Hello, I am so glad to have found this place. I would much rather take care of my pool than someone else and have been studying everything you all have on the site for the last day and a half. I have been dealing with a pool for almost 5 years but my kids were small so the pool stayed small and it was easy with the chemicals and keeping it clean. This year I went a bit bigger and got a 4,200 gal pool instead of 3something. Well it's been open maybe 3 weeks, my kids and neighbors kids have enjoyed it but the darn thing got cloudy and I tried to do what I normally did but after reading this site I realize that was wrong. So the pool is clear until whatever is on the bottom (nothing visible) of the pool gets disturbed and it becomes a milky cloudy look. I went and got it tested at Leslie's and like everyone here has said I got a multitude of chemicals suggested (clarifier too) with no results. I have been scrubbing the pool with the brush, running the pump 24/7 (it's been 4 days), checking ph and chlorine levels at home and at Leslie's, since my vacuum uses a bag and garden hose I added a sock to help catch small particles, I do a minimum of cleaning cartridge filter once a day but when I am home I was doing it twice. I even put a new filter in thinking maybe the other was clogged up cause of all the chemicals. Well on the fresh filter last night it looked like yellow granular all over it. I almost started thinking maybe it was sand from one of those sinking toys, could it be pollen clinging to whatever the clarifier does?. I also always used powder chlorine and etc which I read along with the clarifier each on their own can make cloudiness worse. I have always hated the test strips but other than my simple chlorine/pH test kit I didn't know what to do. With this sites advice I purchased the TF-pro with smart stir. I am going to overnight chlorine loss test tonight but I have a gut feeling it is algae but we will see.
Question.. my ladder for the pool is easily removable and when we are done swimming I like to remove it and store it in the shed. I initially did this cause my kids were small and it was for safety reasons as well as because I read how the ladder can rust. My question is...am I making my job harder by doing this? Is it exposing it to too many other factors that will mess up my chemicals in the pool or is this ok to do as long as I do not visibly put it in a bunch of mess? (I store it in a shed)
If I start using liquid chlorine is it still recommended that I have a chlorine tablet holder in the pool at all times? The store said it's a must but now I am questioning everything they taught me.
Thanks for your help and any suggestions.
Question.. my ladder for the pool is easily removable and when we are done swimming I like to remove it and store it in the shed. I initially did this cause my kids were small and it was for safety reasons as well as because I read how the ladder can rust. My question is...am I making my job harder by doing this? Is it exposing it to too many other factors that will mess up my chemicals in the pool or is this ok to do as long as I do not visibly put it in a bunch of mess? (I store it in a shed)
If I start using liquid chlorine is it still recommended that I have a chlorine tablet holder in the pool at all times? The store said it's a must but now I am questioning everything they taught me.
Thanks for your help and any suggestions.