Help with Cloudy Pool please.

[edgedude]

I have an above ground 10,000 gal vinyl pool in CT which I opened 3 weeks ago. I shocked it with bleach and algae stuff and it went orderly from green to grey within the 1st week and I would have though on the way to clear. After the 2nd week, I ran test and added 2 lbs. of borax to raise the pH from. 7.0 and a lb. of stabilizer to raise my cya from 0. Cartridge filter was running 24/7 the first 2 week. I added some clear stuff. Now I brought a sample to the pool store after the 2nd week and they told me I had too much free chlorine which bleached the test result for the other attributes. I probably over shocked it as I was impatient with the slow process to clear. So I ran the pump during the day and did not add any chlorine to get it back to normal. So now it has been 3 weeks and I got results form the pool store:

FC = 1.5
TC = 1.5
pH 7.2
TA = 60
CYA = 40
CH = 70
Total dissolved solids = 500
copper/iron = 0
phosphates = 0

They said the numbers were good but they tried to sell my $60 of chemicals to raise calcium and TA. I bought a brush and went home to plug the number into the pool calculator which told me to add baking soda to raise TA. Now the perplexing thing is the pool is still annoyingly cloudy! It is cleary around the 3-4 feet on the edges but cloudy as you see the center. What can I do?? Thanks.

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Help with CloudyPool please.

Your FC level is now a little low.

The persistent cloudiness might indicate a problem with your filter, perhaps a torn cartridge. How has your filter pressure been behaving? And have you cleaned the cartridge recently?

It is also possible that it is time to try some clarifier.

 

[edgedude]

I have 2 filter cartridges that I alternated the first 2 weeks. The Hayward pump is new last year. The pump appears to be running strong but the pressure seems low at only 3-5 lbs. It doesn't build up so I haven't cleaned it in a week as I wanted the stabilizer to dissolve and not wash it out of the filter. I am using triclor tabs now after the setup bleach shock.

 

[edgedude]

Upon further inspection of the pump, the damp gauge was stuck at 5 lbs pressure as the cardboard dial was interfering with the needle! Yes, the filter was very dirty and I put in a clean one and changed the cover with another pressure gauge. So we'll see in a couple of days. Thanks.