I know there are multiple threads and I've read quite a few but I need to know what WE need to do NOW... and having trouble piecing it together from others' threads. So...
We bought house last winter with existing pool. 27ft (or 28?)x4ft round above ground with sand filter (bought new one already this spring) and 1hp hayward pump. Pool was not opened last year at all and was a horrible swamp when we pulled cover off a few weeks ago.
I hired a couple of 'pool guys' to 'open' the pool. They determined the filter was broken and installed new one for us and dumped a bunch of chemicals in it.
Fast forward 2 weeks and we have been vacuuming and scooping PILES of leaves and junk out of the bottom. Have filter running 24/7. I go out and backwash every few hrs when I noticed the output from the return is slowing down (and when I check PSI has gone from 14-15 to closer to 18-19). The water is now a lovely aqua shade of blue but very cloudy (can see down about 18in maybe?).
Yesterday I decided we had enough debris out that we could start on chemicals again (been running tabs through the feeder but not much else as focusing on all the debris). Took sample to pool store .. was very confused but ended up putting in 3 bags of shock, 1/2 bottle of algae eater and some 'clarifier)... oh and most of a 12lb bag of baking soda. After 4hrs did a check of the water and it looked pretty good (had some free chlorine, ph ok, etc..).
This morning I got this...
HArdness: 100-250
Total Chlorine: 1
Free chlorine: 1
pH: 6.8
Alkalinity: 0
CYA: 0
So... I threw in my last bag of shock and got on here!!! So happy I found this place... I am all about going the cheap/easy way!
So... where do I go from here? (also we are going to be leaving friday afternoon and not returning until Monday afternoon... so do I start now and if so what about the weekend? or do I wait until Monday when we return???)
We bought house last winter with existing pool. 27ft (or 28?)x4ft round above ground with sand filter (bought new one already this spring) and 1hp hayward pump. Pool was not opened last year at all and was a horrible swamp when we pulled cover off a few weeks ago.
I hired a couple of 'pool guys' to 'open' the pool. They determined the filter was broken and installed new one for us and dumped a bunch of chemicals in it.
Fast forward 2 weeks and we have been vacuuming and scooping PILES of leaves and junk out of the bottom. Have filter running 24/7. I go out and backwash every few hrs when I noticed the output from the return is slowing down (and when I check PSI has gone from 14-15 to closer to 18-19). The water is now a lovely aqua shade of blue but very cloudy (can see down about 18in maybe?).
Yesterday I decided we had enough debris out that we could start on chemicals again (been running tabs through the feeder but not much else as focusing on all the debris). Took sample to pool store .. was very confused but ended up putting in 3 bags of shock, 1/2 bottle of algae eater and some 'clarifier)... oh and most of a 12lb bag of baking soda. After 4hrs did a check of the water and it looked pretty good (had some free chlorine, ph ok, etc..).
This morning I got this...
HArdness: 100-250
Total Chlorine: 1
Free chlorine: 1
pH: 6.8
Alkalinity: 0
CYA: 0
So... I threw in my last bag of shock and got on here!!! So happy I found this place... I am all about going the cheap/easy way!
So... where do I go from here? (also we are going to be leaving friday afternoon and not returning until Monday afternoon... so do I start now and if so what about the weekend? or do I wait until Monday when we return???)