Inherited a mess

[jxpar24]

Hello,

Quick summary, I've never had a pool before and we just bought a house with a green pool. The system has a SWG setup but it is not currently in use and there is no salt in the pool. When I first moved in i went to the pool store and they set me up with lots of shock and chlorine. That killed the green but pool has been aqua or white ever since (1 week). I am back washing every few hours since the filter seems to jump to 30 psi every 4-5 hours. I looked into a deep clean of the sand filter but the top cap has been sealed with silicone. I am no longer getting chunks of leaves, bugs, frogs and beer cans out of the pool like I was last week and I can finally see the steps in the shallow end.

I just got the TF-100 today and have the below results:
CYA less than 20
FC 2
CC .5 but if I leave the water sample on my desk for 5-10 minutes it slowly goes back to pink.
TA 60
CH 325

Questions I have after finding this forum:
- Should I add salt and get the SWG system running first or fix everything else (CYA, Algae, etc)? Assuming I wait but this determines what my target CYA should be.
- Seems I need to add stabilizer to increase CYA before slamming. How high should I make it?

All help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Joel

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP Joel! I would hold-off on the salt. You won't be using the SWG for the TFP "SLAM" (link below) to clear your pool, and frequent backwashes might just reduce the salt level anyways. Yes, you need to increase CYA to 30, so do that now. But before you increase your FC to the proper SLAM/Shock level of "12", make sure to check pH to ensure it around 7.2-7.4. Do that before adding the bleach to maintain an FC of 12.

Don't worry about the pink on your CC. The water will do that if you let it sit idle. Just record your test(s) right away and discard the water.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

 

[jxpar24]

Thanks for the feed back. I'll get started on the CYA. I did read when adding conditioner to raise it that I shouldn't backwash for a week. What will be the outcome of running +30 psi for an extended period of time?

The current PH is 7.2 so I should be good to go.

 

[duraleigh]

What will be the outcome of running +30 psi for an extended period of time?

Don't do that...it's a waste of time. Put the CYA in a sock and then put the sock in the skimmer.....backwash at will.

Do you know how to SLAM the pool?

 

[Texas Splash]

Joel, to increase CYA via granular stabilizer, place the required amount as calculated by the Poolmath calculator into a white sock and place in the poolside skimmer basket. For those concerned about suction flow to the pump, suspending the sock near a return jet or from a floating device will also suffice. Best never to allow undissolved granules to rest directly against the pool surface. Squeeze the sock periodically to help it dissipate. Once dissolved, consider your CYA adjusted to that programmed (target) level. CYA test readings should show a rise in 24-48 hours, however some pools may experience a longer delay to fully register. Best to confirm final CYA in about 5-7 days before adding any more stabilizer/conditioner.

The backwashing restriction was intended for those who may have dumped stabilizer directly to their skimmer, but that won't be a problem for you if you follow the instructions above. During the SLAM, you will need to backwash when your filter psi increases by 25% from its starting (clean) pressure.