Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for help

[runderwo]

Hi this is rob.
In looking over this forum i can't find the answer to my pool. I've tried all the advice given but with no luck. Here is my short version of the story. I got married and while gone at the wedding/honeymoon, my pump decided to no longer work. So i went 3 weeks of a still pool. When i came back the pool was an awful green color. We changed our pump and put in a chlorine generator (saltwater).
We shocked it with bioguard shock (14 bags) and ran the pump on super chlorinate 24/7. In that time we dumped in 17 bags of pool salt. After that we put in Banish an algae KILLER and then flocced it. It set for 14 hours on still water then vacuumed to waste. Then put in another bottle of banish.
Water still didn't look good. So, we put in 2 bottles of flocc, waited about 27 hours, vacuumed to waste, twice, and still no change. My pool guy is stumped and is literally giving me bottles of chemicals for free to see if anything works. I put in an AMS algae KILLER of 7% copper(similar to yellow out), but still nothing and put in sparkle up to help the filter, but still nothing.
I read about bleach, and put in 6 bottles, each bottle a little over a gallon at night last night, and it's still not clear this morning. We have little to no visibility, the color is a greenish blue and our ratings are near perfect on our pool guys water samples. FC at 3 (highest was at 9.) 25,000 pool with 6 bottles of bleach should have brought our FC crazy high plus the generator was on shock mode.
Test Results as of Friday July 8th.
Total Chlorine and Free Chlorine = 2.8 (however, it was at 9 for like 4 days) After the 2.8 reading i turned on the super chlorinate mode all day friday and saturday. Also, is there a difference in total chlorine and CC? can't remember what CC stands for...
CYA at 40
PH 7.4.
alk 166

I NEED HELP nobody knows whats going on with our pool and im about to vacuum to waste again and will check this tonight hopefully with answers and suggestions! I feel like i've tried everything.

 

[dattia]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

The method we use here is liquid chlorine (bleach). You are in an algae bloom and need to do a sustained shocking... sustained being the most important word in that sentence. You must use large amounts of bleach to raise your FC and then keep adding bleach to keep the FC high. Killing algae will consume bleach and if you don't keep enough in for a length of time, the algae will regain control. Read the instructions in Pool School (button, top right) and it will give you the methods prescribed here. We have thousands of users that have taken their pools from icky, nasty to sparkling clear with bleach, a proper testing kit (most available on the market will not measure FC to the levels required when shocking) and a thorough reading and understanding of Pool School. Chlorine must be kept in line according to how much CYA you have in your water. With your CYA level of 40, your FC should never go under 3, ideally maintained at 5 and shocked at a level of 16 FC.

You really don't need any of what the pool store has to offer. Good luck.

Edit... I see you have a SWCG, I do not know anything about them so I am sure someone else will chime in, but I do believe that 40 is well below the recommended level of CYA if you have a SWCG.

 

[Sportsman]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

Read This:

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

and this:
pool-school/defeating_algae

You'll also need a good test kit to test shock levels.
pool-school/pool_test_kit_comparison

Very difficult to shock without a FAS/DPD test. DO NOT trust pool store tests. And on turning to a forum, you are at the right place. Just post updates in this thread and the experts will be on the way to help. But first, read the linked articles and start going through pool school.

I'd also stop adding the stuff from the pool store other than bleach/liquid chlorine. Most others have unwanted side effects and as you've found aren't likely to help anyway.

 

[runderwo]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

I've read those and now i have a question on the application of this. I will only be using bleach from here so no worries with the other stuff. As i add the bleach, my ph is going to get high. Any household items to keep it low? Also, if my CYA is low (and i've heard in SWGs it needs to be a lot higher) what can i use to increase it? Should i put in bleach twice a day to maintain or is doing it all at night going to sustain high FC? And finally, should i dilute it or not?

 

[Sportsman]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

I buy muriatic acid at Home Depot or Lowes. Pretty sure Walmart sells it too. Ditto on liquid chlorine. I use 10% because I don't have to lug as many jugs around. I priced and it's close to a wash with the cost of bleach.

on adding bleach, test hourly and bring back up to shock level.

on adding acid, bring it down to 7.2 before you shock because you won't get reliable pH tests at high FC levels. When adding acid, always add acid to water, never water to acid. I pour straight into pool. Some pour into bucket of water and then pour diluted mixture into pool. As long as you don't stick your nose over the top of the bottle, you should be good. Plenty of threads on it that you can read. Just wait 30 minutes after adding acid before adding bleach.

use pool calc for both.

 

[anonapersona]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

Don't worry about pH while shocking, do adjust it to something near 7.3 before you shock, then don't test until FC is below 10. (edit typo) I

Best to clean the pool with CYA still low, raise it up after the pool is totally fixed. At the end you will add CYA, you can pick some up but don't add it yet. I found the HTH brand at Walmart to dissolve easier than the pool store variety I used.

As for timing, it would be best to attack this as many times a day as possible. Assuming you cannot skip work, you should begin one evening. Hit it hard with chlorine, testing hourly, adding more to keep above shock level at all times. Stay up as late as you can working the problem. Wake early and do it again. Then add a booster dose to try to keep above shock level after daytime loads to the sun. Brush the pool. Make sure no solid trash is lurking. Run the filter.

That you have seen an improvement in color is good. Now you have to kick it while it is hurt.

Testing your issue, good luck on getting a decent kit for drop tests for chlorine.

 

[runderwo]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

Ok, i'll get muriatic acid and put it in, then i will bleach probably only 3 times a day, in the morning before work, afternoon after work, and at night before bed. How many days you think this will take? It does look tons better from 3 weeks ago, but it's not clear. I know this isn't an overnight process so i understand ahead of time this will take time. Another question that just occurred to me, if i am putting in bleach, and have the pool set to super chlorinate, shouldn't that maintain a high shock level?

 

[Butterfly]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

Hi Rob,

You have gotten great advice

Once you reach shock level with bleach/liquid chlorine, the SWG can help maintain the shock level.
But, a SWG cannot produce enough chlorine fast enough to reach shock level. You need the bleach.

If you can only add bleach 3X daily, it would be better if the last two are after the direct sun is off your pool.
That way, no chlorine will be lost to the sun and 100% will go to fighting the nasties.

Welcome to the forum

 

[anonapersona]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

When you get home from work, test the pool. Hit it hard the first night. Adjust chlorine, check for debris in the skimmer and pump basket, take the bottom a bit for leaves, brush the pool some. It's probably taken an hour so retest chlorine and add as needed. In another hour, retest chlorine, and as needed. Stretch to two hours. Try to see the pace it is moving at. In the morning, add some extra.

The game here its to try to judge how fast chlorine is consumed so you can add just enough that you are still at shock level when you return. Organics eat chlorine and the sun eats chlorine. At night you just battle organics. Daytime while you are at work, the algae tries to recover and eats chlorine and the sun takes a percentage of what is there.

The more time chlorine is in shock range, you are winning. If not, algae is winning.

 

[Richard320]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

Have you tried this? It may have a slightly different label at your pool store, but it's the same stuff...

Oh man, I crack myself up! :lol:

There's three things you need, maybe four. A test kit that can measure FC above 5; gallons and gallons of bleach; patience; cold beverages also seem to help, but are optional.

 

[DebbieO]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

Richard--you crack me up too. You are spot on with the snake oil. I have the 3 things I need along with the optional cold beverages.

Rob--Welcome to TFP. Follow the advice of these folks and stay out of the pool store. Have a couple big towels ready because you will be enjoying your pool soon.

 

[supertune]

Re: Pool store has no answers so I've turned to a forum for

Hi Rob and welcome to TFP!
With this mastering of your pool water, it is MANDATORY you have a proper test kit!
Even with a small pool I have, the test kit IS the best tool in my toolbox, now that my kit has fixed my water problems, it keeps my pool absolutely trouble free.

The biggest problem I have is the pool is always screaming to come swimming and I have no excuses for the kids as to why they can't go swimming! :lol:

The TF-100XL is my choice hands down!
http://tftestkits.net/splash-page.html
The sooner you get out of that pool store the better off you'll be.
Pool stores are too inconsistent with their testing.
Trust in your own testing, follow pool school instructions, ask for advice here first before adding anything other than bleach, LC and MA. Pool will do as it's told when you do this the TFP way.

Chuck