Cloudy Water After 3 Weeks Maintaining Shock Level

[Addey67]

Hi there, I am new to TFP and hope there is some hope for my pool. I have read through every post I can find that pertains to my problem with no avail. I have ordered the FAS-DPD Service Test Kit through Leslie's but it has not arrived yet. Needless to say, I purchased the 6-way test kit available at Wal-Mart because I needed to have a clue where my numbers stand. I know I am not losing FC because my readings are at least 5 (probably more). For 3 weeks I have consistently added 6% bleach to maintain a chlorine level. At least 1 gallon every other day. As of today, I roll up the solar cover and it is still cloudy. I would estimate that I can only see 6-8 inches below the surface. I have vacuumed, backwashed, rinsed, vacuumed to waste. I am so frustrated. Here are my numbers:

Cl 5+
pH 7.2
TA 180
TH 270
CYA 30+ (I could still see the black dot when the vial was full, it was just starting getting hard to see)

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I know the TA has to be lowered, but I'm not sure what order to add chemicals for fear of making it worse.

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, Addey67

You will know more once you get your FAS-DPD FC test, it is hard to do the shocking process without it.
Have you added cya?
Do you know your CH level?

 

[woodyp]

You sound like an excellent candidate for shocking your pool. Your water not being clear is one of the criteria. FC of "5" isn't a shock level for much of anything.

 

[BoDarville]

Hi Addey67:

Welcome to TFP

In your post, you state that the Free Chlorine (FC) level is "at least 5". However, you also need to know the Combined Chlorine (CC) level. FC+CC=Total Chlorine (TC). For example, if your FC=5 and your CC=1 resulting in a TC=6, you would still need to shock since CC is greater than 0.5.

When your FAS-DPD test kit arrives, I would check your CC and FC. Since your water is not clear, there is a risk of some organic contamination of some sort. Unclear water is one of the criteria determining the need to shock. As woodyp says, an FC of 5 isn't much of a shock level. I would also suggest running an OCLT. If the OCLT fails OR your CC is greater than 0.5 then I would definitely shock. Here is the process: Shock Your Pool. You will need your FAS-DPD test kit to shock properly, though. Click the Chlorine/CYA Chart link in my signature to determine the appropriate shock FC target based on your pool's CYA level.

Let us know your FAS-DPD test results and we will go from there.