New to site, trying in vain to clean my green pool-HELP

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R

rcmay

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Gold Supporter
Jun 13, 2012
14
Arnold,MD
Hi, first just let me say thanks for this wonderful site. I am in despersate need of advise before I call the dump trucks to fill my pool in! I'll try to be brief. We opened our pool over three weeks ago. Standard pool store advise, shock the pool (the noun), use algaecide. Nothing. More shock, Green to Clean, more shock, brush, run filters (have been on 24/7 all along) except when cleaning.Green to Clean actually lightened it but a week later and we're still green! Found this site, bought new test kit @ Leslies, bought tons of bleach. Here are our #'s this morning.FC 10 (just added more bleach), CC 0, PH 7.8, TA 130, CH 220, CYA 35. We started using bleach to shock on Tues. and the pool hasn't lightened. We are wondering if we should replace our filters, (I say yes, husband says no) we did just replace them last year.We have cleaned them many, many times since opening. It just looks to me like they aren't filtering the algae out. Please help, we are at our wits end.
Thanks, Rita
 
Hi, welcome to TFP! You need to complete the shock process first, then your filter will be able to do its job and filter out the debris. According to the pool calculator, shock level for your pool is 14 ppm. You need to raise it to 14 and keep it there as much as possible by retesting every 2 hours and raising the FC as needed. As the water begins to clear you will see more progress with filtering out the debris. You will need to swap out cartridges whenever the flow decreases or the filter pressure rises 25% above the clean pressure reading.

You will be able to clear the pool using bleach if you stay on top of keeping it at shock level and be patient. It may take several days to see real progress. If any of the previous products used contained cyuranic acid you may need to retest the CYA in a week and see if the level has increased. If it has that will affect the shock level for the pool.
 
Welcome to TFP!

There are two inter-related issues here. The first is killing off all of the algae. If there is still live algae in the water you will never filter it all out. The second is filtering out the dead algae after it is all dead. Various kinds of filter problems can make that take way longer than it should.

Have you done an overnight FC loss test to see if you have killed all of the algae yet?

[shock:2gqq2c0a]With CYA around 35, you should be shocking to at least 15, not just 10.[/shock:2gqq2c0a]
 
Welcome to TFP Rita. :wave:

I doubt you need to replace the cartridges. Sorry to side with your DH, but one time in his life (Well two, because I'm sure getting you was the first time) he is probably right. :mrgreen:

Which test kit do you have?

With a CYA of 35 your shock level will be 15, so if you're just keeping it at 10 you're not reaching shock level and it'll take forever to see any improvement if you ever see any.

You need to raise your FC to 15 ppm and keep it there as often as you can, preferably testing and adjusting once an hour in the beginning.

[ETA] Jason and Zea beat me typing but we're all on the same page. :hammer:
 
Thanks so much for your replys. We have been trying to maintain an FC of 13, the FC 10 reading was down from last nights reading of 13.5. I'm going to adjust my goal (according to pool calculator) up to FC 14, should I go higher than that? I'm trying to be patient, but, wow after almost a month, its wearing thin!
Thanks again,
Rita
 
I have another question, not sure where to post it. Once we have the algae issue resolved, how do we determine what our "normal" levels should be? I have read on test strips,etc. that it is unsafe to get in the pool if the chlorine reading is above 3ppm. Could you please clarify?
 
The users here use this chart to determine ideal chemistry, then tweak from there.

As for safe chlorine levels, as long as you are below shock level for your CYA level, it is safe to swim. You can see those numbers here or by using the Pool Calculator.

The above 2 statements highlight why it is so important to do your own testing. The statement you're reading on the strip canister is pretty much nonsense.
 
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