Water clarity-I am Baffled

daisylubob said:

I thought FC was supposed to get to 24, then let it go down. Highest has been 21..

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You want to add enough chlorine to get it to 24, test, add more if needed and continue to maintain it at 24 until SLAM complete by passing the 3 SLAM pass criteria previously posted. If you can test and add every hour or so, that is best. If you can't, test and add as frequently as your other life demands allow.

Fc is supposed to be maintained at 24ppm - as often as possible. SLAM stands for Shock Level And Maintain. It is not just a one time addition of chlorine.
Were u just frequently testing but not adding any more liquid chlorine?

daisylubob said:

Every time I tested i added the recommended amount of liquid chlorine using poolMath calculator. Using lots of drops of R-0871, where do I buy replacement bottles?

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Tftestkits.net or Amazon are my go to places. Tftestkits guarantees fresh reagents & stores them properly. U want the 2oz bottle.

daisylubob said:

Every time I tested i added the recommended amount of liquid chlorine using poolMath calculator. Using lots of drops of R-0871, where do I buy replacement bottles?

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I usually buy on Amazon.

Did u try testing in 30 minutes or so after dosing to see that u got the intended result so we can rule out less potent bleach? You can do this tonight for your oclt.
Test, add what poolmath says, test again in 30 min - record that as your pm fc for Overnight Chlorine Loss Test then test again at sunrise.

Also when testing, hold the bottle straight up & down, with very light pressure let the drops fall from the tip - don’t squeeze the bottle. About a drop per second. The key is consistency- doing the test the same way every time. This leaves only 1 variable- the result.
I also like having a white background so i can clearly see the change to clear without having to think about it too much - this allows me to focus on counting the drops . Luckily my kitchen cabinets are white & my kitchen is quite bright.

Judging by the 1.5 ppm loss U are getting closer! The cc’s mean the chlorine is working on something. Keep at it! Get in there & brush all the crannies. Using a slanted household broom helped me with the seam flaps & killed 2 birds with one stone - clean pool & clean broom
Have you inspected, scrubbed, flushed out the ladder?

daisylubob said:

Yes I get in (still cold to me at 76` ), and scrub.
I cleaned the ladder once but will take it out and do it again.
Mdragger88 you have been soooooooo helpful in this process, I THANK YOU!!

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If its just the A frame ladder that comes with those pools check the tubes/frame they have feet that can be removed & the tubes are hollow - squirt some diluted bleach up in there, let it sit then spray it out with the hose.
Being as how the water is clear, its hiding somewhere. Also check the pool hoses - they are corrugated & can hold nasties. If there are removable covers for the return/intake remove & scrub them too.

U are a great student
The Ph test is invalid at fc levels above 10ppm so disregard those - no adjustments necessary - we’ll test ph when slam is done & fc falls.
Is the 9pm test after your last dose or before? For the oclt it needs to be after the last dose of the night (30 minutes is sufficient)

Looks like u passed oclt
You can let fc fall to target range for your cya level FC/CYA Levels
If ALL 3 of these are true

CC is 0.5 or lower;
You pass an Overnight Chlorine Loss Test
AND
the water is clear.
(Crystal Clear w/no algae dead or alive)

I'm sure @Mdragger88, who has been helping you, will be along shortly to answer your questions. Just dropping in from the peanut gallery to say congratulations! Go Swim!!!

Daisy,
Test ph & fc every day -
If u find the ph (& its rise) to be predictable you can ease up & go several days.
U just want to make sure ph is in the 7’s

Fc is a daily thing- the average algae free pool consumes 2-4ppm of fc daily so it must be replenished.
You may begin to find that predictable as well & be able to just dose it with a certain amount of fc daily & check it every couple days as you get further along in your journey.
Whatever u do BE CERTAIN that you won’t allow fc to fall below minimum for your cya before your next dose. Skirting minimum is not recommended.
FC/CYA Levels
Aim for at least the high target or a scootch higher so u don’t risk minimum incase of a high uv day, heavy bather load or environmental factors lest nasties will grow. Many find they can dose with a higher amount every couple days once they “learn” their pool.
You can use whatever percentage liquid chlorine/bleach u want - using a higher percentage just allows u to accomplish the same fc level with less product (this means less jugs to procure& lug) ,
also dedicated “pool” bleach is unadulterated/no additives which is hard to come by these days with household lower concentrations of bleach. Additives like cloromax, splashless, fabric conditioners, scents etc can cause foaming & other issues so they are a no go.
Cya should be tested at least every couple weeks or whenever water has been exchanged (like if u vacuum to waste & replace the water or have alot of rain & need to drain water)
You want cya to be in the 30-50 range. Always chlorinate accordingly.
The beauty of the tfp method is that if u start with a cya of 50 & chlorinate accordingly, even if cya lowers you will have been dosing with enough chlorine. The cya level won’t increase allowing u to fall below min inadvertently because u are putting controlled amounts of cya in when necessary & know your level.
Ta can be tested weekly or even every 2 weeks - you just need to know your level for poolmath to calculate acid additions whenever u need to lower ph.
Any ta 50 or over is fine. As u add acid to lower ph when needed the ta will get lower overtime.
Ch shouldn’t change a ton so monthly is fine.
Low ch isn’t a concern for your vinyl pool.
High ch can be a concern if it gets in the 500-600 range. You aren’t adding any except with fill water so it’s likely not a huge concern .
Run your filter/ pump for however long it takes to remove debris/particulates to your satisfaction & at least long enough to mix chemicals after adding (30min or so each time)
In short -
#1 priority is fc (based upon cya level)
# 2 ph in 7’s
Everything else .

The ph test is invalid at fc levels above 10ppm- it can make it read falsely high.
Wait until fc falls to 10 or below before testing & adjusting ph.
No need to add stabilizer-
Count your cya as 40 ppm & follow the FC/CYA Levels