Losing 3 ppm of chlorine a day

[Themadczar]

Bacteria may have eaten your cya from last year causing ammonia in the water. That doesn't change what you need to do. Shock as I mentioned before. If you can't test for FC and cc right now, get a cheap oto test kit and keep it off the chart dark yellow.

[paigemetoo]

I can test for FC. I just got all new regents and got/ordered R-0002 instead of R-0003 (oops) so that's all I'm waiting on. It's a shame I can't buy it at a pool store. I'm at 3 and just added 6 gallons and I will test again in a couple hours to make sure I'm above 20 before I go to bed.

Thx!

[swimdaddy]

I too have had a cloudy or green pool and a CC reading of 0. Not sure how good the CC test is in the Taylor kits, but I still test. However, if your pool LOOKS like it has a problem, it has a problem, despite no or low CC reading.

[paigemetoo]

That's the thing Swimdaddy, my pool looks beautiful! Just eating chlorine. 20 last night, 17 this morning. Added a gallon. 2 hrs later 16. Added 2 gallons. 2 hrs later 16...uggggg!

[Anonymous [GDPR] European in the UK]

I would say the chlorine loss could well be down to the polyquats you added which is really junk anyway. Polyquats wont clear an algae attack and increases the work load on the chlorine burning out the polyquats as Ben would have told you, sounds like you are a little to pool store, return to light! ;-)
If you have your free chlorine reagents now and are waiting for the CC reagent then as said previously get an OTO test kit as that only really measures total chlorine anyway.

Oh and your TA isn't too low either for a vinyl liner pool, so long as your pH doesn't climb the TA is fine.

[paigemetoo]

Teapot I'm confused by your post. Polyquat is the only algicide this site recommends and is why I used it. I have been doing this method since 2011 and I'm not "pool store" at all. I read many threads on here that recommended the use of it for the problem I was experiencing -cloudy but blue, which it did clear up. I am also aware that it increases chlorine demand for a little while. In the past, it has only needed it for about 2 days and I added it a week ago.
As for the oto test, maybe I don't understand or am missing something. What would be the point to using it? How does it tell me what my CC is? It will turn bright yellow and tell me I have at least 5 ppm when I already know exactly what it is from the FC test I have been using.

[Anonymous [GDPR] European in the UK]

Hi Paigemetoo, firstly let me apologise, my post wasn't meant to sound personal but re-reading it, it does. From my experience polyquat does very little good to your pocket or your pool, it adds things we really don't want. I don't know about the Tailor test kits but so far the only one I have found for polyquats is from LaMotte. Lots of people paying attention to water parameters never test for polyquats, I have been to pools where the owners state they added a little but when I test I find a lot, sometimes off the scale. I prefer and I believe Ben also in oxidising the the cloudy to clear with additional constant filtration. Whilst talking filtration, Ben also said roughly, most pools are too small on filtration and too big on the pumps so filtration suffers and so does your wallet. Slower filtration is better filtration because it removes more but helping it with a clarifyer/flocculent is also a good way to reduce down the time it takes to clear. I note you have a 1.5 super pump, what size is the filter? Ok that's a bit off your topic but raising the FC to burn out what's using up your chlorine unless it's really hot weather where you are is what I would do and not add polyquats ever again.
OTO is total chlorine - the free chlorine figure = CC

[swimdaddy]

Agreed, I think your use of polyquat was fine. I use it for the same reasons, to clear up a cloudy or dirty pool that my filter is inadequate to handle.
As to my previous post, I guess I should have said if your pool looks or behaves like it has a problem, it probably does. I have just learned that the CC reading is just one way to detect problems, but at least with my pool, it doesn't seem to always give an indication of CC when my pool is obviously getting green or cloudy.

The polyquat will be oxidized and decrease your FC content for a little while, not sure how long it will do that. Maybe someone else knows that can chime in.

It appears you are trying to maintain FC at shock levels, so keep it up and brush every day until you can maintain overnight. Don't get too frustrated, we've all been there!