I'm new to this and getting frustrated ---

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EANJR715

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Jun 6, 2008
6
Springfield, MA
I've been trying to use the BBB method this year and so far the pool is still a pale green.
my numbers as of today are :
FC = 12.5
CC = 1
TC = 13.5
TA = 170
CH = 190
CYA = 28 -30
PH = 7.8

I'm not sure as to what to do next. I've been using a lot of liquid bleach from the grocery store. According to the chlorine/CYA chart I'm at shock level. AS I add more chlorine I get a light brown stain on the pool steps -which I believe is from tanins from oak leaves that are still in the pool. I've been removing them over time but since I can't see the bottom of the pool it's hit or miss. Am I close to the mark on these numbers ? Any advice is appreciated.

thanks
Eanjr715
 
Welcome to TFP!

The leaves are the root of your problem. The chlorine you add is trying to break them down, and being consumed in the process. If you don't have a leaf rake like this
MVC-018F.JPG


get one so you can clean the bottom of the pool. The leaf rake is far better for this than anything else.
 
You wont be able to clear your water up until the leaves are out of the pool. Get a leaf rake and just dip it in and get what you can. If you can remember when debris collects in the pool under normal circumstances scoop there because thats where they will be most likely sitting.
If you have a pool cleaner of some type put it in and let it run for a few hours and see what you come up with. Thats what I did this year and it did the trick !
 
Hi EANJR715,

Your numbers look okay. You are at/near shock level for your CYA :goodjob:

As John & Tiz said, use a leaf rake/pool cleaner and get all the goop out! It is eating you chlorine!

What test method did you use for your results? Kit (which one)? Pool Store?

Have you read Pool School? Button/link top right of each page :wink:

Can we see a pic of your pool?

Welcome to the forum :wave:

b/t/w, JohnT, nice pic of your sparkly pool water in your post :mrgreen:
 
I dumped a large amount of bleach into my pool to open it. It wasn't until I got almost all of the organic debris out that I really started making progress. Like these guys said, the more you get out, the faster it will go and the cheaper it will be.
 
I've seem to have gotten most all of the organic material out of the pool. The leaf rake comes up empty except for the occasional leaf or two. The water is a dull white/very light green color. I've been putting in lots of 6% bleach. Measured this morning and the FC is quite high. I've vacuumed yesterday and didn't really get much in the skimmer basket. I can vaguely see the bottom of the steps going into the shallow end.
using a lot of patience here !

FC - 22
CC - 2
TC - 23
ph = 7.8
cya - 30

Using the TF-100 test kit.
 
Now you wait. Keep the filter running. You might from time to time give the bottom and the sides a brushing but at your current FC level you're not likely to have anything growing in there. It can take some time for the filter to clean out the remaining organics and other fine debris.
 

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With a CYA=30 and an FC=22 in my opinion Ed doesn't need to keep adding bleach for a few days. If this were my system I'd let the FC drift down. I realize that something is consuming the chlorine because he reports a CC=2 but given the amount of leaves that had been in the pool the chlorine consumption may be due to factors other than algae, such as byproducts from the breakdown of the leaves.

I would test FC and CC daily and maintain FC at 15 once it gets there until the water is clear. That's my personal approach which has worked well when we had green water issues. YMMV.
 
I agree with AnnaK ... let your FC drop back to 15 since your way above shock level anyway brush the walls and the bottom to keep any little stuff stirred up and let the filter work for a few days.

Have you back washed the filter lately ?

Once the algae is dead it can take up to a week for the filter to clear up the water. You should see improvements every day.

One day you will walk out to the pool and you will get a pleasant surprise to a crystal clear pool !
Be patient !!!! :wink:
 
AnnaK said:
Now you wait. Keep the filter running. You might from time to time give the bottom and the sides a brushing but at your current FC level you're not likely to have anything growing in there. It can take some time for the filter to clean out the remaining organics and other fine debris.
Click to expand...

gotcha. the way I read this was, you dumped a bunch of chlorine in and got your level high so you're done even though the water's light green, cc's are 2 and no overnight loss test was performed. I've often been accused of wrecked trains of thought, but I just didn't want the op to think he was good to go.
 
Ed, it does take some patience to clear a pool. A bottle or two of POP is often needed. :wink:

The shock level for your CYA is around 12 or 13.
Use Jason's Pool Calculator (link in my sig, on home page and in Pool School) to figure the correct doses of bleach/liquid chlorine to add to reach your shock level.
15 is a little high, but okay.

You are making good progress, but not done yet.

You are done shocking when:
1. Your overnight FC loss is 1 or less and
2. Your CC's are .5 or less
You have the TF100 and can precision test to verify.

You can read detailed instructions on "How to Shock Your Pool" in Pool School.

Can we see a pic of your pool? :-D
 
ok I'm starting to see the bottom of the pool (barely) in the shallow end.
We've had a lot of rain and I 've had to remove water from the pool - at one point I took out too much and had to put some back via the garden hose.

Current numbers

FC 2
CC .5
TC 2.5
Ph 7.5 - 7.8
CL from quickie test kit is around 2 - 3

CYA = 20

According to the pool calculator I should add about 3.5 lbs of stabilizer to vring it up to 40 and
2 182 oz jugs of 6% bleach to get it back to shock level.

Am I on target ?

Thanks
Ed
 
Did you ever do an overnight FC test?

If so, and if your chlorine loss was 1 or under, and given that the CCs test at .5, you don't really need to shock and save the bleach. I would bring up the stabilizer though. Your goal of 40 is appropriate, go for it.

Happy to hear you can see the bottom! :goodjob:
 

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