually producing bubbles when running - no bubbles means no chlorine generation. If everything checks out technically, you might need to supplement with liquid chlorine temporarily while you solve the root cause. What's your current salt reading?

I love how we're approaching this from both angles! To summarize: 1) Test ALL water parameters (not just chlorine), 2) Clean/check the salt cell, 3) Verify system operation, and 4) Consider shocking if needed. And one more holistic thought: Have you checked for phosphates? They're algae food that can make chlorine disappear faster. Sometimes addressing multiple small imbalances creates the solution. Keep us posted!