Yet another way to resolve a chlorine lock is to reach what is called breakpoint chlorination. Breakpoint chlorination is the point where the chemical bond that ties nitrogen, chlorine and ammonia together by using large amounts of chlorine. This will cause the chlorine residual to drop rapidly. Reaching a true chlorine breakpoint is vital to breaking a chlorine lock. If breakpoint is not reached using this method, the problem will only get worse. To accomplish a breakpoint, 7.6 free chlorine molecules are used to break apart an individual combined chlorine molecule. The amount of product you will need will vary depending on the type of shock you are using. Aside from knowing your total chlorine, free chlorine, number of gallons in the pool, and the weight of a gallon of water (8.34 lbs.), you will also need to know the type of pool shock you are using. Before attempting this method, the pH needs to be between 7.2-7.4. This equation will be a two part process. The first step will be determining the ppm of chlorine needed to reach breakpoint: (TC-FC) x 10. Using the same amount above, the equation would look like this: (5-3) x 10 = x ppm or 2 x 10 = 20 ppm. I will need 20 ppm of chlorine to reach breakpoint in this 15,000 gallon pool. The next step is to determine how much product I will need. I'm using calcium hypochlorite in this example and need 2 oz. per 10,000 for a 1 ppm increase. I'll need to multiply 2 oz. x (gallons in pool/10,000) x (ppm needed/ppm dosage) which simply put is: 2 oz. x (15,000/10,000) x (20 ppm/1 ppm) or 2 oz x 1.5 x 20= 60 oz. To convert ounces to pounds, I divide by 16: 60 oz./16= 3.75 lbs. So to reach breakpoint in my 15,000 gallon pool I will need 3.75 lbs. of calcium hypochlorite.
Erin Posted: 7/8/2021
My pool looks like milky water. Have had water tested several times and adjusted chemicals accordingly. Could it be chlorine lock? Last pool test showed normal everything. Most frustrating pool season to date!!!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 7/14/2021
If you show normal free chlorine levels then you don't have chlorine lock. You may want to check you aren't mixing two or more chemicals that are causing the cloudiness. See this guide - Bad Pool Chemical CombinationsReply
Darlene Posted: 6/16/2021
Pool was cloudy had water rested ,chlorine was high so I haven't put any chemicals in for a week let filter running steady and chlorine is still high but water is crystal clearReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 6/17/2021
If the water is clear and the chlorine is high, I would continue to wait for it to drop. Chlorine gets used up, usually rather quickly this time of year. What are your chlorine levels (free and combined chlorine)?Reply
Julianne Johnson Posted: 5/6/2021
Hello, I think I have chlorine lock as well. My total chlorine is 3 ppm and my free chlorine is reading 0 ppm. The CYA is 100ppm. The pool was in the exact same condition last fall when we closed it. We drained half of the water and the pool was full when we opened it this spring. We back washed and drained a third of the water. We then refilled it. Shocked it. We find ourselves in the exact same position. The water is cloudy, But it has only been a few days since we uncovered it. Any advice? It is a small fiberglass pool holding 8000 gallons.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/13/2021
I would shock it a time or two more and also use a heavy-duty flocculant to clear up that cloudiness. You may also want to try a fun little product like Pool First Aid which is a good catch-all product for these situations.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 8/25/2020
I have a 4,000 gal vinyl pool. Something weird is going on. Cya numbers dropped rapidly over the past two week. Had been up around 100 and they dropped to around 60. Brought the stabilizer back to around eighty and all the other numbers are fine but the pool week not seen to hold chlorine. I literally put in over a gallon of chlorine in to this little pool yesterday and I'm still getting a reading of zero or 0.5 on chlorine. Checked the numbers at the store too in case my test strips were bad, but they're not. I'm stumped. Any ideas? I'm wondering if chlorine lock would tend to give a reading of no chlorine or if you know of something that would drop cya numbers rapidly. Thanks!Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/27/2020
What are your Free Chlorine and Combined Chlorine numbers? Is your water clean, hazy, or milky looking?Reply
Dean Posted: 8/12/2020
I recently had an issue with green water, so I decided to shock the pool with liquid chlorine as per instructions for 19k gallon pool. The free & total chlorine came up to 8 over night & within 24 hours the pool was crystal clear. 3 weeks later the pool is still clear, but the free chlorine is 3 & total still 8 & I have added no additional chlorine since the shock. I live in Bali, Indonesia, sun shines every day & the pool gets the sun for at least 8 hours a day. What is my problemReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 9/1/2020
I suggest using some non-chlor shock to bring down your chloramines. Another option is a liquid shock. But your combined chlorine is so high because all that chlorine you added is getting used up.Reply
JBE Posted: 8/6/2020
Free Chlorine, 0.07, Total Chlorine, 0.46, ph 7.1, Cyanuric Acid 141, Phosphates 3152 The local pool place recommended draining about two feet of water out the pool (one foot at a time, refill and recheck). I have yellow algae due to low chlorine but I'm in chlorine lock looks like.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 9/3/2020
Your CYA levels are way too high. The CYA level should be 30-60 for a non-salt pool, and 60-80 for salt pools. Levels that high inhibit chlorine from sanitizing your water. The only way to get that down is to drain a portion of your water and refill with fresh.First, get the CYA down, then add shock, and maintain a healthy chlorine level.Reply
Diana Meunier Posted: 8/6/2020
we are struggling with CYA levels and chlorine lock. we have a 15 x 48 intex pool about 4000 gallons. Water was clear up until a week ago after some heavy rains. We use strips regularly to test levels and its been fine up until now. Pool store test said CYA was high. to partially drain, refill, partially drain, refill and add some product they sold us to help. Have done the partial drain and refill a few times now. We were told to use stabilizer when we set the pool up so my husband was adding it weekly, not realizing that the chlorine tablets already had stabilizer in it. So we probably built up a high level. We've had heavy rain the past day with the latest tropical storm, and will have more rain today and tomorrow. Test strip shows free chlorine is almost none. Do we now add stabilizer free chlorine? More shock?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 9/3/2020
To be able to tell you the course of action, I would need to know the results of the water tests. When it comes to water chemistry, the test results do most of the work for you. Once you know what is low and high, and by how much then you can begin the fun stuff.Reply
Corey Posted: 8/3/2020
I have an algae (think green) issue i can't get under control. Last test results were 5.97 Free Chlorine and 5.97 total chlorine (just shocked with cal-hypo), 7.7 PH, CYA 97, calcium hardness 165. I quit using 3" chlorine tabs a few weeks to try and get CYA to start coming down thinking that was issue. But after each shock the algae comes back, even next day sometimes. Feel like I have chlorine lock. Any advice?Reply
FRED MUNAO Posted: 2/17/2021
First importantly? Make sure you use a stiff brush and completely brush the sides and bottom of the pool thoroughly to actually kill the algae. It's a common problem people have with Alge issues. The number one cause is not brushing the pool algae off and then super chlorinate or add algeacide chemicals. It comes back. Also test for phosphates. Phosphates are the food for Alge. It's a bit costly and runs about 70 bucks us dollars for a gallon of phosphate remover. Keeping phosphates down and the cya levels in check will stop the lock and alge growth.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 9/3/2020
What was the chlorine reading before you shocked the pool? Taking a chlorine reading right after adding shock can eschew numbers to misleading conclusions. Also, that CYA level is still too high.Reply
dino Posted: 8/1/2020
free chlorine .78 total chlorine 1.18 combined 0.4 PH 7.4 phophates 693 can't get rid of the algae? Any advise?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 8/21/2020
Your pool's cyanuric acid (CYA) levels are not listed. Proper CYA levels are essential to the sanitizing efficiency of the chlorine in your pool.What are your CYA levels?Reply
Yvette C. McGreen Posted: 7/29/2020
I have been fighting a chlorine block for 2 weeks this has cost me to have cloudy water. I've been to the pool store twice. First time told me to add 16oz of algaecide then one gallon chlorine weight 12 hours add another gallon. The water is still cloudy. Went back the second time told me to add pound of pH up and the water is still cloudy. how do I get my water back to crystal clear so I can see the bottom of my pool?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 9/9/2020
What are the results of your latest water chemistry test? That info is what we need to determine what steps are needed to correct your issue.Reply
robin Posted: 7/20/2020
i have a 3000 gallon above ground pool with 14 on chlorine and i do not know what to do....to keep chlorine lowReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 9/9/2020
When you say the chlorine is 14, is that the Free Chlorine, Combined Chlorine, or the Total Chlorine?First, let’s make sure you understand the differences between free chlorine, combined chlorine, and total chlorine and how you measure each.Free chlorine (FC) shows the level of disinfecting chlorine available to sanitize your pool. FC is the part of the chlorinated water that hasn’t interacted with contaminants, yet.Once chlorine interacts with compounds such as urine, sweat, bacteria, etc they form chloramines. Chloramines are what we refer to as combined chlorine (CC). The CC levels are chlorine that no longer has disinfecting power. Essentially, it is useless.Total chlorine (TC) is simply your FC plus your CC. Your TC should not be less than the FC level.Reply
JC Posted: 5/30/2020
I would like to use the chlorine break point method, but I have no free chlorine or available chlorine. If I test it right after I add chlorine, there is a little, but if I test 30 minutes later, there is none at all.Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 10/23/2020
What are the results of your most recent water chemistry test?Reply
Marwa Posted: 4/7/2020
CYA is at 187 with free chlorine at 0.69 and total chlorine at 1. PH at 7, calcium hardness at 469 and phosphates at 343. Told to drain and refill to bring CYA down but I am also seeing yellow stains on walls and black spotting on floors. Will draining help? Or should I be doing smth else? ThanksReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 4/8/2020
The staining is likely black and mustard algae due to no chlorine in the water. You know the CYA is too high and the guide covers why that is bad. Lower the CYA to a reasonable level, then add the chlorine so you can begin the cleaning process. Unfortunately, there really isn't a workaround to this issue; balance your water chemistry, add chlorine, and brush your walls to get rid of the stain and algae.Reply
CW MOUTON Posted: 3/25/2020
28K GAL POOL. Free Chlorine .43 PPM, Total Chlorine 1.33 PPM, Combined Chlorine .9 PPM. PH, Hardness, Alkalinity, Cyanuric Acid, Cooper Iron, PHosphate are all good. My pool stays cloudy. How to fix?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 3/31/2020
First, it doesn't seem like you have very much chlorine in the pool. Have you been treating your pool for an algae bloom? If so, have you added algaecide that contains copper? If so, that could be a cause of the milky water.Second, are you just now opening the pool and have to work to get it clear, or has the pool been blue and only recently turned cloudy? Have you added any clarifiers, flocculants enzyme cleaners to work on clearing the cloudiness?Reply
Tim Posted: 3/20/2020
So, my free chlorine is 0.83 and my total chlorine is 6.35. Stabilizer is at 36 so it’s not high. How do I fix this?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 3/23/2020
Add cal-hypo shock or non-stabilised chlorine to raise the free chlorine levelsReply
Anonymous Posted: 6/27/2019
I think its easier to backfill the pool and a lot cheaperReply
Dan K Posted: 5/29/2019
Is it ok to use town water to refill your pool when it is chlorine locked or do I need fresh non-processed water like from a well or lake etc. I wasn't sure if draining and refilling with town (chlorinated) water would fix the problem or make it worse.Reply
Anonymous Posted: 6/5/2019
I just solved the mystery of the chlorine lock in my pool. After 9 days of intensive care and chemical balancing, shocking, and cleaningI was ready to give up. What i did to solve this problem is that i shocked my 10000 gallons with 4 pounds last night, then after 5 hours turned off the pump 12 hours until today after noon no result yet but that i guess was part of the solution. Then today aftrr noon i filled a dry bucket with 6 pounds of shock and dumbed them all togather in the pool instay in the deepest side of ghe pool at the same spot. and right away started brushedthe pool ground andReply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/30/2019
It is ok to use city water to refill your pool.Reply
Marge Posted: 5/22/2019
How much water would you recommend draining if you are in a Chlorine lock? Our pool is 15,600 gallons?Reply
InyoPools Product Specialist Matt S. Posted: 5/23/2019
Drain a third and refill with fresh water. As step two covers, there isn't a set amount; but if you want to put the odds in your favor, draining more will be better than less.Reply
Sara Posted: 5/21/2019
My pH is 7.4, my stabilizer is low, my free chlorine is .5 and total is 7.5...help!!Reply
Anonymous Posted: 5/23/2019
Yes, I have added 22 gallons of chlorine with no luckReply
Matt S. Posted: 5/24/2019
If 22 gallons of chlorine is not budging it, then you need to drain a third or a little more of your water then refill with freshwater. Your pool is to the point where you just have to press the reset button.Reply