Overwhelmed!!!

[highlights]

I am new to all of this and absolutely overwhelmed. I've been running back and forth to Walmart and Leslie's everyday!

We have the Saltwater System, but have yet to run it because we are so confused!

Ok, Friday we put one pound of shock in the pool. Saturday we brought a sample to Leslie's to have them test it. They said we it looked good and chlorinated enough at this point, and next steps were to add muratic acid, then atleast 4 hours later add stabilizer, then atleast 4 hours later add phospate.

We added the muratic acid and 160 pounds of salt because we were ready to get started with the Saltwater System. We didn't have the stabilizer yet (I didn't want to buy it there cause I though I'd get it cheaper at Walmart). Sunday, I did notice the pool getting a little slick feeling on the sides, but though maybe the salt was causing this since we had yet to turn on the Saltwater System.

Monday, I went ahead and bought the stabilizer at Leslie's since Walmart didn't have the liquid. When I got home yesterday, the bottom and sides of the pool, as well as toys etc. in the pool were all really slimey feeling. I did a little research and rushed to the store to buy a another pound of shock (super shock this time) at Walmart, thinking I had yellow algae. My daughter said when she went to the bottom of the pool and scraped her hand some yellowish tinted stuff got on it.

Anyway, we shocked the pool again last night. We still haven't added stabilizer or phospate. We still haven't turned the saltwater system on. I am lost. Now after reading more, I'm thinking maybe this is pollen and not algae. Could we have algae on Monday when Saturday Leslies said our water was ok??? Now what?

 

[JohnT]

You have algae starting. With no stabilizer, you are going to have to add chlorine every few hours to keep it clear. Now that the algae has started, you are going to be needing to test the water and add chlorine even more often. Forget the phosphate remover and get the stabilizer in there and keep adding chlorine.

You need to test the water yourself. Leslie's is worse than useless. They have poor quality testing and are staffed by people who have never cared for a pool. Their primary job is selling you worthless stuff like phosphate remover.

 

[highlights]

Like a pound every 3 or 4 hours??? Do we just do this until it's clear or do we need to do anything else to clear it up. Should I get some liquid cholrine or bleach instead of the pebble kind??? Also, do I need to get algecide or whatever it is called??? I assume we need to stay out of the pool until we are certain it is all gone. ;( Also, do I need to wait until the algae is gone to run the saltwater system???

 

[aa62579]

Read these.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/shocking_your_pool
http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock
http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_calculator

Then go to Pool School. http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/

If you need more help, we will need to know full test results help.

 

[aa62579]

Like a pound every 3 or 4 hours??? Do we just do this until it's clear or do we need to do anything else to clear it up. Should I get some liquid cholrine or bleach instead of the pebble kind??? Also, do I need to get algecide or whatever it is called??? I assume we need to stay out of the pool until we are certain it is all gone. ;( Also, do I need to wait until the algae is gone to run the saltwater system???

Your SWG will help will the shocking process, but it will not provide enough chlorine on its own. You will want liquid chlorine or bleach. You do not want to be swimming at shock level. (Shock level is based off of your CYA level, so you need to know that.)

 

[highlights]

Is bleach just as good as liquid chlorine?

 

[dattia]

We really only recommend using liquid chlorine (bleach) to shock your pool... and it is a process, not a one time addition. It is hard to know what is going on with your water without some test results. Step back and take a breath, all the information you need to have a clear, healthy pool is contained on this site and lots of friendly members are willing to help... we've all been there. With this method, you can say goodbye to the pool store and have control over your pool...

How are you testing right now?

 

[aa62579]

Is bleach just as good as liquid chlorine?

Same thing. Bleach in the store will be 6% probably and liquid chlorine will be higher concentration, 10%+. Cost is normally about the same. You change the % in the pool calculator to get the correct amount to add.

 

[highlights]

The only test kit I have right now is the drop test from Walmart. I am going to purchase the a better one, but I really would like to get it started now. I tried using the drop test I have this weekend and the one test I did, I could make absolutely no sense of the reading. Thanks so much!

 

[dattia]

You can order a great test kit through this site... http://tftestkits.net/splash-page.html. It will just take a few days to get and it will be exactly what you need to take control of your pool. TF-100 is highly recommended and it is the test kit that most of us use. It will all start to make sense soon...and we are here to answer your questions.

 

[anonapersona]

You MUST get stabilizer in the pool before shocking. Too much unstabilized chlorine is not good for the pool.

Find HTH Stabilizer at Walmart or other such place, or other variety at a pool store. I think the HTH dissolved nicely compared to the other I got. You want 30 ppm in the pool.

Then, once some of that has dissolved, go on with shocking the pool.

 

[highlights]

Test Results

In referenced to my previous post "overwhelmed."

I got home today and after shocking the pool with one pound of Super Shock last night, the slime is gone. Could the algae really be gone this quickly?

I am ordering the good test kit, but i used the Walmart HTH drop kit today after I got home just to get an idea of where we are. Any advice is greatly appreciate.

Chlorine .5
Brom 1
PH 7.5
Alkalinity 170
Hardness 40
Cyanaric Acid 0 (I will add this for the first time tonight)

 

[highlights]

Thank you so much! I'm going to add stabilizer as soon as it stops raining. I then plan on adding more chlorine tonight. Please see my new post titled "Test Results" and tell me what you think if it's not too much trouble!

 

[anonapersona]

Re: Test Results

Please put gallons in your signature, I've forgotten what that size is.

If you pull up the CYA/chlorine chart in Pool School, you will see there is no line for shock level with 0 CYA. Not really a good idea, it is pretty harsh. Hurry up and get that CYA in the pool.

Now, if the pool is clear and clean, I suggest adding CYA to get to 30 ppm. Then after that is dissolved, add chlorine to get to 3 ppm.

You can do the OCLT to see if the algae is all gone from everywhere so you know if it is all clean. Or you can shock the pool properly and end with the OCLT to know. Or you can just let the SWG take over and hope all is well. Your choice.

I've lost the connection to the earlier post so I cannot recall if it was green or just slimey.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

highlights, I merged your two threads. Its easier for everyone if the whole story is in the same place.

 

[highlights]

I never saw green in the pool at all, but my daughter said when she scraped her hand on the bottom, it came up yellowish. It was just slimey and that was only for one day (if that makes a difference). I added the water capacity to my signature. Thank you!

 

[anonapersona]

Yellow can be pollen or algae. Slime is biofilm or algae.

I'll guess that the problem is likely cured, so now look to the SWG to hold chlorine after you get CYA in and add chlorine to balance the water. Is salt level correct? Are filters clean, skimmer clean? No trash on the floor?

OK, then get that stabilizer in to the pool, up to nearly the level the SWG says to have it, or up to 70 ppm per TFP for now. Hang it in a knee hi where the return water can hit it. Squish it a lot. When it is mostly dissolved, add in 3 ppm of bleach. Mix well. Be sure pH is correct, if needed adjust and mix 30 min.

Then swim!

Save your CYA testing for maybe 10 days from now. If you put in enough for 70 ppm (or more per manual), assume it is in there. You may want to boost it some more later, or not. Depends on what the manual says.

Test FC and pH daily. Adjust SWG if FC is too high or too low. If it is still too low, you may need more CYA, up to max per manual.