New to pool care, green pool. Help!

[Drexzania]

Hello, I'm a total noob to the pool world but even I know my pool should not be this shade of green. I started by thrown some chlorine in to kill off the algae but I don't seem to be getting very far. The pool is a slightly lighter shade of green to day but I think I'm still a long way off from doing anything effective. Here are my test results this morning, where do I begging to fix this mess?
Hardness: 500
Combined Chlorine: 1
Free Chlorine: 0
pH: 7.4
Alkaline: 40
Stabilizer: 20

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mynewpool]

It looks like you have posted a full set of results. Another thing would help is fill out your signature with details of your location, pool gallons, pump, filter, etc. Then I would take a look at pool school in the upper right hand corner of the website where it says Pool School and read the following article

http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/shocking_your_pool

Once you read that look at this chart and get your shock level. Depending on if you have a salt water or non salt water will depend on your shock level with CYA of 20.

http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

I assume that you dont have a salt water pool so your shock level will need to be 10. You will need to try and maintain your FC at a level of 10, until you pass the overnight loss test, which is posted in that first article. So to get your pool from green, these two articles I have posted are a great asset to follow.

By using the pool calculator located here

http://www.poolcalculator.com/

It will allow you to determine how much bleach you will need to use.

So right now just focus on your FC levels and shocking and the rest will come.

Good luck and any other questions just ask.

 

[duraleigh]

Drex,

Welcome to the forum :lol: Read all the basic articles in Pool School. That will answer some questions and likely generate some more. We'll help.

The most important factor to remember is that shocking a pool is a process that can take several days. It sounds like you have started well but you are going to need a LOT more chlorine to finish and get your pool crystal clear.

 

[Drexzania]

Added 3lbs of Stabilizer and 512 oz of bleach before work today. The hubby is home and says the pool is cloudy green and has gray foamy scum on the surface. Dead algae?

 

[mynewpool]

Added 3lbs of Stabilizer and 512 oz of bleach before work today. The hubby is home and says the pool is cloudy green and has gray foamy scum on the surface. Dead algae?

Not sure what the gray foamy scum is and I am sure someone knows. Also if you can post pictures those pictures will go a long ways to identify any issues you may have.

Yea it can take a while. If it is changing from green to other colors things are working. So make sure to keep the filter on 24X7 until it gets cleared.

How did you add the stablizer, through the skimmer or did you use the sock method? If you added in the skimmer, check the levels again in about 5 days and do not backwash. If you backwash you will lose a lot if not all the stablizer you just put in. So try to keep it at shock level as much as you can and the process will go alot quicker. Also now that you added the 3 lbs of stablizer, you need to use the shock value of the CYA you were trying to get to, regardless if it is already there. You can add bleach and test every hour if you want to and that will get it cleared a lot quicker.

So for now I would just work on keeping at shock level and once you pass the Overnight loss test, then you can let the FC drop back to a normal range and then once FC is under 10, you can then start to test pH levels. Over 10 pH will give false readings.

Anymore questions just ask and hopefully what I have posted has helped some. There are a lot of people on here who have a lot of knowledge and have no problems answering any questions asked.

 

[Flotsam]

Welcome to the forum !

I'm fairly new here too. One article that is "must" reading (IMHO) is "Turning Your Green Swamp into a Sparkling Oasis".

turning-your-green-swamp-back-into-a-sparking-oasis-t4147.html

Follow this to the letter and you'll have your beautiful pool back in no time. I'm in the process of doing this as we speak - and it's working !! One thing you need is patience. This will not happen overnight.

The folks here are very knowledgable - ask questions - post test results - and you'll be back in the swim (pun intended) in no time!

 

[Drexzania]

Just added another 1750 oz of bleach, the hubby tested the water. I felt a thrill, similar to the pregnancy test for our first child, when the @!#$% tab on the test strip finally turned deep purple for the first time (Is this normal or am I loosing it?). We have reached an actual shock level of chlorine, up till now the algae has been so bad the test strip has shown no FC even when we tested immediately after adding chlorine. I was starting to think it was just being swallowed up by the algae...

 

[Johnny B]

Strips?
Be sure you get the reccommended test kit.
See Duraleighs signature

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Looks like normal swamp to clearing stage. Keep hitting it hard and get either the TF 100 from TFTestkits or the Taylor K2006 ASAP!

 

[Sportsman]

was about to ask about what you are using to test when I read strips. You'll need a good test kit, FAS-DPD test. See this thread

pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

 

[Sportsman]

oh, and don't balk at the prices of the test kits. You'll save that in one month over pool store chemicals.

 

[Drexzania]

I always wanted to play Jr. chemist, Will probably order the new test kit this weekend :-D Thank you.

 

[lightingguy]

I'll just +1 the test kit. It's the best investment you can possibly make.

As far as the algae eating your chlorine - that's basically it. The chlorine destroys itself as it kills the algae (it converts into salt). So if you add enough chlorine to kill 50% of your algae and then stop - the algae just grows back because the chlorine drops to 0.

This is where a FAS_DPD test kit is super useful. You'll know exactly how much chlorine is in the pool and know exactly how much to add to get a good shock level.

Until the kit comes - just keep that FC level up and run the filter 24/7

 

[mynewpool]

I always wanted to play Jr. chemist, Will probably order the new test kit this weekend :-D Thank you.

If you can afford it, get the speed stir as well. It will help a lot when shocking since that will require a lot of drops and swirling. The speed stir will make sure your sample gets mixed thoroughly when adding the drops. It will also cut down your time to test the water, which is great s well. I highly recommend it along with others here who can test to that.

 

[Drexzania]

Water is a pale milky blue color, can't get good pics right now cause its getting dark but the FC is at around a 4.0. Just got home with 18 jugs of 182oz bleach, tonight we end this...

 

[Flotsam]

Keep at it! The harder you hit it - the quicker the algae dies. I've been getting 10% chlorine at Ace Hardware for $1.90 / gal. It's an exchange program similar to propane - but you have to buy the 2.5 gal jug - just exchange it when you need chlorine. Great deal - plus - you get STRONG stuff to kill the evil algae!

 

[Drexzania]

It is currently 0435 hrs and the enemy stands firm (not really). They have attacked us and disabled our pump (lowered the PSI), and lowered the out side temp to freezing in a bid to lower morale of my troops (this is Florida, it dropped to maybe 68 degrees). But fear not, we have engaged the pool in a series of tactical night raids. As a strike team fought bravely to the bunker containing the disabled piece of key equipment (the little shed that houses the pump) and under heavy fire from the enemy embedded within (huh?) they were able to take back what was ours and restore the pump to full operational status. An immediate backwash of the enemy occurred while our forces radioed in the coordinates for a tactical air strike on the enemy stronghold ("Honey wait till I back wash this thing before you add that bleach"). Two 182 oz. bleach bombs descended upon the enemy, which left them in a state of shock before dieing.

Disclaimer: This is what happens when I wake my retired military husband up to help me 4:30 in the morning then have the insanity to let him type the post...

P.S. Visibility in the pool is increasing but very slowly, I can see very small particles of dead algae in the water. I read on Another thread that adding DE to my sand filter will speed up the process of clearing the water. Perhaps this could work for me?

 

[duraleigh]

Great Post! You really have to have more supervision over those ex-miltary types.....they get out of hand easily.

Perhaps this could work for me?

Perhaps but maybe not as much as you would hope. The process is best helped by keeping your FC up (shock level) on a continual basis until the pool is crystal clear. Combine that with the backwashing you need to do to help your filter operate at peak efficiency and those are the two main ingredients.

The last thing you'll need is some POP (pool owner patience) :lol: I almost posted a cautionary note yesterday when you said. "this ends tonight....". Some folks get lucky and their pools really do clear up overnight but most of the time it is a slow process that is sometimes frustrating.

Just keep at it and you should see continual improvement each day. The DE may assist a little but I would save it for the very final stages when your water is almost perfectly clear but not quite.

The most important factor to remember is that shocking a pool is a process that can take several days.

 

[Drexzania]

Been working on the pool and the surrounding area since 8am, its 11:40 now. Been scrubbing every inch of our pool yard just to make sure there is nothing in there that can blow into the pool and set us back. Do I sound a little paranoid? The family has worked really hard, gonna check the FC level and make any adjustment before we head out to do the shopping and get a well deserved lunch. Here are some pics of where we currently stand. Its looking better to me, I hope its not just wishful thinking...

 

[duraleigh]

From the color of the water, I would say you are in the last stages but it's probably gonna' be another couple of days or more before it turns crystal clear. Nice work! :lol: