cya-test water doesn't cloud at all

[ValAZ]

Pool is IG, plaster, one week old.
33,000 gals

Chlorine is 5ppm (Just shocked it last night, it will probably be gone this afternoon.)
Ph is 7.0 (just lowered it last night since the plaster is still new)
Cal Hardness is 250
Forgot to do the Alk test ...

I've got a leak in the returns which showed up first day pump was turned on, and is due to be fixed Fri or Sat. I have been running the pump intermittantly using the "rinse" on the filter valve and returning the water to the pool through the backwash hose. (Didn't want to risk further damage from leak.)

There has been no CYA added to this pool at all. I have been floating trichlor tabs which haven't been accomplishing anything, and every couple of days I pour in chlorine to raise levels and that is gone within half a day at the most. (Because of no stabizer, I assume.) The pool water is clear, though clouds when we brush the new plaster.

So, I tested the water once the first day (10 days ago) for CYA and the test water never clouded, so obviously the dot never disappeared. The pool start-up guy later that day said since I couldn't run the filter 24 hrs, I shouldn't add stabilizer until the leak was fixed and I could.

I decided to test the water again today, and again the CYA test water never clouded. I couldn't find any info on this in the booklet. I'm using the Taylor kit.

Can someone tell me what's going on? Thanks!

Valerie

[PoolDoc]

You can validate your CYA test by adding some CYA crystals to warm water in a bottle, and shaking vigorously for a while . . . a long while. If you can use really hot water, and let it cool, even better.

Then, after it has sat for a few hours, pour it off into your kit, and test THAT water. If that doesn't turn cloudy . . . then there's a problem with your reagents. If it does, then the problem's most likely with your pool!

Ben