Milky/murky pool

[MiamiChaChaCha]

I have been battling algae in the pool for about a month. Pool is about 23,000 gallons and I let it slide over the winter so that it had a dark green algae. I tried shocking with about 10 shock packets and that did nothing. Pool still registering zero chlorine. I then went to pool store to test and it turned out that phosphate levels and other things were way out of whack. I was told to drain the pool by two feet (it goes down to eight feet). I drained about 18 inches. I also added a bunch of zero phosphate and shocked, as instructed. Pool was still out of whack. I was told to drain another another two feet and refill (this time I did the whole two feet). I also followed instructions and threw in another bottle of zero phosphate. There were two more episodes of shock, the last with five large containers of liquid chlorine. By this time, suction was becoming a problem and I got new filters (Hayward) because old filters were clogged with all the zero phosphate and stuff, I was told.

The green is now gone. Chlorine is measuring well above standard, so I haven't add the tablets/floater back yet. The problem is that the pool is kind of a milky color and I can't see the bottom. This has been the situation now for six days. I have cleaned the filters two or three times, washing away the milky substance, whatever it is. But still pool is milky. Will this clear up on its own? Should I go back to pool store for further tests, chemicals?
Any and all help greatly appreciated.

MiamiChaChaCha
Miami FL

 

[Stuamurr]

Welcome to TFP

Much like so many other people you have been "pool stored" into buying stuff and believing what they tell you.

1) Ditch the pool store tests, buy the TF-100 test kit from http://tftestkits.net/splash-page.html then you control your pool not the store (if you have test strips these are very inaccurate)
2) post if you can a full set of test results, I suspect your CYA level is high as you have been using Tablets
3) Shocking is a continuous process, not just boosting the chlorine, then letting it slip (see shocking your pool in pool school at the top right of the forums pages)
4) Phosphate away may help, but is expensive, shocking is cheaper and more effective using Bleach/Sodium Hypochlorite
5) Until we know your CYA level (the pool store test will only do as a very rough guide until you can test yourself) we won't know what your shock level needs to be.
6) Start reading all the information in Pool School, some will make sense, other bits won't to start but reading other posts and keeping your thread going things will get more and more clear as you move along. pool-school/
7) Edit your profile, the more information we have the better and makes it easier to help without asking lots of questions: pool-school/read_before_you_post

We can definitely help, but we will need to bash your pool stored attitude away, which is costing you money and time, so apologies in advance for anyone (including myself) that gives you grief about it!

 

[cramar]

Ditto's to what Stuamurr says.

You can get a proper test kit and read Pool School (upper right corner of site) a few times and learn how to properly manage the water, or keep going to the pool store and have mediocre results.
It's worth investing the time to learn how to do it yourself, it's not that hard, after a few tests you'll have it down and by the end of a summer you'll be a pro.