Cloudy water

[Elwopo]

Hi,

VERY happy to have found this forum. I've been dealing with two pool stores and getting conflicting info. Decided there's no choice but to educate and take charge of this money-pit-pool myself. Bought a K-2006 kit which just arrived.

Pool was a swamp 3 months ago before buying new pump. Followed store advice (powder chlorine, green-to-clean, phos free, fresh-n-clear, etc) to get the pool clear.
First clean water test showed TDS around 3500. I drained half the pool and filled with city water per their suggestion.

They told me to add 2lbs Fresh-N-Clear, 8 ounces algaecide, and 2 caps of PhosFree each week and that's it. I'd have a 'trouble free' pool.
Water test yesterday showed:
FAC 1, TAC 1, CH 350, CYA 99, TA 100, pH 7.8, TDS 1300

Now they say not enough chlorine so I have to 'shock'. Well they never told me to add chlorine because of the tablet feeder. I used liquid chlorine for years but this store says there's 'minerals' in it and that's what raised my TDS. Liquid chlorine is bad according to them so they sold me Power Powder Plus 73 (Cal Hypo). I added 2 pounds last night and now the pool is cloudy.
Went to the same store this morning and now they want to sell me more stuff to clear the water. They sold me the stuff that made it cloudy! lol

Any advice? This has been an expensive ordeal and waking up to a cloudy pool before the weekend is not what I signed up for.

Thanks in advance!
Tony

 

[JasonLion]

Welcome to TFP!

Your CYA level is too high. I strongly recommend replacing water to get your CYA level down to something more reasonable, say 30 to 50. One of the challenges is that many CYA tests will report any level over 100 as something around 100, so your CYA level might actually be much higher.

 

[Richard320]

Those look like pool store results. The K-2006 doesn't measure TDS, and CYA 99 is pool store code for "off the charts." Pool store results are always suspect.

My suggestion is to skim through Extended Test Kit Directions, especially the CYA dilution test, and run your own tests and post those results. Then we can help you based on facts.

Forgot to say, welcome!

 

[Elwopo]

Those are pool store results. Had been following their advice and getting too much conflicting information. I just got my test kit in the mail this morning. Looking forward to learning.

 

[Richard320]

Those are pool store results. Had been following their advice and getting too much conflicting information. I just got my test kit in the mail this morning. Looking forward to learning.

Be forewarned: your test results will probably look nothing like the pool store results. That's normal. Trust yours.

Almost forgot: there's also how-to videos. Your kit uses the same reagents, so the testing is the same. You won't need the acid demand tests with poolmath.