First timer - cloudy pool

[taraz]

Trying to help hubby resolve our pool problem - we are slightly new pool owners (this is our 3rd season). He has been working with pool stores in the past but this year we are having a new issue (with no resolve - shocker!) and then I stumbled upon this great website so I am hoping someone may be able to assist. We opened our pool a week ago Wednesday, lots of algae, used supershock, balanced the pool (so we thought), ran it 24/7 for days and days, but the pool remained cloudy. Cleaned out sand filter, still nothing. In the meantime, pools store is telling us our water looks fine but sells us a clarifier, finally the floc. Put the floc in yesterday, no results - again, shocker So here we are. I have our test results from the pool store today for 38,000 gallon pool:

TDS: 300
CYA: 36
FC: .2
PH: 7.2
TOT ALKALINITY: 90
ADJ TOT ALK: 79
TOT HARDNESS: 140
COPPER .5
IRON .1

I ran this through your pool calculator but am not sure what the results mean. At this point, we are ready to drain the pool and fill it up again but are hoping for another alternative. Should we consider SLAM after this floc process? Or any other suggestions? We greatly appreciate any insight - thank you!!

 

[Texas Splash]

Hello Tara and welcome to TFP! Well, for us to help it all boils-down to one thing ... the right test numbers from your own (proper) test kit. We just can't base any advice from the pool store because their numbers are usually wrong - along with the products they sell. So before you spend another dime on anything other than regular bleach, please look at the TF-100 link below in my sig. That test set is a great value and will serve you well to take 100% control of your pool. Since you will need to "SLAM" to remove algae, I would recommended the XL Option (more reagents) and also encourage ordering the "Speed Stir" for easy mixing.

It ALL start there Tara. Those pool store test results just won't help us right now. In the meantime, update your pool signature with all of your pool info and equipment, and just add about 1/2 gallon of regular bleach to your water each day until the test kit arrives. Great to have you with us.