Green Swamp Newbie Help!

[ccoyle]

15.2K gal, vinyl, 1.5 HP pump, 100 sq ft cartridge filter, AG, 100 gal per min

Never got the pool clear last season, gave up and just closed it. We started with the 'normal' routine this year - off to the pool store! $$$$$$$$ Anyway, my friend raved to me about TFP and I now place the fate of my pool (aka Swamp Land) in your hands.

According to my last water test yesterday I was at:
TC 1
FC 0
CYA 40
TH 215
PH 6.8
TA 65

It is green and when we add shock it plumes up white as it goes around the pool, but the water is still green. We can't see the bottom of the pool and have gotten almost all the leaves out now.

My friend did some calculations for me (and that part I'm still working on understanding) so I added 4 bottles of 128oz bleach tonight and scrubbed my pool walls down again.

She told me I should see an improvement in a few hours, but so far nothing looks different. Am I on the right track? What is my next step?

Sorry for the newbie dumb questions. Thank you for your patience! :?:

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

You're gonna need more chlorine. Do you have any way to test the water yourself?

Your PH is too low, but you only want to adjust it if the FC is below 10.

You need a way to test to clear your pool.

Have you read Pool School? There are many helpful articles there like How to Shock your Pool, Defeating Algae, and similar topics that will help you gain control of the situation.

Welcome!

 

[ccoyle]

Yes I do have a way to test the pool myself, I just didn't test today. I have 9 more bottles of bleach in my car. I'm just not sure how much or how often to add them.

Thanks!

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Okay, if it's been 30-60 minutes since you added the bleach, test the PH and FC again, and post the results.

Have you seen the Pool Calculator?

 

[JasonLion]

Read How To Shock Your Pool at Pool School.

 

[ccoyle]

Just re-tested

TA 2
FC 1
PH 6.8
TH 250
TA 65

If I understood what I read my usual FC level should be 5, so my Shock FC should be 16. So I just keep adding a bottle of bleach an hour until my FC reaches 16. I guess I just am not confident that I understand the process. I'm reading all of Pool School now!

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Do you have any Borax or PH UP products on hand to raise your PH up tonight? That's pretty important, it's not good for the pool for it to be that low.

Actually with the bleach, you want to add the bottles one after the other in one session, not an hour apart. So if you need 4 bottles to reach shock, you pour all four in slowly so as not to splash, one after the other, no waiting in between. Then you wait and retest and add more in an hour if the FC drops below shock level. The key to clearing the pool is keeping the FC up to shock level and holding it there with frequent bleach additions, but if you wait an hour in between each bottle you'll never reach shock level.

Remember, keep that filter going 24/7 till the water is clear.

 

[ccoyle]

YEAH!! It's actually getting better! I bow to your great knowledge I guess I should have believed earlier.

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

You mean you were in doubt?