- Jun 26, 2015
- 428
- Pool Size
- 7600
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-30 Plus
Hello all - I am a new pool owner and thought one of these above ground pools would be easy. I was wrong. I have an Intex 18'x48" ultra frame pool. We set it up about 5 or 6 weeks ago and have had no big issues. Didn't really worry about anything, just turned on the filter and swg and left it alone. We stuck the test strips in a time or 2, but had no idea about the reading and knew we put too much salt in, but didn't do anything about it. We got it in almost every day and had no issues except the swg cell being corroded and having to clean that with vinegar about once a week (blamed that on the hard well water that was in our pool)
Jump to last week, went out of town just before I left the swg was beeping with one code or another, turned it off to clean out the skimmer and forgot to turn everything back on. 4 days later upon our return the pool was dark green (that was Sunday).
Since then I have read these forums back and forth and tried to follow tips but I am still out of balance. Last week I had no idea that chemicals were needed, as of today, I think I have bought every chemical that COULD be needed.
There are a lot of different opinion in these forums about situations, I will say that I could not tell you through last night if the swg was running when I added the chemicals I am going to describe next:
Sunday - read somewhere that the high salt content could cause the swg to not add chlorine. Knew the salt was over 5,000 (only testing strips we had) so we drained about 25% of the water and added new. Had some chlorine left over from an old hot tub, tossed that in the pool, maybe a 1/3 of a gallon. Not sure of the concentration.
Monday - went to walmart got - kleen muriatic acid, borax, liquid chlorinator, some kind of shock, conditioning stabilizer, brush to scrub bottom of pool, and test strips (ordered a real kit from amazon, should be here Monday). Pool is not as green today, but still a little green. Chlorine is 0 and ph is 8.4 (high as it goes) Added the shock and about a pint of the kleen muriatic acid.
Tuesday - Chlorine is still 0 ph is still 8.4, added more muriatic acid and about 1/2 gallon of the chlorinator
Wednesday - Water is no longer green but Chlorine is still 0 ph is still 8.4, added the rest of the gallon of kleen muriatic acid (gallon added since Monday) and a gallon of the liquid chlorinator. I also brushed the entire bottom of the pool and lots of what i hope to be dead alge is stirred up. an hour later chlorine is over 10 and the pool looks like milky blue water. Read online that swg shouldn't be run when you are adding chemical chlorine so I turn that off.
Thursday - Chlorine is back to 0 and ph 8.4. Add 1/4 of muriatic acid (not the kleen kind, but from a pool supply) and hit boost on the swg
Friday am - chlorine is 0, ph 8.4. Add a pint of muriatic acid and 2 capfuls of the hth conditioner (read that will help not lose chlorine to sunlight)
Friday pm - still no chlorine. at 2 I added another pint of muriatc acid. - also should note I read today that the boost is bad and will add copper to pool I have that off now and just swg on.
2.5 hours later (4:30) my readings are:
Salt:3890
total hardness 1000
FC 0
ph 8.4
ta 240 ( i think, could be slightly lower)
cya 30
Jump to last week, went out of town just before I left the swg was beeping with one code or another, turned it off to clean out the skimmer and forgot to turn everything back on. 4 days later upon our return the pool was dark green (that was Sunday).
Since then I have read these forums back and forth and tried to follow tips but I am still out of balance. Last week I had no idea that chemicals were needed, as of today, I think I have bought every chemical that COULD be needed.
There are a lot of different opinion in these forums about situations, I will say that I could not tell you through last night if the swg was running when I added the chemicals I am going to describe next:
Sunday - read somewhere that the high salt content could cause the swg to not add chlorine. Knew the salt was over 5,000 (only testing strips we had) so we drained about 25% of the water and added new. Had some chlorine left over from an old hot tub, tossed that in the pool, maybe a 1/3 of a gallon. Not sure of the concentration.
Monday - went to walmart got - kleen muriatic acid, borax, liquid chlorinator, some kind of shock, conditioning stabilizer, brush to scrub bottom of pool, and test strips (ordered a real kit from amazon, should be here Monday). Pool is not as green today, but still a little green. Chlorine is 0 and ph is 8.4 (high as it goes) Added the shock and about a pint of the kleen muriatic acid.
Tuesday - Chlorine is still 0 ph is still 8.4, added more muriatic acid and about 1/2 gallon of the chlorinator
Wednesday - Water is no longer green but Chlorine is still 0 ph is still 8.4, added the rest of the gallon of kleen muriatic acid (gallon added since Monday) and a gallon of the liquid chlorinator. I also brushed the entire bottom of the pool and lots of what i hope to be dead alge is stirred up. an hour later chlorine is over 10 and the pool looks like milky blue water. Read online that swg shouldn't be run when you are adding chemical chlorine so I turn that off.
Thursday - Chlorine is back to 0 and ph 8.4. Add 1/4 of muriatic acid (not the kleen kind, but from a pool supply) and hit boost on the swg
Friday am - chlorine is 0, ph 8.4. Add a pint of muriatic acid and 2 capfuls of the hth conditioner (read that will help not lose chlorine to sunlight)
Friday pm - still no chlorine. at 2 I added another pint of muriatc acid. - also should note I read today that the boost is bad and will add copper to pool I have that off now and just swg on.
2.5 hours later (4:30) my readings are:
Salt:3890
total hardness 1000
FC 0
ph 8.4
ta 240 ( i think, could be slightly lower)
cya 30
