1st timer, but what do I do now.... disgruntled frog owner hosed by local pool store!

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C

cdwa223

0
Apr 14, 2017
28
Georgetown ky
Well 1st of all thank you to this entire website!! It has been extremely more helpful than the local pool store. Last year was my first time with a pool (it came with our house) love it but it nearly made me insane. 1st mistake was attempting to manage it with a pool frog (that's in the trash). So this year I thought I'd get an early start. we live in central KY and didn't have much of a winter so I didn't want to let the algae get too far gone. I began 6 days ago adding 4 gallons of 10% bleach and started the slam process. Day 2 we went from green swampy to blue and cloudy. I've added a total 23 gallons of 10% bleach. I have a pretty clear blue but still very cloudy. Only about 2.5 ft visibility. Now I am maintaining a fc of 10 over night it is still cloudy. I don't have any solids in the pool. Also of note I don't have any stabilizer. I was told (which as I am reading may be incorrect) that because the heat and sun is not that intense I shouldn't need a stabilizer yet. What do I do now? How do I clear the cloudy? Also can someone give me a little insight on how to maintain my chlorine levels any other way than with the frog. Do you all prefer tabs/floaters or bleach? Which is more cost effective? Again thank you a pool much for all of your help !!!

18000 gal pool above ground sand filter
 
C,

Welcome to TFP.. A Great resource for all those Ex Pool Frog users.. :snorkle:

I think you will find that we only recommend one of three ways to chlorinate your pool...

1. Manually add Liquid Chlorine or plain Bleach on a regular basis. Usually daily or ever other day.
2. Use a Stenner pump to automatically add Liquid Chlorine or bleach.
3. Use a Saltwater Chlorine Generator (SWCG) to convert the salt in your pool into chlorine.

We do not recommend using chlorinated 3" pucks... as over a period of time, they increase your CYA levels to a point where you have no choice but to drain your pool.

Thanks for posting,

Jim R.
 
Re: 1st timer

C,

What test kit are you using? We don't generally tell people to dump a bunch of chlorine in the water, but rather have them add enough chlorine to get the FC ppm up to a specific point and keep it there. I don't see any mention of that in your post above..

Your CYA level would determine what level you need to maintain..

See this chart... https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/128-chlorine-cya-chart-slam-shock

Have you read this on how to SLAM?? https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/125-slam-shock-level-and-maintain-shockingl

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
Re: 1st timer

My cya is zero. I was told by the pool store (oops) that I did not need stabilizer at this time because it is early spring/ sun won't burn off my chlorine. I brought my ph to 7 before beginning the slam. I have a 5 way test kit as well as strips. I have ordered the kit you all recommend. However, in the meantime have been maintaining a FC of at least 10 throughout the process. This is day 6 I am gaining more visibility now but it is still very cloudy.
We have ordered a dolphin extreme vacuum as well. 20170416_172711.jpg
 
Re: 1st timer

There seems to be improvement in the pool so I recommend you continue what you are doing until you receive your test kit.

How are you verifying the FC of 10ppm?

It's good that you have ordered a proper test kit, you can't complete the SLAM without it. Which kit did you get, and when is it expected in?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Awesome progress. What test kit are you using? We only recommend 2 here, the Taylor k-2006 and the tf100. We really need a full set of test results from one of the mentioned kits. I would venture to say, that since you were using a frog, your CYA is actually not zero.

We only recommend 3 different ways of chlorination here. Manual dosing of liquid chlorine/bleach, automatic dosing of liquid chlorine/bleach (Steiner pump), or a salt water chlorine generator. These 3 methods will help ensure that you are able to balance your water without having to replace some from time to time.

Most say that SWG and manual dosing of chlorine/bleach are roughly equivalent in cost in the long run. Just do you want to pay for it all at once up front or spread it out over several years. I love my SWG as it takes our easy methodology to the next level of easy.
 
The frog adventure was actually last season. We drained the pool completely and started fresh and all last season fought the frog battle. I sat out to do anything but fight that frog this season. I took my initial pool water sample to the pool store which told me that my fc 0 cya 0 ph 8. So I added muriatic acid brought it to 7 and began slamming. For the past 6 days we have relied on strips and a five way test kit...which only tests chlorine levels up to 5. My strips actually read up to ten. My t100 and vacuum will be here tuesday.

Should I add cya at this point or wait until I reach clarity?
 

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DE is a great polisher, but you have to be able to monitor your filter pressure very closely when you add it to a cloudy pool as it can shoot up quickly. I would hold off until you get good numbers, and pass criteria 1 and 2 for SLAM completion before adding DE. You may not be as close to gin clear as you think you are.

- - - Updated - - -

ok, looking at picture from today, no way is it time to add DE. You have a ways to go
 
In my short experience (which consists of last year and 1 week so far this year) it just takes time for the cloudiness to go away. I started in a similar place as you are in last year, nasty green to blue and cloudy overnight, but the blue and cloudy stuck around for about a week or 10 days until it became crystal clear, and remained that way the rest of the summer thanks to everything I learned from this website.

Have patience, you will get there. I opened my pool a week ago and spent 5 days getting muck off the bottom (never going to close in anything other than perfectly clean water again) and I'm now in that cloudy blue stage. Hopefully the water will be swimable in another week... other than being a tad chilly.
 
Ok I finally have numbers. Using K2006 kit. Here are the numbers and current pic. I still have minimal visibility. Dolphin also arrived and cleared a lot of alge and small derbies.
Fc 4.5
CC 0.5
Cya 0 (dot never disappeared)
Ph below 7 (very yellow on color indicator scale) 6 drops needed to raise ph to 7.2
TA 10
CA 100
Advice much appreciated. 20170418_111447.jpg
 

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