Cloudy light green pool! What am I doing wrong??

[richardson4]

Intex 15' x 48" above ground pool, 4,440 gallon, krystal clear filtration cartridge system, filters 1000 gallons p/h. Maine (east coast)
I am an extremely new at pools and all the chemicals that go in them! Regardless of the obsessive vaccuming and changing the filter relentlessly, I still have a very light green cloudy pool! Can someone please help me! I am failing miserably and my kids are so anxious! It is the clearest in the morning when the filter hasn't been running and nothing has been added. I have really clear water and a very dirty floor, so I vaccum every morning. By the time Im a quarter of the way done vaccuming I can no longer see the bottom and the pool is cloudy green! The filter doesnt catch a lot of what the vaccum is sucking up because it is so small! My 6 way test strips show the following:
FC: 10
pH: 7.2
TA: 60-80
TH: 400
CYA: 100 Someone please help this ridiculous pool novice

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome

Have you read through Pool School at the upper right of every page yet?

Part of your problem is your CYA is too high (possibly well above 100ppm as that is the top of the test).
The other problem is likely that your filter is undersized.

Best option:
1. Order a recommended test kit if you have not already
2. Read Pool School (note the shock process)
3. Replace water to get your CYA in the 30-50ppm range
4. Go through the shock process.

Feel free to ask questions along the way.

 

[JasonLion]

3. Replace water to get your CYA in the 30-50ppm range

This is the key step. If you don't lower CYA you are going to have a very rough time recovering from your current problems. Keep in mind that CYA could actually be much higher than 100, as the common CYA test reads any level above 100 as if it was 100.

 

[linen]

Welcome to tfp, richardson4

Jbliz and JasonLion give good advice! Once you get your cya level down, then this article will be helpful: http://www.troublefreepool.com/pool-school/defeating_algae

 

[richardson4]

Thanks! At least I feel like I have some direction now The filter I have came with my pool, should I upgrade? Any reccomendations for a new pool filter, thats not going to completley put me in the hole?

 

[linen]

I would consider upgrading, many users of that filter eventually do. The intex 1600 and 2650 sand filters are both pretty well regarded.

 

[richardson4]

Got the CYA down, pool is looking great. Thanks for your help!

 

[Richard320]

Got the CYA down, pool is looking great. Thanks for your help!

C'mon - give us the sordid details! There are plenty of lurkers who read this stuff. Tell 'em how it's done!

And post pictures! Green-to-clean pictures make for great threads.

 

[Glock]

1. Order a recommended test kit if you have not already

I second this. Accurate results is half the battle.

 

[1380ken]

How did you CYA level get so high to begin with. You must of added the CYA somehow.

 

[Glock]

Too many trichlor tabs maybe?

 

[1380ken]

Could he have used enough trichlor tabs to raise the CYA to that level? I am assuming that it is a new pool.

 

[Glock]

Not sure but he is using test strips so there is more than room for misreadings. I look forward to seeing what the pros say.