It's still green

[hartforscouting]

Found y'all earlier this week. This is 3rd year with pool. It's 26K, in gound, sand filer. Previous tenants helped first year, but then pump motor broke 2nd year & we let it go. Motor replaced. Sand still only 3 years old. Looked like swamp. I keep getting it to a grey is green color, but never any farther. Been working on it for about 2.5 weeks. I started with Walmart stuff cuz it was cheaper. This weekend I used bleach, baking soda, muratic acid, washing soda, & 3" tablets (in 1st skimmer). I have leaf raked, brushed walls, & vacuumed to waste. I'm getting distraught & additionally the sides are gritty. Won't brush off but I can scratch with my nails & it comes off. It looks like green sand.

TA is good
PH is good
Chlorine is between 1 & 3

1st Pic @ opening

2nd Pic comparison

3rd Pic (Most recent)

hartforscouting

 

[Azgirl71]

Welcome to TFP! What test kit are you using? Can you post a full set of test results?
FC
CC
PH
TA
CH
CYA

Have you read the SLAM process in Pool School?

 

[BoDarville]

Welcome to TFP!

TA is good
PH is good
Chlorine is between 1 & 3

What are you using to test? In order to provide good advice, we need to know the specific readings. In any event, chlorine between 1 and 3 is not good for clearing a green pool. It needs to be put through the SLAM Process process which involved highly elevated chlorine levels. To properly do this process, you will need a FAS/DPD chlorine test which is found in our Recommended Test Kits. You will also need to know the CYA level. Also, cease using the chlorine pucks and use plain unscented liquid bleach for chlorination.

I would suggest ordering a proper test kit right away. While you are waiting for it to arrive, I would continue removing debris from your pool. I would also peruse these articles: ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry, Chlorine CYA Chart, and SLAM Process.

 

[pooldv]

Welcome to TFP! More Pool School

Here are the Recommended Levels for your pool.
Here are the Recommended Pool Chemicals
Use PoolMath to figure out how much to add.

 

[hartforscouting]

How much bleach to use for slam?

I put in 11.25 gallons of sodium hypochlorite (generic bleach) to slam pool last night. TA & PH great. No idea CYA. Vacuumed before & brushed sides after. I do not have any tabs in right now.

Was this enough chlorine & what do I do next?

26K, In-ground, Sand Filter, Vinyl Liner

Today

Recent

hartforscouting

 

[hartforscouting]

I just reposted under Algae. Never used this app or site before so I am wading my way through it. I put more info there.

hartforscouting

 

[jblizzle]

I merged the threads.

- - - Updated - - -

Welcome to TFP!!!

We do not blindly add chemicals. We only add what the pool needs based on accurate test results.

Do you have one of the Recommended Test Kits? If not, you can not accurately follow the ShockLevelAndMAINTAIN Process and you are on hold until you do get one of the test kits.

 

[Richard320]

Re: How much bleach to use for slam?

I put in 11.25 gallons of sodium hypochlorite (generic bleach) to slam pool last night. TA & PH great. No idea CYA. Vacuumed before & brushed sides after. I do not have any tabs in right now.

Was this enough chlorine & what do I do next?

There is no way to say this without sounding harsh, but it needs to be said: You are not performing a SLAM. SLAM neans Shock Level And Maintain. What is Shock Level? Roughly, it's a free chlorine level approximately 40% of your CYA level. What is your CYA level? You don't know. How can you tell if you're even close to shock level? Or grossly above shock level to liner-bleaching chlorine levels?

All you've done so far is pour about forty bucks' worth of bleach into your pool. If your CYA is 300+, which is quite possible if you've followed pool store methods for years, you haven't even come close to shock level. You'd need a tanker truck full of bleach to clear the pool, and it would be cheaper and faster to drain a bunch of water out and replace it.

If your CYA is nonexistant, or it decomposed into Ammonia, it's the same thing: truckloads of bleach. Cheaper to drain.

You need test results. Without a test kit, you're working blind! Trying to clear the pool - shoot, trying to maintain a clear pool - without a proper test kit is like trying to paint a picture wearing a blindfold. Sure, you'll get paint on the canvas, but it won't look anything like what you wanted it to look like. About all you'll have done is waste a lot of paint and ruin a canvas.

I just don't see any reasonable chance of success here. If you want to clear that pool, do what these people did: Inspirational Threads

 

[dschribs]

hartforscouting - You'll read this over and over again on this web site. There's just no way around it. You'll get some great advice on here but in order for the pros to help you with anything - you gotta have a test kit.

It was best investment I EVER made for my pool. Other than my floating cooler....

 

[hartforscouting]

Thanks. Not too harsh. I bought bleach at dollar store, so only out $15. Pool store said I needed 15 lbs CLC3 & 2 Gallons of Back up. Run 2 days & add 5 more lbs CLC. I don't have the $130 for what they suggested, so I used the bleach as a substitute. I saved about $100 using the baking soda instead of Balance Pak 100. I will try to find out my CYA. I have a 3 test strip. FC, TA & PH. I think I can go to Leslie's to find out the CYA.

hartforscouting

 

[Azgirl71]

To perform a SLAM the correct way, you really need a recommended test kit. You cannot go by pool store readings or test strips as they are both often inaccurate. I promise you a good test kit will be the best investment you ever made for yourself and your pool.

 

[jblizzle]

Stop.
Forget the test strips and forget the pool store testing which is no better, especially for CYA.
Order a test kit.

 

[hartforscouting]

I just checked my pool store print out. CYA was 34 before I put in the bleach.

hartforscouting

 

[Azgirl71]

I just checked my pool store print out. CYA was 34 before I put in the bleach.

hartforscouting

I really do not mean to sound rude. We really want to help you with your pool, but Pool Store readings and test strips do not cut it for testing. Until you get a recommended test kit as many of us have said, it is like you are working blindly. You could be adding too much or too little and your pool may remain green. Everyone who has invested in a recommended kit has been extremely happy they purchased it, including myself. I have tested my water with my test kit and then taken the same water to the pool store and their readings were way off. It would have been the end of summer before I got my pool water balanced if I had stuck with the pool store.

 

[hartforscouting]

Cool thanks.

hartforscouting

 

[zimm]

Welcome. If you want us and this forum to help you (and we will!) you need to get one of the recommended test kits. You won't need to go back to the pool store. $60 and you'll get a TF-100, get all of your own numbers, be able to test whenever you want, post your numbers and we'll help you turn that swamp into a crystal clear pool in a couple of weeks. Nobody can really do a CYA test down a single digit... Hopefully it is only 30-40, then your SLAM level is easily obtainable. But without the chlorine drop test from the kit, you won't know your chlorine levels because they'll be higher than either strips or the plastic color scale can show you.