Are you shocking or just trying to maintain your FC level at normal? Can you post your full test numbers?

Keep in mind that the OTO test registers TC while the FAS-DPD (TF-100) test registers FC and you have to add the R-0003 to get CC. So it's possible that you have some CC which would be included in the OTO test making it read higher than the FC alone of the FAS-DPD.

grffths,

You are dragging out the solution to your poor water condition. Shock the pool by specifically following the procedures in Pool School

It is much easier to answer your questions if you keep everything related to a single process together in one place.

I believe I am following the Pool School as best as I can. I am keeping the pool at shock level per the CYA/Chloring chart (16-20 PPM) based on my results of between 30-40 CYA. I took the multi-valve apart last week and the spider gasket is damaged and gooey so I ordered a new one to replace it. I suspect that some of my cloudyness is related to the multivavle not sealing completey. I don't have access to my test results at the moment but I can tell you that the CC levels have been .5 or less for weeks now however I am still keeping the pool at shock level until the water clears - per Pool School.

Also, I have been brushing and vacuuming the pool as frequently as I can and, when vacuuming, don't get much in the skimmer basket so I don't think my problems are related to any organics in the water but I won't know for sure until I can see the bottom.


Not sure what else I should be doing so that is the reason for asking for assistance on this forum.

Regards,

Jay

A bad spider gasket will allow water to bypass the filter, preventing the pool from clearing up.

This is a good example of why you need to keep everything together in one place. There was no way to tell from reading this topic that you are having problems with your spider gasket, which is crucial to understanding your situation.

This was the first place I mentioned it. I have only posted one other time looking for help but felt that this was a new topic since I was asking for some assistance with the test results I was seeing and not looking for help with the cloudy water.

Regards,

Jay

What is the OT test? Are you talking about the Taylor K-1000 mini test kit included inside the TF100? If you are, your comments don't make any sense, since that test can't be used to measure TC levels much above 3. Anything from 3 to about 15 will look the exact same shade of bright yellow. If you are measuring FC/CC always go by the FAS-DPD chlorine test.

Jay,

This quote is what Jason and I are talking about. It does not appear you are bringing FC levels high enough to shock the pool. My assumption is you mean OTO instead of OT and, like Jason is saying, the OTO test cannot possibly measure FC levels that are high enough to shock your pool.

Let's do a startover.....

1. Did you raise your pH above 6.8 yet? If so, please post that test (skip the OTO chlorine side of the block)

2. Using the FAS/DPD test what is your current (today) FC and CC level?

3. Have you been holding the FC up to that level with multiple additions of chlorine daily?

Answer those and we'll all help you get your water crystal clear.

1 - Yes - it is now 7.2.
2 - FC = 21 , CC=0
3 - As best as I can. I am not currently living at this house so I can only get there a once during the day so the levels do drop below the "shock" value but I should also point out that my CC levels have also been no higher than .5 for the past few weeks as well so I would take that to mean that there isn't a significant amount of organics in the water and most of my loss is due to sunlight.

My question this time was not strictly related to my water quality and why it is still cloudy but rather why my pH levels would drop from 7.5 to 6.8 in a fews day after they had been holding at 7.5 for weeks.

Regards,

Jay

Well, my pool is finally almost clear; probably 98% of the way there and I expect it to be completely clear by the 4th!!!

I did replace the spider gasket a week or so ago, which may have been part of the problem as it was badly deteriorated but not sure since I was doing a number of different remediation steps at the same time.

Now on to the maintenance phase which I expect to be much easier than opening the swamp I started with thanks to the BBB method.

Thanks to all for their suggestions and response to my questions.

Regards,

Jay