I can run the fas/dpd fc/cc test and ph test in a couple minutes- the more you do it the faster it gets.
the cya test is not a daily test, maybe every couple weeks or less unless you have exchanged water or made a cya addition.
With an algae free uncovered pool in the heat/uv of the Arizona summer you will likely lose around 3-5ppm worth of fc each day and it needs to be replenished before falling below minimum for your cya or you can end up with unsanitary conditions and algae. This is true no matter what form of chlorine you choose.
Some brand’s solid forms of chlorine contain extra ingredients such as copper that may inhibit algae growth even with fc levels that are too low but those do nothing for sanitation. Clear water doesn’t automatically equal sanitary. Not to mention the side effects of too much copper, cya, or calcium. Swcgs have become a clear winner for value per ppm of fc and ease of daily chlorination.
liquid chlorine is at present the cheapest form of manual chlorination.
I suspect your noticeably heavier fc consumption is two fold- you weren’t using enough to begin with and now algae is really chewing through it.
The
SLAM Process will solve the latter part but you must also be prepared to sufficiently chlorinate once the algae is eradicated.