How to Fix Too Much Chlorine in an Above Ground Pool with POOL FROG®

Here is a helpful video on how to lower chlorine levels in your pool!

1. If the chlorine level is over 3.0 ppm, remove the Bac Pac and store in a safe place away from children, pets, metals or an open flame until the level drops to 1.0 ppm.

2. Check your dial setting
Once the chlorine level is down to 1.0 to 2.0, set the dial according to the manual chart. Monitor daily at first and adjust dial up or down by no more than 1/2 setting each day to properly monitor the effect. Once you find the correct setting do not alter it. When abnormal conditions arise (pool party or lots of rain) that’s the time to shock the water.

3. Make sure your water is properly balanced

Water balance is critical to proper sanitization. While it does not typically result in over chlorination, it could take a pool with plenty of chlorine and make it ineffective if the pH is higher or lower than 7.2-7.8.

4. Evaluate the pool usage.

If the pool is not being used very often, then the need for chlorine (chlorine demand) is lessened. If this is a temporary situation such as during the spring when temps are cooler then consider lowering the dial setting further and decreasing the pump run time until your normal usage pattern returns.

5. Consider shortening your pump run time.

Very few pools are used enough to require a 24 hour circulation and yet many pools run their pump that long. Any inline feeding device is dispensing chlorine or bromine every minute the circulation is running. To cut back on how much is dispensed; you should consider adding a timer to your pool and cutting the circulation time (see calculating pump run time).

6. Test your back pressure.

Back pressure is the force of water that is pushed back into the Pool FROG by the size of the opening in your return. For best results this back pressure should be 4-8 psi. If it is higher than that, it means the water is too high inside the chlorine pac and is wetting too much chlorine at one time. Changing the eyeball fitting in the return to one size larger will decrease back pressure. Avoid special features that are attached to the return such as fountains or lights.

7. Check the pressure relief valve.

At the bottom inside of the Pool Frog Cycler is a clear plastic knob that is pushed into a hole. This knob allows gas to burp out of the system when the pump is not running to avoid building up inside the unit. When this valve is missing, it results in uncontrolled water entering the system that could lead to over chlorination.

8. Check the expiration date on your test strips or kit.

Most test strips and testing regents last only 12 to 18 months. After that date, they may not register readings properly. In addition if you are putting wet hands into the test strip container, you could be contaminating the strips which will shorten their life even further.

9. Confirm that the correct model was installed.

If an off-line unit was accidentally installed in-line, because of the diverter inside the ports, the unit is being flooded with water and making it difficult to dispense the right amount of chlorine. This unit must be replaced with an in-line unit in order to work properly.

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