Starting to look better...but.

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It was pretty clear yesterday, then I vacuumed. It kicked up some debris and made it cloudy. I assume that debris is what ate the chlorine? My cheapo test said I was at 4ppm before I vacuumed, now this morning PAP says I am at 0 again. Right now its still cloudy from the vacuuming. I changed the cartridge to a clean one after the vacuum and let it run all night. Still cloudy though.
 
As Maddie CYA persists for a LONG time 2-4 ppm FC disappears everyday. Tablets are half CYA so build up is inevitable and why we don't recommend tablets. At the moment I would contend you have no idea what your CYA is because pool store tests have not been reliable in my experience. Let's see what your test reveals when you get it. I would make sure you get .5 gal iquid chlorine added each day. Use your "cheapo test" and report pH as well as the chlorine. This test is not much more than an indicator but it's all you have. If it reads 0 after 1 hr add another .5 gal of liquid chlorine then test again in an hour.

Chris
 
Yes 2.5 gal jugs are "bulk" and usually the cheapest way to get it so you're probably getting the best price. Once you get your pool lined out with TFP you will rarely need anything other than liquid chlorine, a little MA and a much amount of CYA.
 
If I have understood what I am reading the CYA/Stabilizer holds the chlorine in the water? When I add the liquid chlorine most of it disappears within 24 hours? So the CYA holds it in (or some of it)? If I stop using the tablets for CYA, what do I use to hold the chlorine in?
 
I am really confused with my numbers tonight. I jumped the gun earlier because I had to go to work, and I added 2 of the 2.5 gallon jugs. Which if PoolMath is correct, would have brought my FC up to 40ppm? Yet now 7 hours later the home kit is saying that I am at 2.0 on the vial, which I am assuming is 2ppm?
 
I haven’t looked back through the thread, so I don’t know your current CYA. But, once you hit target CYA, you don’t have to do anything to it unless you drain water and add new. Tap water doesn’t contain CYA.

But if you use pucks, your CYA will gradually increase, until you need so much chlorine to prevent algae that it is impossible to maintain. And the only way to get rid of it is to drain water. Been there, done that.

Have a look at the chlorine/CYA chart in my signature. While SLAMming, a relatively low CYA (like 30) makes sense. After the SLAM, optimum CYA depends on several factor, including weather.
 
What do you mean, 2.0 on the vial? Are you using a kit where you add a few drops, then compare colors? That’s not what you need to use, especially when you are SLAMming. You need the FAS-DPD kit, the one with the powder.
 
Ok whoa. It looks like you don’t have the test kit you ordered, correct? So you don’t actually have any idea how much CYA, if any, that you have in your pool?

Take a step back and don’t do anything other than adding chlorine until that kit gets here. If we assume somewhere in the middle of zero and the 60 that the pool store says you have, that’s 46 ounces. If we assume all the way up to 60, that’s 92 ounces. Or 3 quarts.
 

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Please see my previous posts. Don‘t use that kit anymore - it isn’t reliable, especially since you put 5 gallons of chlorine in your pool today. In fact, if I were you, I would not add any chlorine tomorrow. Your new test kit comes Wednesday, right? When it arrives, do a chlorine and CYA test and post your numbers here.
 
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I wouldn't say that I am blindly adding anything now, I am trying to follow the advice here. I stopped the tablets, I did not add the pH that PAP said. I am just adding chlorine as suggested, should I just stop testing also (with the cheap one)? I thought someone had said to keep adding chlorine and test with my cheap one until the Tf-100 comes in. Which is why this last test confused me, if its right, I lost 38ppm in 7 hours.
 
Yes. Stop using your current test, assume that the five gallons you added today will hold you over until Wednesday, and when you get your new kit, test FC and CYA and post those numbers here.
 
The advice was to add 5ppm of FC daily until your kit arrives. Please do that. :)

Your test could be off and you could have way too much chlorine in your pool which could damage pool surfaces or equipment. You could have super low CYA and it could have lost a lot to the sun. You could have super high CYA and lots of organics and that could have eaten the chlorine up, but with high CYA you could need to drain/refill.

We just don’t know yet. Until we get reliable test results we can’t say. So - hold the course. A little chlorine in safe amounts to put in without knowing what else is going on (5ppm daily). Wait for the kit, and give us reliable results we can use to help. :)

Edit: holding off until Wednesday sounds good too.
 
Ok, going to cease and desist all chemicals and testing until the TF-100 comes on Wednesday. There is definitely some debris left, the pool was looking pretty clear on Sunday, until I vacuumed it. The vacuum kicked up quite a bit of debris, which made it cloudy again. Now its been running 24/7, so it starting to clear up some.
 
You can still brush / vacuum / etc. the pool while you wait on your test kit. That stuff needs to go no matter the results of the test. :)
 

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