Not enough Chlorine?

[hottbpete]

Yesterday when doing my weekly duty, I was not able to get the water to increase in free chlorine.  I am using those sticks that have 4 little pads on them and it usually turns purplr with just a cap or so......4-7 cap fulls later and still no color.  The test strips were brand new.  Water was changed within 60 days, not a lot of use at all (we were on vacation for 1 1/2 weeks during the 60 days) water looks clear and no odors.  Last thing, when I took a soak last night my eyes teared a bit...not sure if this had anything to do with it.

Any tips?

[Gary]

You can have so much chlorine that it bleaches the test strip out.

[hottbpete]

what can you do if that is the case?

[SerjicalStrike]

It sounds more like you have an excess of combined chlorine built up due to not getting enough chlorine in the spa often enough.  You will need to keep adding chlorine until you break the threshhold and get a reading.

[hottbpete]

I have been religous on adding spa 56 after each soak and checking chemicals every weekend.  I was away for two weeks...could the two week miss do this?

[SerjicalStrike]

The two weeks could have done it.  When you add the chlorine after each soak, are you testing it after a few minutes to make sure you get the chlorine level up to 3-5ppm?

[hottbpete]

No I am not.  I test it once a week.  The test strips add up....and then I need to find a place to throw it out.  My wife hates seeing them on the wall behind the tub.