I'm new here and have been reading and re-reading to educate myself. Our pool is in it's 4th season. Before this season, it was a breeze to maintain and looked spectacular! This season we have had some issues with keeping chlorine levels up. We have always tested ourselves regularly and have had the pool store test regularly for us as well. I already realize two things from reading on this forum - #1 you wouldn't agree with the pool store testing and #2 our test kit is not robust enough. We were just ignorant until now, I suppose, because we've never had any trouble maintaining a great pool. I don't have a great test kit YET and I know that's what will be recommended to me first (working on it!).
However, before I get the test kit, I just wanted to post a couple issues to see if anyone has ideas. As I mentioned, we've had trouble maintaining a good chlorine level. Being that we have an automatic chlorinator that uses pucks, I know that you will probably suspect that CYA levels are causing this? (I know I wont' know until I can test for this. ) The pool store has had us dump in a lot of chemicals of course. Each time telling us we had phospates or something else that was robbing our chlorine. By doing all of this, we've maintained the chlorine and some clarity - although it's come at a big price tag. Also, we've always kept our chlorinator on about 2 or 3 for the most part, but we've had to keep it maxed on 5 for most of this season to maintain.
Now, our problem is that after the last expensive dump of shock and special chlorine tabs (burnout 73), our pool turned greenish and cloudy. We ended up calling a friend of ours who used to work for the pool store but now services pools on the side. Good guy - we are friends - figured he wouldn't lead us astray! He said we had mustard algae and he brought over some copper based algeacide and put it in along with liquid shock and told us to keep brushing the pool each day and to make sure we maintained chlorine. It's been 2 days and the pool has less of the greenish/yellow look and more of a cloudy milky look. So, maybe it is slowly helping with the algae. We are going to stop the bleeding from the pool store and keep brushing and maintaining chlorine hoping that it clears.
Another issue - For the past couple months, our pool has not been building pressure. Previous seasons obviously every so often the pressure would build beyond normal and we would know to backwash. For the past few weeks or more, the pressure guage stays on 10, which has been normal. But, it won't really build beyond that. What could cause this? (Gauge is new this season) Doesn't appear that pressure is low, but that it just won't build so we don't know if we should backwash or when to backwash. What would cause this? Should we deep clean the sand filter? Could it indicate a filter problem??
I realize the chlorine issues may not be able to be addressed due to not having my numbers yet, but any general guidance would be great. Also, any clue on the pressure issue????? THANKS!
However, before I get the test kit, I just wanted to post a couple issues to see if anyone has ideas. As I mentioned, we've had trouble maintaining a good chlorine level. Being that we have an automatic chlorinator that uses pucks, I know that you will probably suspect that CYA levels are causing this? (I know I wont' know until I can test for this. ) The pool store has had us dump in a lot of chemicals of course. Each time telling us we had phospates or something else that was robbing our chlorine. By doing all of this, we've maintained the chlorine and some clarity - although it's come at a big price tag. Also, we've always kept our chlorinator on about 2 or 3 for the most part, but we've had to keep it maxed on 5 for most of this season to maintain.
Now, our problem is that after the last expensive dump of shock and special chlorine tabs (burnout 73), our pool turned greenish and cloudy. We ended up calling a friend of ours who used to work for the pool store but now services pools on the side. Good guy - we are friends - figured he wouldn't lead us astray! He said we had mustard algae and he brought over some copper based algeacide and put it in along with liquid shock and told us to keep brushing the pool each day and to make sure we maintained chlorine. It's been 2 days and the pool has less of the greenish/yellow look and more of a cloudy milky look. So, maybe it is slowly helping with the algae. We are going to stop the bleeding from the pool store and keep brushing and maintaining chlorine hoping that it clears.
Another issue - For the past couple months, our pool has not been building pressure. Previous seasons obviously every so often the pressure would build beyond normal and we would know to backwash. For the past few weeks or more, the pressure guage stays on 10, which has been normal. But, it won't really build beyond that. What could cause this? (Gauge is new this season) Doesn't appear that pressure is low, but that it just won't build so we don't know if we should backwash or when to backwash. What would cause this? Should we deep clean the sand filter? Could it indicate a filter problem??
I realize the chlorine issues may not be able to be addressed due to not having my numbers yet, but any general guidance would be great. Also, any clue on the pressure issue????? THANKS!
Well, SallyAnn, you really answered most of your own questions which is good really. You've been reading TFP! 
And in the case of pool stores and friends, two wrongs don't make a right, and sometimes even the best intentions just make a bad situation worse. For now, I would highly encourage you to not put anything else in your water other than the regular liquid bleach until you do receive a TF-100 or Taylor K-2006C test kit. I have no doubt your CYA must be high based on the previous usage of tablets and pool store "bags-o-shock" put in the pool. It was simply a ticking time bomb before the FC could not keep-up with the CYA. For now, simply add about 1 gallon of regular (generic is fine) bleach to the water each day just to try and keep it from getting worse. When you receive your kit and can post accurate numbers, we can really get you going properly.
