Already making mistakes, LOL! Will I be able to swim this weekend?

[NoodleGirl]

Hey all, just bought a new house with a large pool. It was going okay until today when I noticed it was cloudy and the sand filter pressure was high. Uh oh! I open up the chlorinator which was empty and backwashed the filter+cleaned basket. I used my TF-Pro test kit and found out I have ZERO chlorine.

I’ve added chlorine tablets into the chlorinator and I dumped 3 pounds of Clorox Xtra Blue Shock into the pool, and scrubbed the walls. I will test water again tomorrow and I’m thinking about adding an algaecide tomorrow as well.

I want to swim this weekend!!!! What do I do to make that happen?

See my signature for what I already do daily.

Test Results:
4/23/2023:
Chlorine 2 - 4
pH 7.8
FC 2.5
CC .5
Total Chlorine 3
Hardness 150
Alkalinity 80
CYA 30

5/12/2023:
Chlorine 5 - 10 or higher
pH 7.8
FC 3
CC 0
Total Chlorine 3
Hardness 150
Alkalinity 70
CYA 30

5/21/2023:
Chlorine 0
pH 7.5
FC 0
CC 0
Total Chlorine 0
Hardness 175
Alkalinity 70
CYA 30

 

[PoolStored]

3 pounds of Clorox Xtra Blue Shock

Please don't use this product it has copper that can stain your pool.

the sand filter pressure was high.

This is because you likely have algae brewing and your filter is catching it...

I will test water again tomorrow and I’m thinking about adding an algaecide tomorrow as well.

Please do not add algaecide.

Do this test tonight. Link-->Overnight Chlorine Loss Test

If you fail, you have algae and should follow this process. Link-->SLAM Process

Proof here...Link-->How Clear is TFP Clear?

We got you...and WELCOME TO TFP!!!

Oh, and a bit of extra reading...Link-->Pool Care Basics

 

[kimkats]

So far you have done a LOT right! Finding TFP and getting a great test kit and using it! Well done!

For right now the only thing you should be adding to the pool is liquid chlorine. The tablets and such add too much unnecessary stuff to the water.

@PoolStored has you well covered on some links to read to learn good pool care!

 

[an1vrsy]

It was going okay until today when I noticed it was cloudy

Welcome to TFP!

How cloudy is it? Can you see the drains in the deep end? Take a photo and post it here. Do you have a Walmart, big box store near by? You will need to stop those stores and buy some liquid chlorine. You got this! Any further questions, ask…

 

[NoodleGirl]

Awesome, thanks so much. I just retested my water and my FC is only at 0.5 after putting in that pool shock, so my guess is that tomorrow morning when I retest it will be at zero and that I for sure have algae.

I’ll be getting the liquid chlorine tomorrow regardless!

 

[NoodleGirl]

So far you have done a LOT right! Finding TFP and getting a great test kit and using it! Well done!

For right now the only thing you should be adding to the pool is liquid chlorine. The tablets and such add too much unnecessary stuff to the water.

@PoolStored has you well covered on some links to read to learn good pool care!

Thank you and noted!!

 

[PoolStored]

I’ll be getting the liquid chlorine tomorrow regardless!

Excellent choice!!!

I will look forward to the day, in the not so distant future, you will post here (I know, repeat)...Link-->How Clear is TFP Clear?

 

[NoodleGirl]

How cloudy is it?

Not super cloudy in my opinion as I barely noticed. I’ll have to take a picture tomorrow!

 

[PoolStored]

It would seem like a short slam will clear this up quickly. If my pool "sniffs" minimums, it will cloud. A 24-48hr Slam clears it quickly.

 

[NoodleGirl]

All - I retested this morning and nothing changed chlorine, pH, or CYA wise. FC still at 0.5 and I think the visual Chlorine test looked slightly more yellow. I did leave the 5 tablets in the chlorinator that I did before the xtra blue Clorox shock yesterday so there is still some chlorine going in.

PSI on sand filter already went from 12 yesterday to 20 this morning.

I’m picking up liquid Chlorine today, and plan to start dumping it in tonight.

I think my CYA is ~30. See pic below of current water and CYA tests, so I’m going for 12 FC and I have Pool Math downloaded so I’ll know what amounts to dump in.

Any thoughts! Thanks in advance!