Weird test results for Chlorine

[howbout]

I used to have a simple test kit for chlorine and pH. The chlorine test was just a matter of adding 5 drops of a liquid to the water and it would turn a yellow color you would match to a color chart to check levels. With the new kit, you add drops to test for free chlorine then more to test for total chlorine. You match it to a color and then subtract FC from TC to get CC. Problem is, the colors have been showing as EXACTLY THE SAME every time I test which would put the CC at 0. I know it is NOT. We have had a lot of rain and yesterday I added chlorine to offset that. I also have at a minimum 3 pucks in the pool. Can anyway explain why this is happening and what it might mean? I don't want to do anything and mess the chemicals up (and we had it tested at a pool store and everything was perfect, which makes me think something is wrong either with what I am doing, or the kit itself...most likely me!). Oh - the test water IS turning a pink color...with both tests...could it be that the water color differential is so small I just can't tell (in other words, one IS pinker than the other but I can't tell with the test colors that I match it with).

Thanks for any advice!

[howbout]

Can anyone help? PLEASE?

[Guest]

Thats a good thing! You dont want combined chlorine in your pool. All it does is make cloudy, smelly water that burns the eyes. hope that helps.

[Guest]

I just read what I wrote and decided to expand on it. When you add your reagent #1 and then R#2 you test for free chlorine. When you then add R#3 you are testing for Total chlorine. Subtracting free from total will give you combined, if there is any. Example would be.....Free chlorine at 3ppm, total chlorine at a 5, your combined would be 2ppm. Combined chlorine makes all the chlorine basically "disabled" not allowing it to disinfect your pool. Like I said, combined is bad. If you do ever get, there are plenty of products to help, I recommend Omni Quick Clear.
hope that helps.

ps the Reagent numbers I was talking about are from the Taylor Test Kit. Numbers could be different on other kits.