Hello All:

It started last week. Took my water to the pool store and was told to add 5 gallons/bags of shock until my chlorine held at 3, and it may take up to 82 gallons. My chlorine was locked. I didn't want to spend the money at that store as they're very expensive and decided to go home.

So, I went home and added 3 gallons of liquid shock right away and and went out to the store. I bought 15 1 pound bags of HTH shock at WalMart. I cam home and dumped in 5 bags and then another 5 3 hours later and still nothing. I had to go to work the next day so I could keep up the three hour thing so I started again when I got home. Still nothing. I had my wife pick up another 10 bags of hth and still nothing. I called NAMCO and asked for a price on liquid shock as I need to buy a lot of it. The guys asked me why and I told him the story. He said that he would absolutely not recommend added 80 gallons/bags of anything to a pool and that I need to try an oxidizer. I got off the phone with him and got a little pissed off and confused and googled "Chlorine Lock" and here I am. I am going to follow pooldoc's process for chlorine demand with a gallon of pool water until I hear back from this post. Could someone please help me out? Here are my vitals:

1. 16x36 inground vinyl
2. CYA 20
3. Free Chlorine 0
4. Total Chlorine 0
5. Ph 7.8
6. Total Alkalinity 218
7. Adjusted Total Alkalinity 212
8. Total Hardness 304

I appreciate it folks. Pretty soon, I'm going to have a drinking habit with this pool,

Bill