Cloudy water, testing, pump, and filter questions.

[poolgranny]

I have had trouble getting our water really clear looking this year. I have tested the water and it has been within normal limits as far as I can tell. A question on testing the water. I have the test kit in my sig line. I was using the strips but since everyone suggested a test kit I went to my local pool store and purchased this kit. Next kit I buy will be the T100 but need to wait till next month. I have looked at the test kits on line and all have the regeants and using water samples, mix and read the "colored sides" for your numbers. Okay, this seems simple enough -- not!! I have used the really simple kits from Wal-Mart and was totally confused by it. Went to the tests strips, oh much easier to understand -- pick the one that is closest in color and go from there. Now you say these aren't accurate enough. Okay. Figured I would get a better test kit and have better luck reading the results. Hummmm no.

The kit I have test the chlorine by using tablets (drop one in the water sample). Okay simple enough. Now compare the color with the color panels on the side of the water measure gizmo. Okay, this is where I encounter difficulty. The color panels do not have enough color difference to know for sure which my water falls under. I mean it goes from light to dark but the in between colors are so similar I can't determine exactly which color it is by looking at the sample water and then the panels.

Same with the rests of the test using the drops. I have difficulty telling which panel and the sample match!!! I must be really dense as it makes no sense to me. I have read Pool school several times trying to make sense of it and it still doesn't!! I am frustrated at this point and have not had this much trouble before getting my water clear.

Part of the problem I have blamed on the stupid pump I purchased. Yea, big mistake but trying to get by for this season. My 1.5 horsepower pump died on me and hubby took it apart, but then never rebuilt it. (He drives a truck over the road and isn't home much). I proceeded to buy a 2 horsepump from eBay. My 1.5 horse pump was a Hayward. The 2 horse is not a brand I am familiar with and is in my sig line. I realize it is probably too big for my pool and would like to wait till I have the money to buy a 2 speed 1 horse pump before I purchase another one. Could it be messing up my filter? I have a 150 pound sand filter by Hayward. It has been a good filter so far.

I notice that this season the water has stayed cloudy looking. I have noticed if the pump is turned off and restarted that it blows what appears to be dirty water back into the pool. Even when I backwash the filter and the water runs clear, rinse, and then turn it to filter what appears as dirty water blows back into the pool. I am thinking this is why the pool is staying cloudy looking. I don't know what to check or what to do first.

Any ideas are appreciated. I don't have a clue as to how to attach a picture of my water for you to see.

 

[Bama Rambler]

You already know this, but you have the wrong test kit. The Taylor K-2006 and the TF-100 kits only have one color match test, and that's pH. The other tests in the kit are color changing except CYA and it's a turbidity test. For instance the FC test you add powder (R-0870) to turn the sample pink and then add drops (R-0871) until it turns clear, no matching. It's the same with CC, TA & CH. They change from one color to another distinctly different color (i.e. red to blue).

One very important thing that your test kit doesn't test for is CYA. We have to know that number in order to know what you're FC level should be. Also it sounds like you need to shock, and without the CYA test we don't know what your shock level should be.

You are right about that pump being way too big for that filter and that filter is too small for that pool too. It may be ok for a while but it's going to be a pain getting your pool cleared up with it.

 

[poolgranny]

Thanks. It seems that I am learning, learning, learning on here. It seems that the bigger the filter the better. What size filter would you recommend? I am open to suggestions at this point. I have used almost 48 1 pound packs of shock since we opened the pool in mid May, plus using 6 to 8 pucks in 2 floating thing a mijs, replacing as needed. I will try to give you some rough idea of my numbers tomorrow if possible using the test kit I have.

 

[Bama Rambler]

If that so called shock was dichlor its added 264 ppm CYA and the 6 - 8 trichlor pucks have added another 24, so in total you've added 292 ppm of CYA.

Tell us what the "shock" was.