Can't clear CC or reach an FC level after tons of bleach - FAS-DPD testing

[JuJuBee]

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I'm starting a new post to keep it focused. Including the most relevant previous replies to the topic:

I'd like to point out that one major difference between your pool water and the bleach sample is the bleach has no CC and your pool clearly does. Perhaps the slow return of pink during the pool water test is some of the CC becoming FC without the reagent you add before the CC test. If this is the case, your CC is realy quite higher than you are presently measuring. I've read many if not all of your posts (and I'm not going to re-read them) and I don't think you've actually gotten your FC to shock level and held it there (if this is wrong, I'm sorry). This could be exacerbating the situation. You keep adding chlorine and producing CC but you never get the level high enough to clear up the CC.

You could test this with a bucket of pool water say about 4 gallons. Add 1/2tsp of your self certified 12.5%. Should bring your FC up about 20ppm. Stir. Measure FC and CC stopping the FC test the first time it goes to clear.

JJB, ... Take it easy, see if you can clear up the CC in a bucket, then you'll know you can clear your pool.

Thank you so much Big Dave! You are exactly right, I have NOT reached shock level once...in spite of all the chlorine I have used. This link shows my most recent attempts to do just that: http://www.flickr.com/photos/50351313@N03/7260036226/ Thank you for giving me something to try to get a clearer test result. I'll follow it and post the results as soon as I can.

Results of bucket testing below.

Do you have a pool cover that is dark or opaque? **NO** If so, uncover your pool at least part of the day to let sunlight on it as that can help bring down the CC.

I don't know why the FAS-DPD chlorine test isn't giving you clear readings. Though sometimes the water gets a little cloudy during the test, the color transition is usually pretty clean. See this link and click on "Pool/Spa" on the left, select the K-2006 "To Test (Free and Combined Chlorine) using FAS-DPD". **I watched this the day after receiving kit in April and then again the week after. I'm using same technique as video but with different result. Hour long phone support with Taylor didn't solve anything.

By any chance was your pool converted from a different type of sanitation such as Baquacil/biguanide/PHMB? There may be something in your pool causing interference with the FAS-DPD test. ** Nope, we built it 5 years ago and the pool company opened/closed (incl. this April.) each year. We maintained & spent >$1000.00 year on weekly use of Bioguard's silky sticks, dichlor, easy shock & swim, Pool Perfect + Phos Free and Inhibit Back Up algae preventative; occasional use of pH up, pH down, clarifier, and Off the Wall cleaner. Products worked well, but had to use constantly and expensive. Also had to battle bouts of cloudy water, low pH or high pH, and constant low chlorine. First four years the TA was always >200

Thank you both Big Dave and Chem Geek...

Past 48 hours (CH 400? CYA 70 - 80, Borates 40 but now 50) :

5/24
9:45pm --FC 4.0 --CC 1.5 --pH 7.6 --TA 133 --Added 4 gallons 12.5% and 1 full box Borax

5/25
7:15 am --FC .5 --CC 1.5 --pH 7.4 --TA 104
7:40 am Added 3 gallons 12.5% and 1/2 box Borax
11:20 am --FC 4.5 --CC 4.0 --pH 7.6 --TA 126
11:30 am Added 3 gallons 12.5% and remaining 1/2 box Borax
3:05 pm --FC 6.5-7.0 --CC 3.0-3.5 --pH 7.6 --TA 148 --Borates 50! yay
----------Added 2 gallons 12.5%
3:30 pm Added 2 lbs 10 oz. Borax
4:30 pm --FC 17.5 --CC 3.5
6:00 pm --FC 11.0 --CC 3.5
10:00 pm --FC 5.0 --CC 3.0 --pH 7.6
10:30 Added 4 gallons 12.5% and 1 full box Borax

5/26
8:00 am --FC 18 --CC 3.0 --pH 8/8.2? --TA 175 --Added 1 1/2 gallons 12.5%
10:30 am --FC 25 --CC 2.5

All tests above maintained the clear after first appearance. None behaved the way all my others had. Possibly because I bombarded the first one with 4 gallons of bleach after considering BigDave's theory of the CC changing to FC and kept slamming it over and over?? But I still have the CC.

5/26 10:30 am Bucket Test - --FC 56? --CC 3.0
...since our FC was already 25, the FC test kept bleaching out with DPD powder. Did it again and kept adding a level scoop until the pink stayed after swirling. (since the level is over 50ppm, not sure if test is accurate...) I also re-experienced my normal testing patterns of the sample slowly returning to blush. Stayed with BigDave's direction of "first time it's clear" and moved on to CC test. Both FC/CC tests resulted in cloudy/clear - never clean. (I notice that happens when I have to use extra scoops of DPD powder.)

I'm going to wait until I hear back from you before trying the bucket test again.
I'm wondering how I can have 25ppm FC and still have 2.5 CC, how the bucket can have over 50 ppm FC and still show 3.0 CC, and whether or not we wasted money for the past 2 weeks by using too little chlorine causing us to always need to add so much more???? (We've spent over $200 in chlorine bleach (since April 17th) and have about 10 jugs of the 12.5% left right now.)