Desperate for help!

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Ashleyh7489

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Aug 20, 2017
17
Muncie, IN
I've been a pool owner for about a year so I am extremely green (no pun intended) when it comes to pool knowledge. So please be patient with me :)

I had a pool company come open my pool almost a month ago and it has been an uphill battle trying to clear my pool up since then. It was not covered correctly over the winter so I knew I would have a lot to deal with when the time came. There for about a week and a half after putting in the chemicals the pool store suggested the water was a cloudy blue. I took another sample back to the store, did what they recommended but still nothing. I've come to my wits end and now the water is back to a dark green. We've had a ton of rain the past couple of days and I tested my water just a little bit ago. This is my first time using the Taylor K2006 kit so don't be surprised if this is incorrect. I haven't added any chemicals for 8 days.

Chlorine: the water didn't turn pink so I'm assuming the chlorine is 0 (like I said I haven't added anything for over a week)
pH: 7.6
TA: 200ppm
CH: 150ppm
CYA: the black dot never disappeared after adding all the water to the tube ???

Please help! I'm desperate to figure this out so I don't make things worse than they already are. TIA!
 
Get enough CYA in there to hit 30 and add bleach to get to 5 or 6. Never let it get less than 4.

After that, check back with new test results and we'll take it from there.

P.S. you will need to SLAM after you get set.
 
Alright Ashley, let's get crackin' on that water. Here's a simple checklist to follow:
1. You need CYA (stabilizer). The dot must disappear at 30 to protect chlorine from the sun. So use the sock-soaking method to add stabilizer for a CYA goal of 30. (See note below).
2. Lower the pH to 7.2 (muriatic acid). Yes, it's strong, but it's the best. Use the PoolMath tool to help with dosage. Add the acid, let circulate for about 20-30 minutes, then test again and adjust more if needed.
3. Liquid chlorine (aka regular bleach). Increase the FC to "12" and test as often as you need to until you see it start to hold. When you first add the bleach, the FC will drop FAST because you have a lot of junk in there. So at first, test the FC about 10 minutes later, then if it starts to hold, back off to about 20-30 minutes later, etc. You'll see a pattern when it starts to hold better at 12. You need the FC to be at 12 as much as possible until you pass all 3 SLAM Process criteria.
4. Brush, rake, sweep to ensure ALL physical debris is out of the pool. That is extremely important. Bleach kills algae, but it doesn't dissolve branches, critters, or large junk. That's where your elbow grease comes-in handy.
5. While the pump is running 24/7, watch the pressure gauge. When it increase by 25% from the clean pressure, it's time to backwash.


Follow the SLAM Process page notes, keep the FC at 12 after you add the stabilizer and lower the pH and you can't go wrong. Good luck!
Adding CYA:
To increase CYA via granular stabilizer, place the required amount as calculated by the Poolmath calculator into a white sock and place in the poolside skimmer basket. For those concerned about suction flow to the pump, suspending the sock near a return jet or from a floating device will also suffice. Best never to allow undissolved granules to rest directly against the pool surface. Squeeze the sock periodically to help it dissipate. Once dissolved, consider your CYA adjusted to that programmed (target) level. CYA test readings should show a rise in 24-48 hours, however some pools may experience a longer delay to fully register. Best to confirm final CYA in about 5-7 days before adding any more stabilizer/conditioner.
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- - - Updated - - -

Make sure the bleach you use is regular/plain bleach. Don't use anything that says splashless, scented, or is treated with fabric softeners/polymers.
 
Do get your CYA level up. This is where you are heading, so you can start reading/rereading the following. You must follow the directions exactly, and be diligent and patient. It will work!

Pool School - SLAM - Shock Level And Maintain

While you are slamming, start studying here to learn how to maintain your pool, reading through Pool School and especially ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry, which includes instructions about how to add CYA. Ask any questions you have here, you'll get plenty of help!
 
Once you start to add the CYA, assume it is in the water. So move on to the next.
Then adjust pH. Should be relatively quick.
Then add LC to your SLAM FC level. And maintain that by testing and dosing with LC every couple hours.
 
Hang in there Ashleyh. You are in good hands with Marty. He was my mentor when I first found TFP and he guided me, tirelessly, through my initial efforts (and still does)! He's the best!!
 

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Is it right to get to a FC level of 12 to add 3 gallons of LC?
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If you are using 6% bleach (going zero to 12) - yes. Make sure on the FC row you check the WEIGHT block and enter the correct percentage bleach you are using. Some are 8.25%, 10%, etc.
 
ok I just finished steps 1-3 and tested my water.

Results:

.8ppm FC
4ppm CC
pH 7.2
TA 140ppm
CH 150 ppm
CYA still 0 the sock is soaking in my skimmer and I'm squeezing it periodically to dissipate it,

My question is in order to get to a level 12 of FC I just keep adding and testing every 10 mins or so til I get there??? I'm using 128 oz gallons of 10% bleach
 
Keep adding LC until you get 12 ppm FC. Test and dose every 30 minutes or so.

The CYA will not show up in the water for testing until at least 24 hours after all of it is dissolved from the sock.

Your CC shows the FC is eating stuff. Keep at it.
 
Sorry I've been MIA, some personal stuff came up but I've been keeping up with maintenance etc and my FC level is currently 12.5

So my question is now that I've finally reached shock level how often should I keep testing the water and aside from that do I just make sure the pool is clean?
 
SLAM requires testing FC and adding LC as often as possible. Preferably no less than 3 or 4 times per day.
 
Ashleyh7489 said:
I've been SLAMing my pool for about a week now and my pool has looked like this since Saturday. Can someone tell me what is going on? Thanks!
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Splash Less bleach contains soap, and this is probably the issue. Purchase only 8.25% plain unscented bleach with no other additives. Also check the date on the bottle to make sure it is fresh. You have to look hard. I purchased regular bleach for the home and it had additives in it. I knew right away what happened.
 
Can you give us a list of test results and how much LC you added since the start of the SLAM?

Have you used any bleach that had scents, splashless, fabric protection, Cloromax, etc?

Have you added any algaecide?
 

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