New Here and having pool problems. Help!

[GiantOak]

Hi All!
Brand new here and to pool maintenance but I'm a quick learner and want to take care of my own pool so I appreciate all the help, advice and patience. I've been reading the posts nd forums and must say I have found the right place for great information. Thank you Mr. Lion and all Ad Mins.

Now then, I bought this Sacramento area house 4 years ago with absolutely NO INFORMATION on the size/gallon capacity of the large pool in the backyard. I hired a pool svc to take care of it because I rented the house at first.
Now me and my family are living in the house and the pool has been problematic. So let me give what information I do have and maybe we can guess at its gallon capacity and then the problems I'm having and what I've done thus far.

In ground (not sure of material -help?), gallons?, Sta Rite System3 filter with both 2 year old inner and outer cartridges, roughly 10 year old Polaris 280 with booster pump and dedicated pressure line, Pool Frog cycler?, auto water fill, Chlorinated tablet float. There's a diving board so the deep end is deep.

I've got algae growing on the sides, steps and in the tile grout. The water is slightly cloudy and weak output from filter. My pool guy is perplexed cuz he adds so much chlorine, cleans cartridges twice a month and shocks it. I'm frustrated and don't feel I should have to buy new cartridges that are $325 plus. I'm going to try the Cadcade detergent soak unless the pros here think that I actually do need new cartridges, but they look great after hosing the pleats off myself and I have a bit more pressure running just above 10 psi. I could need a new Polaris as well. Sorry this turned out lengthy. Help.
Giant Oak

 

[duraleigh]

As you read more and more on the forum, you learn that all water quality issues have to start with test results. We have to know the current conditions before we can do anything but just guess.

Can you post results for....

FC
CC
TA
pH
CYA

 

[GiantOak]

Will get those test results soon and report back.
G.Oak

 

[GiantOak]

Water test results for 6/19/2012:
FC- 0
CC- 0
TA- 90
pH- 7.2
CYA- 60

Thanks!

 

[Smykowski]

The water is slightly cloudy and weak output from filter. My pool guy is perplexed cuz he adds so much chlorine, cleans cartridges twice a month and shocks it. I'm frustrated and don't feel I should have to buy new cartridges that are $325 plus. I'm going to try the Cadcade detergent soak unless the pros here think that I actually do need new cartridges, but they look great after hosing the pleats off myself and I have a bit more pressure running just above 10 psi.
Giant Oak

Couple things. We generally don't trust pool store results, and nearly everyone here has their own test kit, does their own testing, and goes from there. I want that disclaimer out of the way, because the rest of my suggestions are based on the assumption that those results are accurate.

1. I own a sand filter, so I have no practical experience. However, if I remember from reading, nearly everyone with a cartridge filter owns two sets of cartridges. When one is dirty, replace it with the clean one. Then, clean the dirty one at your leisure. I don't ever remember anyone buying new cartridges unless there's visible damage. (Anyone with cartridge filters, please step in and verbally backhand me if I'm wrong).

2. Your pool guy is not "shocking the pool" as we practice it. What he's doing is "putting a product that has the word 'Shock' on the bucket/bag once a week." As evidenced by the fact that your FC is down to zero, algae is growing in your pool.

3. The filters are doing what they're supposed to: filtering debris and dead algae. The problem is that the pool guy's "once a week" application is killing some of the algae, which is getting filtered out. There's more living there, and that's why it's cloudy.

4. The rest of your numbers actually look really good. (You have a plaster pool, so we need CH numbers, but since pH and TA are ok, it can wait a bit.) CYA is on the high end, but it can be done (I'm running mine at 60-70 after being pool-stored for the past two summers.) You can start shocking your pool correctly and clear this thing up. Read How to Shock Your Pool and also read this thread to give you an idea of the process.

5. Use the Pool Calculator to figure your dosages. You're going to need enough plain bleach (or liquid chlorine/aka Pool Shock/aka 12.5% sodium hypochlorite) to raise your FC to 18 and keep it there, testing and dosing as often as necessary to maintain that 18ppm level until you've passed all three criteria in the article above.

I know that's a lot, but there are a lot of people that want to help you make your pool sparkly, so please ask questions if any of that didn't make sense.

Welcome to the forum!!

PS. Take pictures, before and after. We all like to revel in the victory against algae.