Help with flock!!

[Mcgee715]

I have a 30,000 gal pool. It has been unused for a year or two by previous owners. It's in ground with a vinyl liner. It has a sta rite cristal flo sand filter. I used a whole bottle of HTH floc last night, recirculated for 2 hours, and then let it sit for 12 hours. I have a film of brown patches cover the entire top of the water. Per my local pool store, my levels were the following.can you please help me.
Saturation idx: 0.4
TDS: 500
CYA: 0
Tot chlorine: 0.1
Free chlorine: 0
Ph: 8
Tot alkalinity:106
Adj. total alk: 106
Tot. Hardness: 178
Salt: n/a
Copper: 0
Iron: 0
Manganese: no
Hazy: no
Cloudy: no
Green/black/mustard algae: no
Slime/ mold: no

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!

Unfortunately, very few of us have used floc since it is not recommend, so I am not sure what to suggest regarding that.

I do know if you want to take control of your pool, you are going to have to invest in one of the recommended test kits and not trusting the pool store testing.

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP!

I've never used floc before so I can't help with that. But, here is what I would do. Order a TF100 with XL option from TFTestkits.net. Add a jug of bleach every day. Brush the pool. Scoop out as much stuff as possible.

And read this, Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain
and this, Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

When your test kit comes in post up some test results.

 

[AimeeH]

Welcome to TFP

As the others above, I also have no experience using floc as it isn't necessary. You will get a lot of help here if you want to get a good test kit and take control back from the pool store. But, mixing store advice with ours will likely leave you confused and out more unnecessary $$$.

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!

I guess I'll make it unanimous: I've never used floc, either.

But you want answers. The stuff on the surface... will your leaf skimmer

catch it, or just stir it around? Do you think lining the leaf skimmer with paper towels, or stretching some pantyhose over it would get it?

How about the same approach on the pool skimmer basket?

Next is to get rid of the crud on the bottom. Start by setting the garden hose in the pool and start adding water. Then connect your vacuum and set the filter to "waste" and start vacuuming it up. You're on a tightrope. You don't want to move too fast or you'll stir the stuff up. You want to sneak up on it and let the vacuum pull it in ahead of itself. But if you move too slow, you'll empty out too much water despite the additions and you'll have to stop an let it refill.

After the debris is gone and the pool is back up to the right level, then you can get to the root cause: the chemistry. Free pool store tests are worth every cent you paid for them. I know we sound like a broken record, but to take control of your pool, you really need your own test kit. It's essential. With the water you lost vacuuming (You'd lose a bunch if you choose to vacuum to filter and then backwash after, too) the test results you have are no longer valid, if indeed they ever were.