Hi everyone! Long time lurker, first time posting here! I have had my pool for 6 years now. It came with my house when I bought it back in April of 2016. Struggled with a couple algae blooms the first summer, but was able to get the hang of it by the end of summer. Next 4 summers, it was pretty easy to maintain. I had a routine of testing the chlorine and pH every other day or so, and would add those 3” dichlor tablets to my automatic chlorine feeder, as well as a weekly shock and algaecide. Worked wonderfully for those 4 summers…..until this summer. My automatic chlorine feeder cracked and I replaced it and filled it up with tablets prior to being gone for a week over the 4th of July. Unfortunately, when I cracked open the valve on the feeder line, an o-ring got pinched, and my pool went without chlorine for a week. Came back home to a pool starting to bloom algae. Quickly took a sample to the pool store, and they had me add algaecide, and a bunch of bags of shock. That didn’t work, so then they had me floc the pool. That worked, and I thought I was home free. But about a week later, it started to turn green again. So I added floc again, and removed the pool ladder this time, and a bunch of dark green water spewed out of it. That would make sense that was why it went back to green again. Cleared up the water, and left the ladder out. But a week later, it started to go green again. Not sure why this time, neither were the pool store workers, so I changed out the sand and then added floc to the pool again. Once again, it worked, but then a week later, the pool started to go green again. That’s when I came back to TFP for answers. Read up on the pool chemistry info and SLAM and all of that, and decided to go the TFP route. Ordered the TFT-100 test kit after calling the pool store and having them tell me what my CYA reading was on my last sample, and sure enough, it was 80 ppm. So I figured it was too high and all the shock I was adding was doing nothing. Also realized that the tablets would just be raising my CYA as well, so I stopped adding them. While waiting for my TFT kit to arrive, I did a partial drain and refill to lower the CYA. Once the kit arrived, I tested the CYA, and it was at 40 ppm. However, pH was high, so I added some muriatic acid to lower it. Anyways, below are my additions and testing results so far. Just want to make sure I am on the right track and that I am not missing anything. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
8/20/21 – 1700
pH: 8.4
FC: 0
CYA: 40
Added ¾ gallon of Muriatic Acid
8/21/21 - 1300
CYA: 40
pH: 7.2
FC: 0
8/22/21 - 2100
pH: 7.2
FC: 0
Added 405 oz of bleach
8/23/21 – 1000
FC: 1
CC: 0
Added 365 oz of bleach
8/23/21 - 1215
FC: 11
CC: 0
Added 121 oz of bleach
8/23/21 – 1245
FC: 14
CC: 0
Added 40 oz of bleach
I was able to run home quick from work mid morning today to add the 365 oz of bleach, and then again over lunch to do the 121 oz and 40 oz additions. Won't be able to get home again until about 1600 to add more bleach. Question I have is I thought you are supposed to maintain your FC level at a SLAM level of 16 for as long as it takes - does that mean I will have to run home every couple hours to add some more bleach?
8/20/21 – 1700
pH: 8.4
FC: 0
CYA: 40
Added ¾ gallon of Muriatic Acid
8/21/21 - 1300
CYA: 40
pH: 7.2
FC: 0
8/22/21 - 2100
pH: 7.2
FC: 0
Added 405 oz of bleach
8/23/21 – 1000
FC: 1
CC: 0
Added 365 oz of bleach
8/23/21 - 1215
FC: 11
CC: 0
Added 121 oz of bleach
8/23/21 – 1245
FC: 14
CC: 0
Added 40 oz of bleach
I was able to run home quick from work mid morning today to add the 365 oz of bleach, and then again over lunch to do the 121 oz and 40 oz additions. Won't be able to get home again until about 1600 to add more bleach. Question I have is I thought you are supposed to maintain your FC level at a SLAM level of 16 for as long as it takes - does that mean I will have to run home every couple hours to add some more bleach?