My Pool Store is Stumped

[dgstevenson]

Opened my pool by vacuuming minor debris to waste. Added startup kit that included 2 lbs of 68% cal hypo shock. Pool looks good, is now clear and free of debris but it won't hold chlorine. I added about 4 lbs more of cal hypo shock. Still no chlorine reading. Puzzled.
My first full test readings were: 7.2 pH, 136 Calcium hardness, 86 Total alkalinity, 50 CYA, no metals, 753 phosphates, 0.16 FC / 0.49 TC / 0.33 combined chlorine.
Pool store said to add 16 lbs of Calcium hardness, then 3 lbs of Turboshock (78% Cal hypo), and 1 bottle of Phos-Free. Did all that.
Next day readings: 7.0 pH, 179 Calcium hardness, 81 Total alkalinity, 45 CYA, no metals, 835 phosphates, 0.11 FC / 0.43 TC / 0.32 combined chlorine.
Still no chlorine reading after the 3 lbs of shock, and the phosphate reading went up? My pool store is completely stumped and said, since the pool is clear, fix the calcium hardness and run the pump but don't do anything else for a few days to see if it corrects itself, which seems unlikely. I know I need to get the pH and Calcium up but is that what's causing the no chlorine reading? Do I have to keep dumping shock in until break point? And is there a sequence of things to correct to foster an environment that will accept chlorine/shock? Very frustrated. Thank you.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
Your signature shows you have a TF100 test kit. Please run a full set of water chemistry tests using your own test kit and post them here.
I suggest you read through Pool Care Basics - Trouble Free Pool and even look at a few of our videos TFP-TV - Trouble Free Pool

 

[dgstevenson]

My current readings as of yesterday were:
7.0 pH, 179 Calcium hardness, 81 Total alkalinity, 45 CYA, no metals, 835 phosphates, 0.11 FC / 0.43 TC / 0.32 combined chlorine. These came from my pool store's water analysis department but my personal test kit yielded very similar results (but not to the exact digit).

 

[dgstevenson]

Correction on my test kit. It's a Taylor K-2005 Complete test kit.

 

[mknauss]

You need to add a FAS-DPD test so you can accurately measure FC.

Also, please run and post your own test results. TFPC will not provide guidance based on pool store testing.

 

[Bperry]

I know I need to get the pH and Calcium up but is that what's causing the no chlorine reading? Do I have to keep dumping shock in until break point?

If we believe the pool store test, the pH and calcium are fine. Using calhypo in large quantities can cause problems with cloudiness and so it’s not recommended. You can safely add 5ppm of liquid chlorine/shock each day until you can get the FAS-DPD chlorine test to add to your 2005kit. The pool store test is too unreliable to make recommendations from.

 

[JJ_Tex]

These came from my pool store's water analysis department but my personal test kit yielded very similar results (but not to the exact digit).

Please dont confuse precision with accuracy. Your own test kit is much more accurate than your pool store. If you take the same water to 3 different pool stores, you will get precise numbers in all 3 but wildly different and each coming with different recommendations on how to spend your $ in their store.

I do have to give them credit with their marketing... "water analysis department". They make it sound like they sent the water off to the FBI labs in Quantico.

 

[ajw22]

Start using liquid chlorine rather than "shock". You have much better control and knowledge about adding chlorine to the pool.

Add liquid chlorine then test 15 minutes after adding to know what the actual results were.

Log all tests from YOUR test kits and chemicals added in PoolMath so we can provide advice.

 

[dgstevenson]

I've been asked by several in the forum to give my latest test readings from MY kit. Here they are from today as of 15 minutes ago:
Alkalinity: 80, pH: 7.1, Calcium Hardness: 225, CYA: 50, Free Chlorine: 0, Total Chlorine: 0, Combined Chlorine: 0. The three chlorine readings might be less than 1.0 but the water in the vial is basically clear. My test kit reagents for chlorine are DPD 1, DPD 2, and DPD 3. I used to have a kit that used dissolving DPD tablets but I found them to be less accurate than the reagents.
I am happy to "abandon" the pool store test figures. I will only post my own kit results from now on (see above).
And thanks for the advice on switching to liquid chlorine.

 

[proavia]

You need the FAS-DPD test for chlorine.
The Taylor K-1515 test kit will provide that.

 

[mknauss]

Great -- add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine each day with the pump running until you get your FAS-DPD kit.