Moved House - Now Have A Pool

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Sorry, I’m slowly losing the will to live with this Taylor testing.

It now seems as though my FC and CC results are reversed!

I added liquid chlorine last night to bring my FC up to 4.

Testing this morning and getting 1.6 FC and 4 CC99% sure I’m testing correctly and the same way I have since I started.

Is there anything that can cause FC and CC results to be reversed somehow? Or has my CC suddenly increased to the expected level of FC?

I suppose there might be some invisible algae issues going on(water is totally clear to the naked eye) which is consuming the chlorine so maybe a SLAM is needed?

Just having real trust issues with the Taylor testing at this stage with all of these inconsistencies!

PS: for what it’s worth (although I know not the preferred option) my Pool Tester 2.0 is reading 3.4 FC and 0.6 CC this morning.
 
Still in the naive phase of pool ownership here but just realised the skimmer probably shouldn’t be this colour right 😩

I’ve only got an Aqua Genie skimmer / return combo in my pool so I’m assuming this dirt is algae and the source of my high cc?
 

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Removed the aqua genie cartridge (as the compartment for it also had all sort caked onto it) and have been scrubbing for the last 29 minutes or so. It’s looking a lot cleaner but a long way to go I think!

Are there any tips for cleaning it at all?
 

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After scrubbing the skimmer down, I added a bit more Liquid Chlorine than shown in Pool Math last night to reach the recommended SLAM level of 10ppm, as hadn’t hit 10 so far using the recommended doses (1L instead of 850ml).

This morning FC readings in the Taylor are 12.5FC and 0CC! Is it possible that CC can drop from 3.4 to 0 overnight?

Due to my schedule I can only do the SLAM in the morning and evenings but seems to be working. Will keep em eye for the next couple of days still.

My Photolab 2.0 is back to showing much lower FC levels (1.4) but I’m almost certain it’s due to partial bleaching this time (as it’s maximum FC range is 6ppm).
 
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Hi again all

Sorry for bringing this one back but I’m really struggling and not sure what to address first.

As mentioned above, I had started a SLAM process (was getting around 4ppm CC). After a day or so and after scrubbing my grimy skimmer, I got to 0ppm CC but wanted to carry on for a while longer as OCLT results were about 1ppm and I wanted it lower.

Then I had to stop for a few days as I ran out of test reagents!

Whilst I waited for more to arrive (have to order from the US as I’m in the U.K.) I added a nominal amount of Liquid Chlorine each day, but probably no where near enough.

Refills arrived about 4/5 days later.

Now getting inconsistent Taylor results yet again but seem to be around 3ppm CC at the moment.

Started adding SLAM levels of liquid chlorine again but it seems to be either not reaching target or being devoured instantly, with CC still high.

I guess I should focus on making sure CC stays down before looking for other causes of the FC drops?

Other:

I think my pool cover is dirty and is dumping small debris etc.. into the pool every time I close it. If the underside of the cover is dirty will that contribute to CC / FC loss?

I’ve now also noticed there is a lot of very small black debris floating around the pool (kind of like very small bugs/very small pieces of dirt etc…) I had swept the top of my pool cover and thought my skimmer would remove any smaller bits that and that I could vacuum anything that sank to the bottom but I guess not. I’m starting to wonder if the pool pump is failing maybe (no idea on its age but it looks pretty old). Pressure remained stable after backwashing a week or so ago so don’t think the filter is dirty/clogged. Again I’m not sure what fault finding to do or what priority level to place on this part though, given the other issues.

Really starting to lose hope with all of this. Moved into the house 3 months ago but have only been able to swim about 4 times and have spent a few hundred pounds already on Taylor test refills etc… from the US 😩
 
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Just to add, my CYA levels are relatively low as an “indoor” pool (essentially a greenhouse with clear plastic roof panels)

Current CYA readings are around 15 (using pool lab 2.0) so I’m recording as 20 in Pool Math.

I know minimum CYA is around 30 for outdoor pools so I think I want to raise my CYA levels in case that’s the cause of the fast FC loss but I assume I should focus on clearing CC before I worry about raising CYA?
 
Just taken a look at your log, looks like you are burning a lot of chlorine, more than the sun would consume and likely have algae (even if you can't see it). You should continue to focus on the SLAM and adding chlorine as frequently as you can manage.

The dirty pool cover can definitely contribute and if you can remove it to scrub it down with a diluted bleach solution it will be helpful.

The floating debris might actually be algae, can you collect any of it to see if it's actually solid or if it just disintegrates if rubbed between two fingers?

You could raise the CYA to 30 but it's only going to have a limited benefit at the moment as it seems like the SLAM process is using most of the chlorine. If you increase the CYA you'll also need to add more chlorine to reach SLAM level.
 

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Hi @jakeblat

I’m almost certain the debris in the water is from me brushing the pool cover to try and sweep the dirt in (foolishly assuming the skimmer pump or the vacuum would get it all!) as I do t remember seeing any before I did that!

A lot of it looks like very small bugs (like fruitful size) and grass/dirt etc… The pool isn’t full of it by any means but it’s noticeable when you stare at the water 😂.

Interestingly , my latest test showed another big drop in FC (0.5ppm) but CC had also dropped drastically (now also 0.5) so I guess the SLAM is working and if the CC holds low then I should start to see the FC stay high too 🤞
 
Gone through almost 13L of liquid chlorine today to try and keep at SLAM level (topping up roughly every 2 hours).

I’m not fully convinced it’s ever hit the SLAM target FC of 10ppm though!

CC dropped down to 0.5ppm at my midday test and has stayed there for the afternoon but my FC keeps dropping like a stone at each test!

I never expected to use that much liquid chlorine in one day and I’ve now run out. I missed the cut off for next day delivery with my supplier and now won’t get more untill Thursday 😩

I do have a load of Triclor 1inch pucks left over from when I first moved in (but my FC always showed 0ppm when I used them). Is it worth topping up the Aqua genie dispenser with them as an emergency back up to get me through untill Thursday?
 
FC down to 2ppm at latest test and still 0.5ppm CC.

I actually remembered I’ve also got a large tub of Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate Dihydrate (balanced granulated chlorine) left over from my pre TFP attempts.

Given my CYA levels are so low anyway (14ppn) would I be ok to use this temporarily whilst I wait for my Liquid Chlorine to arrive on Thursday?

The packaging states FC can be raised by 3ppm by adding around 300g (0.6lbs).

I really don’t want to have to go back to the start by missing out on a days SLAM 😩
 

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