Stay the course or is a change in direction necessary

[Schnozz]

Max2k...thanks for the input. I installed and filled the pool myself with city water July of 2015. I had been skulking around the troublefreepool web site for several months before I made my purchase and did the install. My biggest fear was maintenance. My wife had wanted water in the backyard for years, but the thought of pool maintenance always gave me the heebie-jeebies. The methods espoused here gave me the confidence to pull the trigger and make the purchase.
Nothing has been in the pool but liquid chlorine, stabilizer, muriatic acid and a few tri-chlor pucks while we were away. I've also been a little obsessed with it being only me and my bride adding chemicals to the water. I think I just started to overdue the use of liquid chlorine. If 16 ppm is good (read recommended) for a SLAM at 40 CYA, then of course 24 ppm is better. I always stuck to the TFP philosophy regarding pool store chemicals.
I think, maybe, the high levels of chlorine (SLAM level ppm and above) for nearly three months jacked up my pools chemistry (specifically CYA). We shall see. Again, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the thought given to my predicament by you folks on the forum. You guys rock....

 

[max2k]

If it is of any relief to you: I got my pool with the house about 1.5 years ago, it was clear but CYA at 300 due to prior use of tablets. Besides testing (not even daily), weekly brushing and occasional corrections of balance I don't do much.

I think about TFP method from another side: if you take glass of distilled water, add bleach / CYA / MA and nothing else they won't react with each other under normal conditions/concentrations and nothing biological can live in there. So I simply trying to ensure my pool follows this simple model. Many troubleshooting threads revolve around identifying and eliminating extra factors owners unintentionally bring in the mix. Yours is unique in that regard as nothing so far worked as expected 100% but chemistry is not magic- something must be off for your pool to behave the way it does, you will just have to look harder. I sent you PM.

 

[Schnozz]

Just a quick update. Numbers have stabilized since my change of direction. Maintaining an FC of 7 (never below) for my CYA of 40. Water is no longer flat but beginning to sparkle again. No dust up when I brush. Only losing about 3-5 ppm FC during the day ( waters about 90 degrees) so chlorine use is reasonable again. Now I have to maintain, maintain,maintain so it doesn't happen again.
Ronald U (How long can SLAMs run?) along with several of you folks who added to my thread, were my inspiration to change up what I was doing. Thanks again for being there..

 

[pooldv]

Good news! Thanks for the update.