Closed Pool wrong- nearly summer now water green

[Djz2012]

Ok I closed the pool wrong and the cover came off during the winter. When spring came and everything melted I had an entire pool full of swamp gas and sticks branch and twig tree leaf....

I spent about a month clearing out the pool with many broken nets and many bent polls.

Now I have everything cleaned out as good as I can get it, and I finally have it clean enough to run the pump 24/7 without it getting clogged and losing prime.

I wasted about 100 bucks trying to turn the green swamp blue again and I just can't get it.

I had to replace the entire cartridge filter system so I did all that brand new with a dual speed haward pump. It was used for an underground pool and I have it for my above ground pool. Pool guy sold it to me for 25bucks.

So I live in northwest indiana- Its an above ground pool. It is 15,000 gallons. vinal I would assume but not sure what else it could be. Liner, etc. soft sides but solid.

I bought the filter and unit from great escape and he told me to add a TON of chlorine. 16gallons. So I did.

so now my test results are this:

pH(nearly purple so I'm going to assume its 8+
Free Chlorine is 10
Alkalinity is in the 120-180 range
and as far as I can tell I have 0 stabilizer.

My question is what do I do now? I just added the chlorine this morning and it is now 9:34 at night. It was cloudy and rain all day so I don't think I lost any chlorine to the sun but I'm just tired of looking at a green swamp with nothing working.


I would love for the pool gods(you) to help me if you could? tell me where I am going wrong? I don't know anything about a pool but now I have to take care of one...

sig- 15,000 gal above ground. Swimpro voyager cartrage and unit. Hayward pump that was for a underground pool. Seems to put out enough power.

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum. :lol: read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. Then, read "How to Shock Your Pool" . That'll surely generate more questions so ask away

 

[poolmama67]

What type of test are you using to obtain your results?

 

[scott.MI]

I wasted about 100 bucks trying to turn the green swamp blue again and I just can't get it.

First time I read that I thought it said 100 pucks...anyways would help to know what you added

pH(nearly purple so I'm going to assume its 8+
Free Chlorine is 10
Alkalinity is in the 120-180 range
and as far as I can tell I have 0 stabilizer.

Are these test strip readings? Pool gods are gonna adamantly suggest you get a good test kit,http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison http://tftestkits.net/Test-Kits-c4/

It was cloudy and rain all day so I don't think I lost any chlorine

That's why you need a test kit, thinking you didn't lose any won't cut it.

 

[Djz2012]

im using aquacheck 15second pool test kit- it is the best they had at the pool store.


I added 16gal of chlorine already so i kinda have to wing it from here on out- I can't stop shocking now...


Only thing I have added was too little chlorine every time- few gallons, here and there-

and i put an algecide in once and it turned from mirky green with brown swirls to like haze green like a good joint... just kidding...


well thats that. as of this morning it is still green. so it has been a full 24 hours

 

[Djz2012]

Seems to be the best I can buy anywhere and it is sunday here... Less I goto wal-mart and try that 6 mark test mentioned, though, not recommended, in the guide here.


I can't wait I simply must test with what I have.

Tested again just now(24 hours have passed) and originally came up with 8.4 high in pH. I am disreguarding this at the moment because I have read pH is unreliable while shocking.

My free chlorine is still 10+ on the kit so Highest end.

Alkalinity seems to be in the 120~180 range in ppm

stabilizer is non existant. there is none in the pool. still green.

 

[hawkeye]

You probaly dont have any chlorine in pool if you dont have any stabilizer...read through pool school so you gave a idea on the concept of shocking process......16 gallons wasted with no cya this is a 2 week process pump running 24/7,not a one time shock please understand this and we can help you along......all questions have been asked and answered on this awesome site...

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Djz2012]

fully understand- what I'm saying is i don't want to waste the chlorine in the pool I have now.

I know its a process.. I have read the beginnings of all the processes I'm trying to figure out what I need based off the test information I have. There is still plenty of free chlorine. Its still very cloudy and that is the only thing I can bank on atm... CYA is simply to keep your AC longer than without... I don't think I have wasted. I'm picking up stabilizer right now..

 

[Djz2012]

Ok I now have been running pump 24/7 and my thick green liner is now clear. I can see the bottom of the pool but I still have green.


I got water tested by a pro lab.

Free Available chlorine is 10.48 ppm
Total Chlorine is 10.48 ppm
Combined chlorine is 0
Total alkalinity is 81ppm
pH level is 6.7
Calcium Hardness is 129ppm
Cyanuric Acid is 22ppm
copper 0
iron 0
total disolved solids 0
saturated index is -1.2 corrosive

thats what i have so far-

I bought a powder pH booster and added it.

Ive used 10 lbs of oxy shock to grip the bad chlorine and remove it to give me more free chlorine.

it seems to have worked because like i said, pool is pretty clear now... just green still.

I have been cleaning the filter daily. I was recommended to use "floc" so all the dead algea gets binded... then drops to the bottom of the pool so I can vac it out but I'm unsure about this.

Now that I have the good water test is there anything you guys can recommend to me? or anything I need to look for? watch for? am I on my way? Thanks again.

 

[SkyKid]

:grrrr: Stop with all the pool store stuff and order a real test kit like I have (TF-100 with XL Option)
From what I learned here getting my pool from green to Sparkling Clear is you need a good test kit
Also listen to the experts here they will help you just as they helped me

 

[harleysilo]

Ok I now have been running pump 24/7 and my thick green liner is now clear. I can see the bottom of the pool but I still have green.


I got water tested by a pro lab.

Free Available chlorine is 10.48 ppm
Total Chlorine is 10.48 ppm
Combined chlorine is 0
Total alkalinity is 81ppm
pH level is 6.7
Calcium Hardness is 129ppm
Cyanuric Acid is 22ppm
copper 0
iron 0
total disolved solids 0
saturated index is -1.2 corrosive

thats what i have so far-

I bought a powder pH booster and added it.

Ive used 10 lbs of oxy shock to grip the bad chlorine and remove it to give me more free chlorine.

it seems to have worked because like i said, pool is pretty clear now... just green still.

I have been cleaning the filter daily. I was recommended to use "floc" so all the dead algea gets binded... then drops to the bottom of the pool so I can vac it out but I'm unsure about this.

Now that I have the good water test is there anything you guys can recommend to me? or anything I need to look for? watch for? am I on my way? Thanks again.

I don't know what oxy shock is and I don't know what you mean about griping the CC. That's sounds like pool store lingo and I don't speak it. Did you add CYA? Ever? It's not in tap water. How much did you add and on what date?

 

[Djz2012]

I have not added cya since last year in the summer- but as it stands based on my tested water, I'm at 22ppm and that is within acceptable range.

I know about the "pool talk, lingo, etc...". I didn't buy these products I simply am trying to do what I can with what I have.

They said the oxi shock binds to the bad chlorine to free up the good chlorine without reducing chlorine levels. And I feel that was definately the case because my free chlorine levels are still very high and my water is clear enough to see through it...

 

[Speedo]

I know from experience that trying to hybrid BBB/TFP advice w/ pool store advice won't work at all. Doing the best with what you have doesn't work either, same principle. You MUST use a quality test kit. Go to TFTestkits.net and order the TF-100 now (XL is a good choice). SpeedStir will make things easier and more enjoyable. If you're not willing to take the advice and use it, your pool will suffer. We've all been there.

Also - pool store test results are not "pro," they're inaccurate. Have multiple tests done (same sample), they will all be different. TF-100 or K-2006 can provide repeat accurate results. Many of us have had the pool store test our water for fun, their summaries (results) are awful.

 

[Djz2012]

Ordered text kit- (a real one) Thanks for advice on that.


Fully understand they are clueless about BBB... Send woman to get CYA and she came back with 350 dollars worth of garbage and we were texting while she was there and I did one of these and the pool guy was griping about me not knowing what I was talking about since he says all the info here is useless buy my products instead... :blah:

I simply can do no more atm till my test kit comes and as soon as it does I will post results so yall can help me continue my quest to always know how to get a sparkling pool.

I have followed all the advice I've been given so far and from the forums. Hopefully I can keep what I have stabilized till the kit comes.

 

[PridgNYC]

Ordered text kit- (a real one) Thanks for advice on that.

Good first step...

Bad first step

Fully understand they are clueless about BBB... Send woman to get CYA and she came back with 350 dollars worth of garbage and we were texting while she was there and I did one of these and the pool guy was griping about me not knowing what I was talking about since he says all the info here is useless buy my products instead... :blah:

I've been married 10 years now, and I have learned that there are certain things you don't ask your wife to do. I think this qualifies. It's similar to asking your wife to take the car in and tell the mechanic that it is making a funny noise. No amount of texting will make this situation better.

 

[poolmama67]

I am a woman and I got the same response when I went to the pool store to get my CYA. The pool store owner just shook his head at me as if I didn't know what I was talking about. :grrrr: He then proceeded to try to sell my $300 more worth of products. :blah: I said, "no thank you. I don't need all that."

I left without purchasing anything and went to Walmart and bought my CYA.

 

[pool mum]

I am a woman and I don't go to pool stores; I keep my pool crystal clear with products from Costco and Lowes I would never send my husband to the pool store or he'd come home with hundreds in garbage :lol: