Can't get rid of cloudy pool!

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Lpham777

0
Jun 9, 2015
2
Revere/MA
Hello everyone!
On Wednesday I opened my 20,000g inground pool for the season and in the beginning after removing the pool cover, it was green then I added shock and algaecide, then the pool cleared up but is now cloudy. My free chlorine level consistently stays low and I've added a total of 8 gallons of shock since Thursday. I use a test strip and all of the readings are good within normal range except for the free chlorine level. Even after shocking the pool, by the next morning when I test the water the free chlorine level would be low again. The stabilizer level is ideal. I have brushed the walls and floors of the pool and has been running the filter since Wednesday. I have a cartridge filter and clean it every day since Wednesday of opening the pool. I bought the cartridge last summer and there are no rips or anything still in good condition. . I am confused as to why my pool is still cloudy? Am I not adding enough shock? Or am I suppose to be a little more patient as the cloudiness takes time to disappear? Today is Monday already and I'm not sure what to do next hoping to not have to spend an arm and a leg to fix this problem. Please help!!!
 
Welcome to TFP :) You have a problem, we've got the answer! Here you go... the basic answer to your problems is BLEACH! And then MORE BLEACH!
Quick Reads--> ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and SLAM Process

And a proper test kit which you don't have so you actually don't know what any of your numbers are. Pool School - Test Kits Compared

oh yeah, one last thing... algaecide doesn't kill algae. Its a preventative measure, and one we rarely recommend if you keep your FC at the right level for your CYA.
 
Lpham777:

Welcome to TFP and we are here to help! Although, we need accurate test results. From this point, we can guide you in taking care of a swimming pool the proper way. Continuing to throw in "shock" and/or chemicals that are not needed is not the answer. As mentioned by YippeeSkippy, Bleach is your answer. The amount needed is all based on your CYA level. Everything else can be taken care of later.

The process could take up to 2 weeks, if not sooner. Although, you will have to test your water at least daily, if not more frequently to make sure that you maintain the chlorine at the recommended SLAM level, again working in partnership with your CYA. This is why we here at TFP are so adamant about owning only one of the recommend test kits. We all know others just do not compare.

Please add your signature and while waiting for the kit, it is highly recommended you do some reading on the TFP site. Thanks!
 
Thanks for the reply guys!!! Sorry as I am fairly new to this site and new to owning my first pool. Last year I hired a professional pool guy who did everything to open the pool so this year I wanted to try it on my own. Before I posted my initial post I added some shock to the pool for the night. As of this morning I tested the water again with the strips and everything has changed to ideal/ within normal range included free chlorine and CYA... That would mean I wouldn't have to add anymore bleach right? I have read that you can add "flock" to the pool but that would be the last thing I would like to do.

My pool is mildly cloudy, it's pretty blue but I just can't see the bottom of the pool. I took some pictures of the tests and how the pool looks this morning to show you guys but I don't know how to add it to my post. :(
 
The strips are generally not trusted on this site they have too wide a margin of error to be accurate. Even if they did work as intended the term ideal would be under normal circumstances. Since you are cloudy you are not in the ideal range and your FC likely needs to be higher to clear things. As YippeeSkippy mentioned we would need you to have one of the recommended kits to be able to suggest a course of action. We don't want to "pool store you" and just tell you to dump a bunch of chemicals in the water and everything will be great, we want you to understand what is happening in the water and give you educated time test methods to deal with it.
 
Welcome to TFP!

With an FAS/DPD chlorine test you can measure FC up to 50 ppm +/-0.5 ppm. With that you can perform the Overnight Chlorine Loss Test to determine if there is algae growing in the pool. Then if there is you can kill it using this process, SLAM Process

I use the TF-100 and I have been buying mine from TFTestkits.net for many years.
 
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