Hi,
I became a pool owner about a month and a half ago with the purchase of a new home. The pool had been neglected for several years and was left uncovered, etc during that time. When I moved in, it was a smelly black swamp full of bugs and creatures I've never even seen before.
I've learned a ton by reading all the articles on this site, using the pool calculator, etc. I'm just a bit frustrated at this point because the pool is still not fully cleared up despite following everything I've read. It is finally blue and I can see the bottom now (a massive improvement!) but it's still very cloudy. This has been the case for two whole weeks. I'm now thinking that the specific actions I'm taking may be wrong, and am hoping someone can advise me.
My work schedule only allows me to check on the pool at 7am and then again around 6pm or later. Before work I do a backwash, empty the skimmer, and check the levels. 7am FC has been 0-3 for the past few days, which is higher compared to a few days ago (used to drop to 0 every night.) pH is measured using a cheapie kit and is thus a bit imprecise, but the color appears halfway between the 6.8 and 7.2 boxes. I have added pH rise three times and each time it climbs to 7.2-7.5 for about a day and goes back down. Total Alk is also imprecise due to the kit I'm using, but is approximately 40. Stabilizer level is 0, and has been all along.
If the FC is below 10 in the morning (which it always is) I add 2 pounds of cal-hypo 68%. At night I do the same thing. I have been doing so daily for about three weeks. I used an Algecide product twice (one without copper, but forgot the name.) I have used two different clarifier products. I have used filter adds (one of the synthetic filament alternatives to DE.) I have scrubbed down the walls and vacuumed the whole pool floor many times. Despite all of this, the water remains cloudy.
I'm hoping to learn what the heck I have to do to eliminate the cloudiness, when I can stop using tons of shock every day, when I can switch over to liquid bleach, and how much bleach to add to my pool on a regular basis to maintain clean/clear conditions. I buy whatever's on sale, usually 5-8%, and the pool calculator is great to help me spike high levels but not sure how to go about maintaining. Maybe I need to add stabilizer?
Thanks in advance!!
I became a pool owner about a month and a half ago with the purchase of a new home. The pool had been neglected for several years and was left uncovered, etc during that time. When I moved in, it was a smelly black swamp full of bugs and creatures I've never even seen before.
I've learned a ton by reading all the articles on this site, using the pool calculator, etc. I'm just a bit frustrated at this point because the pool is still not fully cleared up despite following everything I've read. It is finally blue and I can see the bottom now (a massive improvement!) but it's still very cloudy. This has been the case for two whole weeks. I'm now thinking that the specific actions I'm taking may be wrong, and am hoping someone can advise me.
My work schedule only allows me to check on the pool at 7am and then again around 6pm or later. Before work I do a backwash, empty the skimmer, and check the levels. 7am FC has been 0-3 for the past few days, which is higher compared to a few days ago (used to drop to 0 every night.) pH is measured using a cheapie kit and is thus a bit imprecise, but the color appears halfway between the 6.8 and 7.2 boxes. I have added pH rise three times and each time it climbs to 7.2-7.5 for about a day and goes back down. Total Alk is also imprecise due to the kit I'm using, but is approximately 40. Stabilizer level is 0, and has been all along.
If the FC is below 10 in the morning (which it always is) I add 2 pounds of cal-hypo 68%. At night I do the same thing. I have been doing so daily for about three weeks. I used an Algecide product twice (one without copper, but forgot the name.) I have used two different clarifier products. I have used filter adds (one of the synthetic filament alternatives to DE.) I have scrubbed down the walls and vacuumed the whole pool floor many times. Despite all of this, the water remains cloudy.
I'm hoping to learn what the heck I have to do to eliminate the cloudiness, when I can stop using tons of shock every day, when I can switch over to liquid bleach, and how much bleach to add to my pool on a regular basis to maintain clean/clear conditions. I buy whatever's on sale, usually 5-8%, and the pool calculator is great to help me spike high levels but not sure how to go about maintaining. Maybe I need to add stabilizer?
Thanks in advance!!
