Thru this site's advice, I've been very good at keeping chem levels up to your recommendations. I test every three days and typically add 1.5 gals of clorox every 2-3 days and MA every 3 weeks. Water is never cloudy and I don't have any problems. But, and maybe I'm expecting too much, water doesn't seem to sparkle like it used to when I completely drained and refilled pool. It's clear and I can clearly see details of drain at deep end, but lacks luster.

All chemicals are within pool calc recommendations...I stay on top of this. I don't backwash filter that much, maybe once a month.

Is it just my imagination or can the water look, I don't know...dull? And, if so, how do I get it sparkly clean?

A dull look can be the first sign of an algae bloom.

Try raising the FC level or just go ahead and shock the pool and retest.

Posting a full set of test results would help.

Also if you can I would try for a few weeks to test everyday and see if it improves. With maybe testing every 3 days some levels are going to low or high.

borates?
thinking-of-adding-borates-t38559.html?hilit=borates

Try a bit of DE, or try http://www.recreonics.com/cgi-local/shopper.cgi?preadd=action&key=21-205&qty=1. Borates as mentioned above. Additionally, what's your filtration time? Are you running it long enough?

Ok...shocked it. Seems to have helped. Test results today:
FC = 14 (is this ok to swim in?)
CC = 0
PH = 8 (will add MA today to lower this)
TA = 75
CH = 275
CYA = 45

Read the sticky note on borates. I guess you're going to tell me it's personal preference, but do I really want to get into this? I thought I read earlier in my pool school classes that this wasn't necessary?

Thx, Ben.

Borates is a personal preferences. I myself have never seen the need to add them as this is just something else you have to test for and keep up with. Everyone that uses my pool along with myself like it the way it is. So I would say if you have no issues without borates then dont add them. This is just a personal preference to me though and others may disagree with it.

A FC of 14 can give a falsely high pH reading. Let the FC come down to < 10 ppm and then recheck pH. Correct it then if needed.

If raising the FC improved the clarity of your water, then I would claim success. Borates can be sort of useful when additional pH buffering is needed. Pools that are clean sparkle without them though. I wouldn't add borates just for that. That's just me though.

ok, thx. I guess since no one said anything, FC = 14 is ok to swim in.

Not recommended to swim while shocking. Up to you. Probably end up bleaching your swimsuit a bit.

swimsuit?! who uses a swimsuit? )

Pretty chart in color: http://www.poolsolutions.com/gd/best-gu ... chart.html