Newbie here, First Post

[Watermom]

If you use 6% bleach, each quart will add 1ppm of chlorine. If you use 8.25%, each quart will add 1.5ppm of chlorine. Since you water is cloudy and since you let it drop to zero, you will need to shock your pool. With a CYA of 50, your shock level is 15ppm so add enough bleach to take your chlorine that high. After you shock the pool, let the pump run for a few hours and then turn it off per Ben's instructions above.

[awfletch]

I actually put in 6 gallons which should have raised my FC to 24. I waited an hour and a half to test for chlorine. I now have a chlorine reading of 1 and I am showing traces of CC. I don't know how that is possible in such a short period of time. Should I add another 6 gallons

[Watermom]

What kind of test kit did you use to test the chlorine after you added the 6 gallons of bleach?

[awfletch]

I actually tested it two ways. Since I am new to this forum I don't yet have a Taylor Test Kit but will be ordering one on Friday. With that being said, The chlorine test after shocking with aquachem 6 way test strips showed FC at 1 and CC at 2. I then tested with a Test Kit that I got when the pool was installed July 2010. It is a JED Pool Tools Model 480 2way test kit that uses orthotolidine to test chlorine and phenol red to test ph. this kit only goes up to 4 on chlorine but it showed every bit of 4. So I researched the shelf life of orthotolidine and it says the shelf life is 3 years. So this test is possibly correct. Should I just trust that adding 6 Gallons brought my FC to 24PPM using the best guess chart and my current CYA level? I am ordering a better test kit Friday. I have 6 more gallons of chlorine waiting to go in as needed.

[Watermom]

Try this:

Testing Without a Good Kit

[awfletch]

Using this 2way drop kit. Its supposed to take 4 drops of orthotolidine to register a color match at normal chlorine levels, so I got the smart Idea to only add one drop since my FC technically should be over 16 and only one drop color matched a 4. Does this mean that my FC is really reading well above 16? Or am I doing things with that test kit that it isn't designed to do?

[Watermom]

I'm not sure about your testing method. Get some distilled water and try the dilution method I mentioned in the link above. (Can't use tap water.)