Wooden Pool Ladder

[rabeeon]

First post... but I've been reading with interest! We have a 15 x 42 round Intex Metal Frame pool. It's been up for about six weeks. I am having alot of trouble with cloudy water the past 10 days. My husband constructed a heavy duty wooden ladder for the pool since the plastic ladder that comes with it was not sturdy enough for us and also was very uncomfortable for him to climb. (leg injury) I'm wondering if the wood could be causing problems with the water? It is NOT treated, of course.

I will test later on today and post here.

Any ideas?

 

[JohnT]

Here's a guess based on past experience with small pools: Your chlorine is too low, and your pump is undersized.

The wood would be a place for algae to grow, but with sufficient chlorine there wouldn't be a problem. There is just no way for you to adequately chlorinate those pools without adding powdered chlorine or liquid chlorine at least once a day.

 

[rabeeon]

I've just taken readings with my test strips that the pool store sold me. Yep, I've already read how I need at least the Walmart type test kit... plan to purchase shortly. Anyway, here is what the pool reads right now, 90 degree heat this afternoon.

PH 7.2
FC 1
Alk 120
CYA 30-50

Yesterday, the FC was 3. I shocked the pool about five days ago and the FC had been fine until today.

Normally, I have problems keeping chlorine in the water. I add one day and the next it's down to 0.5. So, I need to add everyday then?

Last time I added some Cyanuric Acid it seemed to cloud the water immediately and it has stayed that way for over 10 days... Gets abit clearer when it just sits without activity and then when we get in, it stirs it up so I sure it must not be dissolving totally. I have the cheapie vacuum head that came with the pool, but I don't know if this will do any good with the undissolved stuff, since the little porous bag is what collects the debris.

The filter is a cartridge type that came with the pool and pumps 800 gallons an hour. The pool holds around 4000 gallons.

This is becoming my second job!!!

 

[JohnT]

I've just taken readings with my test strips that the pool store sold me. Yep, I've already read how I need at least the Walmart type test kit... plan to purchase shortly. Anyway, here is what the pool reads right now, 90 degree heat this afternoon.

PH 7.2
FC 1
Alk 120
CYA 30-50

Yesterday, the FC was 3. I shocked the pool about five days ago and the FC had been fine until today.

Normally, I have problems keeping chlorine in the water. I add one day and the next it's down to 0.5. So, I need to add everyday then?

Last time I added some Cyanuric Acid it seemed to cloud the water immediately and it has stayed that way for over 10 days... Gets abit clearer when it just sits without activity and then when we get in, it stirs it up so I sure it must not be dissolving totally. I have the cheapie vacuum head that came with the pool, but I don't know if this will do any good with the undissolved stuff, since the little porous bag is what collects the debris.

The filter is a cartridge type that came with the pool and pumps 800 gallons an hour. The pool holds around 4000 gallons.

This is becoming my second job!!!

You will have to add chlorine daily, and try to keep it in the 3-5ppm range. Most any powdered chemical will give you some cloudiness with your pool because the filtration system doesn't give you really good circulation and you don't have a good way to vacuum. Next time when you add CYA, put it in an old sock and hang it in front of the return. CYA is very slow to dissolve. Run your filter all of the time, clean the cartridge when it needs it, and brush the pool to keep the debris stirred up so the filter can get it.

 

[rabeeon]

Thank you for the advice. I am contemplating switching to liquid bleach instead of the powdered chlorine. Shouldn't this help the cloudiness?

I added 2 ozs of the powdered chl last night and today the FC is up to 3.

 

[JohnT]

Thank you for the advice. I am contemplating switching to liquid bleach instead of the powdered chlorine. Shouldn't this help the cloudiness?

I added 2 ozs of the powdered chl last night and today the FC is up to 3.

Yes it should.