High Chlorine levels, but still green and cloudy

[RyanInMiami]

Hello,
I am a new pool owner, starting mid-April.
I have been reading this site, and use the TF-100 kit, but I m stuck.
Any time I let the chlorine level down below 10ppm, I start getting a green tint, cloudy water, and the filter turns green as well.
I live in Miami so the water gets lots of sun and is naturally fairly warm.

Right now, FC=10, CC=0, CYA=45, pH=7.5.
When I first moved in, I was using liquid bleach, and I noticed that the pH was too high, so I added acid. Since then, I have also used the 3inch tabs in the floating dispenser, and the pH now stays around 7.5 (also there has been more rain recently).
I was cleaning the filter weekly, but I cleaned it on Sunday, and today (Thursday) it was already green, so I guess 2x a week in the summer.
I brush the floor 3-4 nights a week, the pump runs from 7am-5pm daily, and I bought a Dolphin robotic cleaner which I used once last week and once this week.

The water is clear when FC is >=10, but below that, greenish and cloudy.

The weird thing is, the FC never really went below4 ever. I don't understand how the FC can be above 5 always, and still get greenish cloudy water with the pH at the right level and the CYA at a decent level. I would think the FC should drop if there is algae. Is it possible I just need to run the motor longer?

I assume it is not safe for the equipment to keep FC at 10, but nothing else seems to keep the water clear. Any ideas?

Thanks
Ryan

 

[Casey]

My first idea is to do an Overnight FC Loss Test tonight and report back first thing in the morning before day break. It is very important that you check the FC before the sun comes up. If you lose any FC tonight, you need to follow this :lookhere: SLAMing Your Pool.

 

[RyanInMiami]

I added a gallon of bleach from PP and waited 2 hours last night, then tested. result was 17.5ppm. left the pump on all night and checked again this morning, result was 18.5ppm. I dont know how that is possible - maybe letting the pool water mix overnight resulted in a more accurate measure this morning? Also, I keep 2 3-inch tabs in the floating dispenser, maybe that added chlorine last night? CC was about 0.5 (one drop).
The high chlorine levels exist in both the chlorine tests in the TF-100, but I also tried a cheap Home Depot test last night that I had bought before i found this page, and the results are not clear, but are less than 5ppm.
I cleaned the main pool filter yesterday around 7pm, and 12 hours later it was green enough to show that there is some algae.
I am fairly confused.
For what it is worth, the pool looks a little better today.

THanks
Ryan

 

[scott.MI]

Yes, the chlorine tabs are adding chlorine to your pool. You need to remove them to properly test your overnight loss.

 

[RyanInMiami]

OK, my error. Retesting the pH showed it closer to 7.8. I added acid to bring it down to 7.4, and the water changed from green to cloudy blue. I think a few days of filtering out dead algae, and I should be good.
Thanks for the responses, and sorry for the error.
Ryan

 

[jblizzle]

Please read the SLAM article that Casey posted. That is the method we teach to guarantee you eradicate everything in the pool.