Hello ...I am losing my cool Pool Patience. Been testing, reading, testing and reading trying to clear up my water--without success .
A little history: Installed our AG last July, after messing around with leveling etc for about a year due to (at that time) rain, then rock hard dirt, farming, schedules, you name it. We purchased our pool used from someone that meticulously disassembled it (thankfully) but never actually installed it themselves. The pool previously had been used approx 2-3 years. We installed a new liner, filled with well water (semi-soft with little to no mineral build-up), added bleach according to the BBB method, purchased my TF100 test kit and proceeded to have sparkly clear water the rest of the summer . I was soo impressed with myself.....until this summer....
Prior to putting the cover on last fall, I brushed, vacuumed, brought to shock level and then....added some hth Algae Guard (Copper??) as I wasn't sure how the water would fair over the winter. The last week of May, removed cover and water was very clear (surprised as we had an unusually warm winter) had some silt (from all the wind), 5 to 6 leaves and a few "questionable" areas. After hooking everything up and adding fill water, I unfortunately proceeded to vacuum without vacuuming to waste or testing . My vacuum wasn't working too well and a light bulb turned on (1/2 way anyhow) Vacuum to waste. I then brushed as good as I could, and over the next 8 hours I arbitrarily added 3-182oz bottles of bleach, more water, 1-16oz pkg "shock"--dissolved--since I figured I would need the CYA--wouldn't want to test or anything. About 3 days later, due to a hectic schedule, I finally tested with these results: FC: .5 CC: 0 (the water barely turned pink when putting granules in, added only one drop to clear), CYA 20 the water at this time was cloudy green/blue and could only see down about a foot. I was only running the pump about 8 hours total a day--wouldn't want to be too hard on it and wasn't brushing every single day. I was testing a couple times a day, but I was only keeping my shock level at 10ppm--wouldn't want to follow directions. I finally decided to take a step back and re-read, several times, research and continue to tell my kids "Hopefully soon :lol: ". I turned the pump on 24/7, brought the shock level up to what the pool calc advised based on the CYA level, and was brushing or vacuuming every day. After a couple of days the water did start to clear up, but not completely. I have yet to have a successful over-night test. The filter pressure seems to be fine other than when I need to backwash--I do wonder if I have enough sand though, it's a little over 1/2 full--the sand ending up in the pool is from the yard--nothing by the return. Here are some of my recent results:
6-24: 8:00 a.m: FC: 14.5 CC: 0 Added 28 oz bleach--On a whim tested the CH: 2 drops x 10 = 20
I decided at lunch to start testing hourly :cop:
1:00 p.m. FC: 12, CC: >.5 (barely pink--not even a full drop to change back) added 114 oz bleach
2:00 p.m. FC: 14.5, CC: 0 added 43 oz (according to pool calc CYA level shows shock should be 16ppm)
3:00 p.m. FC: 15.5, CC: >.5 added 28 oz
4:00 p.m. FC: 15.5, CC: >.5 added 28 oz
Brushed
5:00 p.m. FC: 17, CC: >.5 no add
6:00 p.m. FC: 16.5, CC: >.5, CYA: 40 no add (pool calc showed 16 for CYA level)
9:00 p.m. FC: 19
6-25 (only able to test Brk/Dinner--work day)
6:00 a.m. FC: 17, CC: .5
Had DH add 56 oz and both 10:00 and 2:00 to to be sure the levels stayed up and it's a good thing because:
6:00 p.m. FC: 12 , CC: 0 added 85oz bleach
Vac/Brushed/backwashed and added water
10:00 p.m. FC: 16, CC: 0, Tested PH: aprx 8.2 didn't add anything for PH or FC, CYA: 30--Pool calc showed shock level now to be 13??
6-26
6:00 a.m. FC: 14.5, CC: >.5
1:00 p.m. FC: 10, CC: 0 added 85 oz bleach
From about 6-14 my shock level was inbetween 12 and 16 (not like the 10 I initially started with) but I wasn't testing as much either.
I then proceeded to finish typing this somewhat lengthy post (never have posted on anything on any forum before --save your work) that I had started earlier in the day not realizing I was no longer logged on and therefore lost everything when I went to submit--(may I have been inhaling too much bleach) and haven't tested since...will head out in a few to test/brush.
A few other notes: We have had very high temps the past few days 105+ (really soon kids really) with a lot of wind. Speaking of wind this year we had an higher than usual amount of wind from the south east v.s. our normal prevailing winds from the north west so I don't think the skimmer, being in the location it is, is as efficient as it could be. I have never had a CC: reading of more than 2 and that was last summer after a large party. The CC hasn't been over 1.5 this year. I have been very careful when testing and I have only added to my pool this year: Bleach, 1 pkt powdered "Shock"--(this stuff came with the pool), Cyanuric Acid, Mur. Acid-very little. I have restrained from adding any clarifier...although it looks very tempting . The water continues to look blue/green but you can see all but the bottom rung of the ladder (which by the way I was sure was the culprit and promptly assaulted it with bleach).
Sorry for making this long post longer. Any help is appreciated. My dh told me the other day with all my testing skills , I should apply for a job at the water treatment facility in town--yuck.
Juli
A little history: Installed our AG last July, after messing around with leveling etc for about a year due to (at that time) rain, then rock hard dirt, farming, schedules, you name it. We purchased our pool used from someone that meticulously disassembled it (thankfully) but never actually installed it themselves. The pool previously had been used approx 2-3 years. We installed a new liner, filled with well water (semi-soft with little to no mineral build-up), added bleach according to the BBB method, purchased my TF100 test kit and proceeded to have sparkly clear water the rest of the summer . I was soo impressed with myself.....until this summer....
Prior to putting the cover on last fall, I brushed, vacuumed, brought to shock level and then....added some hth Algae Guard (Copper??) as I wasn't sure how the water would fair over the winter. The last week of May, removed cover and water was very clear (surprised as we had an unusually warm winter) had some silt (from all the wind), 5 to 6 leaves and a few "questionable" areas. After hooking everything up and adding fill water, I unfortunately proceeded to vacuum without vacuuming to waste or testing . My vacuum wasn't working too well and a light bulb turned on (1/2 way anyhow) Vacuum to waste. I then brushed as good as I could, and over the next 8 hours I arbitrarily added 3-182oz bottles of bleach, more water, 1-16oz pkg "shock"--dissolved--since I figured I would need the CYA--wouldn't want to test or anything. About 3 days later, due to a hectic schedule, I finally tested with these results: FC: .5 CC: 0 (the water barely turned pink when putting granules in, added only one drop to clear), CYA 20 the water at this time was cloudy green/blue and could only see down about a foot. I was only running the pump about 8 hours total a day--wouldn't want to be too hard on it and wasn't brushing every single day. I was testing a couple times a day, but I was only keeping my shock level at 10ppm--wouldn't want to follow directions. I finally decided to take a step back and re-read, several times, research and continue to tell my kids "Hopefully soon :lol: ". I turned the pump on 24/7, brought the shock level up to what the pool calc advised based on the CYA level, and was brushing or vacuuming every day. After a couple of days the water did start to clear up, but not completely. I have yet to have a successful over-night test. The filter pressure seems to be fine other than when I need to backwash--I do wonder if I have enough sand though, it's a little over 1/2 full--the sand ending up in the pool is from the yard--nothing by the return. Here are some of my recent results:
6-24: 8:00 a.m: FC: 14.5 CC: 0 Added 28 oz bleach--On a whim tested the CH: 2 drops x 10 = 20
I decided at lunch to start testing hourly :cop:
1:00 p.m. FC: 12, CC: >.5 (barely pink--not even a full drop to change back) added 114 oz bleach
2:00 p.m. FC: 14.5, CC: 0 added 43 oz (according to pool calc CYA level shows shock should be 16ppm)
3:00 p.m. FC: 15.5, CC: >.5 added 28 oz
4:00 p.m. FC: 15.5, CC: >.5 added 28 oz
Brushed
5:00 p.m. FC: 17, CC: >.5 no add
6:00 p.m. FC: 16.5, CC: >.5, CYA: 40 no add (pool calc showed 16 for CYA level)
9:00 p.m. FC: 19
6-25 (only able to test Brk/Dinner--work day)
6:00 a.m. FC: 17, CC: .5
Had DH add 56 oz and both 10:00 and 2:00 to to be sure the levels stayed up and it's a good thing because:
6:00 p.m. FC: 12 , CC: 0 added 85oz bleach
Vac/Brushed/backwashed and added water
10:00 p.m. FC: 16, CC: 0, Tested PH: aprx 8.2 didn't add anything for PH or FC, CYA: 30--Pool calc showed shock level now to be 13??
6-26
6:00 a.m. FC: 14.5, CC: >.5
1:00 p.m. FC: 10, CC: 0 added 85 oz bleach
From about 6-14 my shock level was inbetween 12 and 16 (not like the 10 I initially started with) but I wasn't testing as much either.
I then proceeded to finish typing this somewhat lengthy post (never have posted on anything on any forum before --save your work) that I had started earlier in the day not realizing I was no longer logged on and therefore lost everything when I went to submit--(may I have been inhaling too much bleach) and haven't tested since...will head out in a few to test/brush.
A few other notes: We have had very high temps the past few days 105+ (really soon kids really) with a lot of wind. Speaking of wind this year we had an higher than usual amount of wind from the south east v.s. our normal prevailing winds from the north west so I don't think the skimmer, being in the location it is, is as efficient as it could be. I have never had a CC: reading of more than 2 and that was last summer after a large party. The CC hasn't been over 1.5 this year. I have been very careful when testing and I have only added to my pool this year: Bleach, 1 pkt powdered "Shock"--(this stuff came with the pool), Cyanuric Acid, Mur. Acid-very little. I have restrained from adding any clarifier...although it looks very tempting . The water continues to look blue/green but you can see all but the bottom rung of the ladder (which by the way I was sure was the culprit and promptly assaulted it with bleach).
Sorry for making this long post longer. Any help is appreciated. My dh told me the other day with all my testing skills , I should apply for a job at the water treatment facility in town--yuck.
Juli