Opening pool can't get Chlorine reading. Mystery challenge for veteran pool owners!

[Pool boy joe]

Hi I just opened my (supposed 10k gallon) pool in oklahoma and I just can't seem to get any chlorine reading after shocking every other day for the past week-2 weeks. Here are my readings from leslies.
this is my readings after triple cal hypo shocking the night before.
FC- .17
TC- .17
PH- 7.5
alkalinity- 103ppm
calcium hardness- 265
CYA- 31ppm
iron- .1
copper- .5
phosphates 0
TDS- 0
So you can see my free chlorine and total matches which is a good thing but still low FC. Now this is my Free Chlorine and Total Chlorine reading after shocking with 2 bags of cal hypo after an hour from shocking.
FC- .63
TC- 2.91.
You can see after adding shock that it is reacting in the water and I'm getting chloramines but it disappears after 3-4 hours. I have used 13 bags of cal hypo shock over the past 2 weeks and I have been zeroing out on both total and free chlorine after 4 hours. I've been trying to do the slam method but I hate throwing money away from shocking and getting nothing. My pool is green but clear so Idk if its algae or the copper causing it green.. I have been trying to use a non chlorine oxidizer shock to get rid of chloramines but it doesn't seem to help. I am desperate in trying to get a free chlorine reading. I have 2 tabs of trichlor 3inch tablets running in my chlorinator, I have 2 tablets floating in the water. I have a nature2 copper algaecide going (which I assume is for my high copper reading), I have water boatmen in my pool. I dumped a gallon of clorox algaecide + clarifier poly (Poly ethylene dichloride). I don't know what to do. only thing I can think of is try using leslie's chlor brite 4x1lb bags and seeing if that will help or just getting 4-5 gallons of bleach and try one last super bombing of the water. Can I shock with liquid bleach in the afternoon then use di chlor shock (chlor brite) later that night? need help thanks

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit. I suggest the TF-100 or Taylor K2006C. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.

While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
I suggest you read through Pool Care Basics - Trouble Free Pool and even look at a few of our videos TFP-TV - Trouble Free Pool

 

[Bperry]

Hi I just opened my (supposed 10k gallon) pool in oklahoma and I just can't seem to get any chlorine reading after shocking every other day for the past week-2 weeks. Here are my readings from leslies.
this is my readings after triple cal hypo shocking the night before.
FC- .17
TC- .17
PH- 7.5
alkalinity- 103ppm
calcium hardness- 265
CYA- 31ppm
iron- .1
copper- .5
phosphates 0
TDS- 0
So you can see my free chlorine and total matches which is a good thing but still low FC. Now this is my Free Chlorine and Total Chlorine reading after shocking with 2 bags of cal hypo after an hour from shocking.
FC- .63
TC- 2.91.
You can see after adding shock that it is reacting in the water and I'm getting chloramines but it disappears after 3-4 hours. I have used 13 bags of cal hypo shock over the past 2 weeks and I have been zeroing out on both total and free chlorine after 4 hours. I've been trying to do the slam method but I hate throwing money away from shocking and getting nothing. My pool is green but clear so Idk if its algae or the copper causing it green.. I have been trying to use a non chlorine oxidizer shock to get rid of chloramines but it doesn't seem to help. I am desperate in trying to get a free chlorine reading. I have 2 tabs of trichlor 3inch tablets running in my chlorinator, I have 2 tablets floating in the water. I have a nature2 copper algaecide going (which I assume is for my high copper reading), I have water boatmen in my pool. I dumped a gallon of clorox algaecide + clarifier poly (Poly ethylene dichloride). I don't know what to do. only thing I can think of is try using leslie's chlor brite 4x1lb bags and seeing if that will help or just getting 4-5 gallons of bleach and try one last super bombing of the water. Can I shock with liquid bleach in the afternoon then use di chlor shock (chlor brite) later that night? need help thanks

Welcome! You’ve found a very good pool care website that can help get your pool cleared up.

But there’s some things you need to decide first. Look through the threads here on pool store testing accuracy and you’ll find it’s not very good, and the advice they give isn’t much good either. Because of that, as mentioned above you’ll need an accurate test kit. The Tf-100 is what most everyone here uses.

If your water isn’t clear, it’s likely algae caused by too little chlorine and it sounds like the pool store took you for a ride on their magic potion train. $$$ follow through on the advice Marty gave above and follow it precisely. Stay away from copper algaecides and the Clorox stuff.