new member please help

[Joey]

Good Morning! We just have one of those cheapy above ground plastic pools..48 inches high 15 (or16) ft diameter. We were dismayed to find mice had gone into it over the winter...after MAJOR PATCHING.. I called a water truck and had it filled...then the fun began. We absolutley CANNOT find any new paper filters for the thing. We tried to get a new pool this year but everyone was sold out so in the meantime we are stuck! It's been hotter than hades here in the country in Southwestern Ontario this summer so the kids and I have been living in the pool. Now we tried to put together a makeshift pool filter with screening and coffee filters but as you can imagine it dosen't work very well. We now have extreamly cloudy water. The test stips show a normal range for the following...ph 7.4 ....total alalinity between 80 and 120 ....Cyanuric Acid between 50 and 100...but the clorine count will melt your eyes !!! It was off the chart..we have been floating pucks and my husband used Shock It....anybody got any ideas?? Any suggestions for a better rigged up filter as well??? We will get a new set up first thing next year but in the meanwhile we are...MELTING IN THE HEAT FLOATING IN A MILK BATH!..thanks so much.. :? [font=Lucida [/font]
Console] JOEY

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

First, you need a filter of some sort. Could you buy the cartridges online anywhere?
Folks here can advise you of a good pump and filter (sand, DE, or cartridge) that you can use on this pool and still use when you upgrade to a more permanent one.

Next, you need a better method of testing. Strips are not very accurate, and there is a huge difference between a CYA of 50 and 100. In any case, STOP using the pucks and powdered sock-it... they are just making your CYA higher, and you are already high enough!

There are some helpful links in mu signature, especially the TF100 test kit, the stickies, and Jason's calculator.

Most here use bleach for their chlorine source, as it only adds chlorine, and nothing else!

 

[The Mermaid Queen]

forgot to say welcome to TFP!

 

[Joey]

Well Thankyou

I shall make my way over to the nearest pool supply shop ASAP..thankyou for your suggestions. At the moment I am waiting and hoping that the emergency call to the plumber will be responded to sometime today. Our pump in our well house has bit the dust (indeed) and our whole household is without water..except of course for the musty looking swill in the pool...until someone comes to my rescue. Brother!!! Talk about water AND pump problems all the way around!!!... Joey