Frustrated with pool chemistry readings!

[Watermom]

The kit we recommend is the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C which you can get through the link in my signature. It is not available locally. Repost with your volume and we also need to know your CYA level to be able to recommend the appropriate shock level for your pool. We do not recommend non-chlorine shock. Can you also please list exactly what all you have put in the pool -- meaning ingredients and not just 'shock' and someone here will better be able to advise you.

Welcome to the Pool Forum!

[BethK]

Thanks for the response. My pool is 26,500 gallons.

Here are my most recent stats:
Free available chlorine - 0.5
Total available chlorine - 1
Calcium hardness - 160
Cyanuric acid - 10
Total alkalinity - 80
PH - 7
Base Demand - 24
Copper - 0
Iron - 0
Total dissolved solids - 600
Phosphates - 1000

In the past week I have added the following:
10 lbs alkalinity increased
5 lbs stabilizer
3 gallons liquid shock
5 pounds powder shock

Any advice you can give me I will greatly appreciate.

[BethK]

One more thing - the water looks clear to me.

[Watermom]

What are the ingredients of the liquid shock and the powder shock that you added? When did you add the stabilizer and how did you add it?

Go to Walmart and get several boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax (in the laundry aisle) and several jugs of plain, unscented bleach -- generic is fine.

[PoolDoc]

By the way, "chlorine lock" is a term with no valid meaning. In practice, what pool dealers mean, when they use that term is either:

(a) "something is wrong with your pool water, but we have no idea what",

OR

(b) "we want an excuse to sell you some high margin pool chemicals".

[CarlD]

You cannot have "Chlorine Lock" with a CYA level of 10. To add to what Ben said, "Chlorine Lock" is a false name for the condition that occurs when CYA, ie stabilizer levels are too high for "normal" chlorine levels (ie, FC3ppm or less) to work. This usually happens when someone has used nothing but Tri-Chlor pucks and their CYA level is well over a 100 ppm but are trying to maintain chlorine at 3 to 5 ppm. The answer is simple: Higher levels of chlorine, 8-15 ppm. But with a CYA of 10, that's not possible. So back to Ben's "(a)"--they haven't a clue. As he said, "Chlorine Lock" doesn't exist.