FC is burning fast

[MarkCobra]

New user here, hello everyone!

Pool is clean and clear. 2 days ago I added 10 gallons of liquid chlorine that got rid of some visible algae on walls. After trying my usual powder 3-4 lb of shock routine I wasn't getting any FC readings. FC was sky high of course. Yesterday morning I was at 5 FC, by evening 2 FC. Last evening I added 3lbs of cal-hypo powder and today I'm at 0 FC. All other numbers are ideal via Taylor k2006 kit.

Results:
FC 0
CC 0
PH 7.2
CYA 41
TA 120
CH 160
Phosphates via my Aquachek test 400
Nitrates via test strip 2ppm
Ammonia 0 before and after massive chlorine dump

Should I be maintaining some sort of high FC level? I'm gonna start using bleach instead of the cal-hypo and liquid chlr 10% since I'm out.

Any advice and direction would be appreciative.

Mark

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome

Most of your answers should be found by reading these:
Defeating Algae
Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis
Shocking Your Pool

Continue with the rest of Pool School if you want to learn more.

If you follow the shocking process (requiring a good test kit ... which you have ... oops), and then maintain your FC levels appropriately relative to your CYA level, then you will not have to do "shocking routine" ever again.

 

[MarkCobra]

Good reads. thanks. I've read them before.

I guess the problem is time, I don't have enough of it. I never had a problem of maintaining FC levels. I shocked once a week, kept a puck or 2 in skimmer. This year nothing works.

Frequency is key I guess.

I'll keep logging my results.

 

[march2012]

Good reads. thanks. I've read them before.

I guess the problem is time, I don't have enough of it. I never had a problem of maintaining FC levels. I shocked once a week, kept a puck or 2 in skimmer. This year nothing works.

Frequency is key I guess.

I'll keep logging my results.

When you say you "shocked once a week" I think you are not actually understanding the pool school materials. It sounds like you might need to reread them. Shocking is a process where you keep the FC at a level appropriate for your CYA level until

!) you lose less than 1 ppm FC overnight
2) cc <.5
3) water is clear

If your shock level is 20, then you maintain a level of 20ppm OR HIGHER fc in your pool until the 3 criteria are met. This could mean actually getting FC to 30, letting it drop to 20 over 30 minutes, adding more to get it to 30 etc. This could mean adding bleach constantly. This does take time (especially at the beginning).

The statement "this year nothing works" probably means your CYA level reached a point where your level of chlorine was ineffective. You were not actually maintaining your pool properly before, it just took awhile to show up.

Properly maintaining your pool takes about 5 minutes a day.

I measure 1) fc 2) ph daily (5 mins). Add the appropriate amount of acid and bleach (although bleach is automated now)
once a week or so I measure TA.

I wont bother measuring CYA or CH unless something big happens.