cloudy/green water - help

[jpete]

This summer I've had trouble getting my pool crystal clear, but this green cloudy water has taken over quickly.
Here is the information I have
TH - 200
FC - 10
pH - 7.8
TA - 180
CYA - 50
I only have Wal-Mart test strips and this is what it tests. I've not checked in to other testing kits and it's the 4th of July and nothing else is open.

The water was pretty clear yesterday morning but not the crystal clear blue look. It had slowly been getting a little darker. We had 4 kids swimming in it a lot yesterday. By the end of the day, it was pretty dark. I went to wal-mart and purchased the green to blue kit and used it last night. I vacuumed this morning but it is still quite green and I can hardly see the bottom of the pool. It seems to get greener as the day goes on. Please help me get the pretty I've been dreaming of. We use Wal-Mart products because that's what we have locally. If I need to go into the city to get more professional products, I can. I use HTH 3 1/2" chorine tablets in the filter and use shock 'n swim regularly. Thanks for any help that you can offer! It is great appreciated!

 

[woodyp]

The only "professional" product you should need to clear your pool at this point is good old 6% household bleach. Read shocking your pool in pool school. Run the pump 24/7 and backwash it as needed. Welcome!

 

[Butterfly]

Hi jpete,

Yep, you need to shock your pool. The biggest mistake newbies make is not maintaining the shock process long enough.
Shocking a pool is a process and not a one time event, so follow the directions carefully.

You also need a good test kit. You can read the comparison on recommended test kits in Pool School.
The fav around here is the TF100. Great service and best bang for the buck.
Having a good test kit will put you in charge of your pool. Link in my sig.

We don't recommend 'green to blue'. As woodyp said, all you need is bleach.
You can buy WalMart brand 6% plain household bleach.

Since your CYA is 50, assuming that is accurate, CYA is at the top of the recommended level.
This means you need to stop using tabs (as they increase CYA) and use only liquid chlorine/bleach.

The test strips are notoriously inaccurate. Can you take a water sample to a pool store and post back a full set of test results? Once we get the test results, we can give better advice.

Welcome to the forum