Help!!!! Green-blue-cloudy....

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Katy Pool Dude

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Jun 30, 2010
13
Please help... I came home on Sunday from being gone 4 days...When I left the water was nice and clear, came home midday Sunday and the water was bright green...

After I pulled my hair out I shocked the pool to death (powder and liquid). I added 2 tablets of chlorine and put a container of stabilizer in a sock and hung it over the side (busted it open and spread it out Tuesday). Started the pump and was running it most of the day now, stopping to clean the filter... The pool is 5500 gallons above ground 4ft x 16ft..

Mondays readings
free chlorine 1.0
total chlorine 1.0
calcium 180.0
cyanuric acid 50.0
ph level 7.4
total alkalinity 130.0

Wednesdays readings (today)
free chlorine 5.0
total chlorine 5.0
calcium 180.0
cyanuric acid 60.0
ph level 7.6
total alkalinity 160.0

Sunday green, Monday blue/green, Tuesday more blue than green, Wednesday blue and very cloudy...

I don't want to drain if I can save it..

Any and all help would be awesome...

thank you
 
If at all possible, vacuum the pool then backwash. Your CYA is getting too high already; if any hasn't dissolved, the vacuum and backwash should get rid of it.

Your chlorine is simply not high enough to shock the pool with that level of CYA. http://www.poolcalculator.com/ will tell you what your shock level should be, and how much chlorine to add to get it there. Shocking is not a one time thing, like shocking a human. Nor is it a product. It is a process, and can take a few days of hourly testing and additions. http://www.troublefreepool.com/turning-your-green-swamp-back-into-a-sparking-oasis-t4147.html will walk you through the process.
 
"busted it open and spread it out"? the CYA? you don't want it sitting dissolving on the vinyl surface. IT's high enough as is, vacume it out as Richard suggested.

You just need to shock with liquid chlorine - your shock level is 20, so 5 means you aren't adding enough bleach.
 
First, you are making progress - you've gone from green to cloudy blue.

But, let's speed that up! Remove that spilled CYA as FPM has said above.

Get some bleach -- Clorox is what I prefer at this point since some are reporting issues with store brands -- and go to the CYA/Chlorine chart to see what your shock level is for the CYA you tested at now.

Then go to the Pool Calculator and enter your pool specs, size and surface. Enter the current test numbers in NOW and in target for FC put the shock level you got from the CYA chart. Then use that amount of bleach, pouring slowly into above a return to mix it well. Keep the filter running and clean it as needed, and brush the pool frequently to expose any lurking algae.
 
After the stabilizer sat in the sock for a day I cut open the sock and held it in front of the return... it was just a huge white cloud.. no hard pellets..

This morning it was even better than yesterday (lot more clearer) still cloudy.. I added a bag of shock and then circulated the water. the pump is running and is doing 8-12 hours a day...

Is bleach better than the liquid shock?
 
Bag of shock --- what EXACTLY is that? Can you post brand and ingredients? Many of those have CYA which you do not need more of, others may have copper which can be an issue for blondes and pool surfaces eventually. Some are cal-hypo which adds CH which you are OK on for now, more won't hurt.

Next, run that filter 24/7. The cloudiness is dead algae and you can either filter it out or vac it out. When the pump has been off, is there stuff on the bottom that you can vac out to waste? If so do that first, then run the filter as long as possible. I guess even vacuuming to the filter can be useful as long as you clean the filter before too long.

Bleach is just weaker liquid shock, bleach is 6%, liquid shock is 10 or 12%
 
Well we got blasted by rain and the algae was out of control.. Pool is draining as I type. I got in there just now and it was a green fest... the ladder looked to have hair on it.... 5500 gallons and a clean start is less frustrating than wasting money on chemicals..


When I fill I am going to have the chlorinator floating to start... should I add some liquid shock too?...

I should be filling in about 3 hours so any help would be great..
 
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