New to this site

[Hazeleyechica21]

Hi Everyone! This looks like a great website with a lot of pertinent info. We have a 14x25 inground pool. We opened it 3 weeks ago & haven’t been able to get a free chlorine reading. Been to my local pool place & after 480.00 in tons of chemicals we still cannot swim. We drained our pool more then 1/2 cause we thought we had chlorine lock . But it’s 4 days after refilling the pool and still no free chlorine reading. All other reading seem to be ok. Please someone help. Feel like I am going to have a breakdown

 

[Newdude]

Hey Hazels !! I'd ask you what you are using to test your pool but you answered when you mentioned the $480 at the pool store. Good news though.... for about 1/3 of that you can order a top of the line TF-100 from tftestkits.com Armed with a reliable test kit you will know what to add to the water to clear any problems. At first you wont, which is why you now have us, but you'll catch on quick and be trouble free in no time. The chemicals we use are dirt cheap generic stuff, sold over the counter at Walmart and the grocery store. To recap :

Order a test kit
Start your learning at ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
Fill out your signature so we all know what you are working with
Ask any questions in the appropriate sub forum for targeted answers
Be on your way to easy peasy pool life

 

[Hazeleyechica21]

Thanks for replying. I did add info to my signature. I just really need some guidance.
Last water testing results attached:
Please help

 

[Wobblerlorri]

Pool store testing is so unreliable that we don't even look at it. You need to get your own test kit, either the TF-100 or the Taylor K-2006C, links below in my signature.

There is no such thing as "chlorine lock". That's a pool store fantasy used to sell you ~$500 worth of chemicals that don't work.

You probably have an algae bloom and need to do a SLAM -- that's where you hyperchlorinate your pool until your overnight chlorine loss is 1 or less, your combined chlorine is 0.5 or less, and the water is crystal clear. SLAM Process

Go ahead and order one of the test kits mentioned above, and in the meantime start adding 5 ppm liquid chlorine to your pool daily. You can calculate that using PoolMath, an app that keeps track of your pool's chemistry and figures out the additions for you.

Also read ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and browse through Pool School. That will give you a grounding in what we're all about with the TFP method.

And welcome to TFP!

 

[Hazeleyechica21]

First off thank you so much for answering my question. I never mentioned that my pool has never been green or cloudy. It’s sparkling blue. I just don’t understand how we can’t get free chlorine for 3 weeks.
I will definitely be ordering your test kit later tonight when I get home

 

[Hazeleyechica21]

Pic of pool

 

[MITBeta]

You can have algae without a green pool. Something is consuming your chlorine, either sunlight because your stabilizer level is low and/or you're simply not adding enough, or organic material in the water, visible or not.

 

[Hazeleyechica21]

So apparently we had chlorine lock. Drained more then 1/2 the pool. Reading was 0 fc and 0 total chlorine. Pool sure said we broke the lock. Shocked pool last night with 2 bags . We were finally able to get fc reading but it seems to be getting lighter and lighter. So confused please help.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit, see Test Kits Compared. I suggest the TF100. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols.

While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[Donldson]

Hi, welcome to TFP!

One thing guaranteed to cause confusion is trying to take advice from multiple sources regarding a pool. I understand the desire to get all angles, but it really is just people pulling you in different directions. That's what is driving the confusion you're feeling.

So TFP can definitely help you solve this problem, no question. The pool store... maybe. Their track record is not very good and given that their primary business is sales it shouldn't come as a surprise the the solutions are rarely cheap or long lasting. The point is, though, that you need to pick one and go with it. You can't go to the pool store, follow their advice, and then ask our opinion. It doesn't work that way. Nor can you follow TFP and then ask the pool store their opinion. It really does have to be one or the other.

If you want to do it our way (and I hope you do) it's going to require you doing your own testing. Pool store testing is notoriously inaccurate and unreliable. So step 1 will be to acquire one of the kits mknauss posted above. Nothing good can happen without good accurate data to work with, they will provide it.