I just found this site, and boy am I glad I did. I have an inground vinyl liner pool, it was unattended to for about 9 mo. Recently had a local company who was going to recover for me and then subsequently maintain the pool due to my work hours. A month in and a new pool pump (that I had to have) the pool is still green and filled with matter that I believe to be the result of multiple floccs. I have been vacuuming to waste and then letting settle and then vacuuming again. Been doing this for 72 hours. If I try to run the pump with the filter, I have to backwash every 20-30 minutes. I’ve gotten quite a bit of the dead algae matter, but pool is green now and can’t tell how much is down there. I have the pump on recirculate and have adjusted PH levels up to range, my CYA is at 0 and FC and TC are at 0. Any advice on next step?
Need help, not sure where to start!
- Thread starter Whiskeyguy
- Start date
Hey WG and Welcome !!!
How are you testing ? You'll need your own reliable test kit to manage things yourself. Test strips change color as you look at them and one of those shade may have been close.
You will need to test far to often for the pool store to continue testing you for free.
See Test Kits Compared
The k2006 doesn't have enough supplies.
The k2006C has enough or too much
The TF100 has enough supplies
The TFpro has enough supplies and includes a $48 stirring device (you want one) and a nice case.
The TF kits also have a SLAM option which you'll want for the inevitable SLAM Process you will need. Order up a kit, read up, and fire off any questions.
How are you testing ? You'll need your own reliable test kit to manage things yourself. Test strips change color as you look at them and one of those shade may have been close.
You will need to test far to often for the pool store to continue testing you for free.
See Test Kits Compared
The k2006 doesn't have enough supplies.
The k2006C has enough or too much
The TF100 has enough supplies
The TFpro has enough supplies and includes a $48 stirring device (you want one) and a nice case.
The TF kits also have a SLAM option which you'll want for the inevitable SLAM Process you will need. Order up a kit, read up, and fire off any questions.
Current readings are off a pool store tester, I just ordered the k2006c, but won’t be in till Saturday. I’ve also have a 50lb bucket of “leading pool store” power granulated shock. I have reason here that LC or bleach is best. Can I use the powder and then switch or is it imperative I switch now? Bucket was like $350 is why I ask. I guess my ? Is, while I wait for test kit to arrive, what can I do in the next 4 days to at least make some progress ?
- Jul 17, 2019
- 3,714
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Ideally you can add 5ppm of liquid chlorine per day until your test kit arrives. For your sized pool that is going to be right at 1 gallon of 10% liquid chlorine per day.
The problem with the powder chlorine is that it is always chlorine + another ingredient. If it is cal hypo, that extra ingredient is calcium. With a vinyl liner you do not need calcium and too much will create the white calcium scale. Trichlor/Dichlor is usually pucks vs a powder, but the extra ingredient there is CYA. Just like calcium, CYA is fine up to a point then causes issues when it builds up in your pool.
Do you happen to know if your calcium levels are high? If so I would be hesitant to add more.
Calcium is at 119ppm, according to probably flawed test readings from store, lol
- Jul 17, 2019
- 3,714
- Pool Size
- 13000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Well, if that is even remotely accurate you may have some wiggle room to use the powdered shock a little assuming it is cal-hypo. Do you know what type of powdered shock you have?
Assuming it is 70% Cal-Hypo, a 1lb scoop will add 4.1 FC to your pool and 3 ppm of CH. The whole 50lb bucket will add 150 ppm of CH.
When stored cool/dry, it basically lasts forever. There's no rush to use it up.
You can also easily recoup most of your money on FB marketplace or the offer up app.
It is Cal-Hypo, so good to know I have some wiggle room there. With Cya being bottomed out, should I adjust that first and then look at shock? Obviously I’ll need to do a slam, but just trying to keep under control until testing kit arrives.
That's where the 5ppm FC comes in.
Download PoolMath and setup your basic pool details. Click on any parameter to enter the start value, the target value, (0 to 5 for this) and what you'd like to add to do so. In this case, bleach VS swg VS tabs (etc etc). And at the bottom it will tell you to add XX ounces of chlorine.
Not until we have reliable results. And then you should do an ammonia test first. Green water that sat, has 0 FC and 0 CYA is a contender for ammonia. To test for it, add 10ppm FC and mix for 30 mins. If you keep most of it, you're clear. If you lose most of it, repeat the 30 min test/dose until you keep most of the FC.
Then add CYA to 30, bring PH to 7.2, and SLAM Process
That’s a great idea, still has the tab you have to remove to open for the first time. Thank you, moving to LC for now on
Thank you for your time and advice, that gives me a plan to go on. I’ll circle back with any additional questions once the SLAM process is going.