Pool will not hold chlorine

[rycheous1]

I have a 27' round above ground pool w/sand filter. when we opened it a week ago it was dreadfully green. I have made multiple trips to the pool stores and had water tested. I have finally gotten the green out of the pool but it is still cloudy and despite consistently shocking/w stabilizer for last 3-4 days it (plus at least 6 3' tabs in the skimmer) the pool will not hold chlorine. The ph and TA were normal but now the ph is dropping rapidly also - last test was around 6.4ph and 100 TA
can i add baking soda to raise TA? Should i simply add straight bleach in place of shock and chlorine tabs?
Any advice is appreciated as i am one of the many frustrated pool owners

 

[JasonLion]

Re: Pool will not hols chlorine

Welcome to TFP!

The crucial question is: what is your CYA level? High CYA levels can lead to exactly the symptoms you describe, as can a few other less likely things.

You should raise the PH up to at least 7.2 as soon as possible. Don't do anything to the TA until you raise the PH and have the TA retested. Changing the PH will change the TA. I recommend using borax to raise the PH, but use PH Up/soda ash or what ever you have around for raising PH and start raising it right away. Low PH can damage the liner.

Bleach will probably be a good thing, but lets find out what the CYA level is and make a clear plan before thinking about that.

 

[rycheous1]

Thanks for the reply! I am going to try and find some borax asap - how much do you think to raise it sufficiently - any suggestions on where to locate it? i will try local grocers and then maybe hardware store. Also how do i test CYA? i normally use strips testing for simple chlorine, ph and TA...sounds like i need to invest in a better testing method huh - like the dropper kit
Thanks again - your advice is GREATLY appreciated!!!

 

[JasonLion]

It is a little difficult to guess the exact amount of borax you will need, somewhere between 2 and 5 boxes seems likely. Most larger grocery stores carry it in the laundry isle, as do many of the big box stores like Wal Mart and Target.