Pool still green and cloudy! HELP!

[k8conant]

[attachment=0:2miz4rso]Pool-29-May.jpg[/attachment:2miz4rso]I started out in April with a very dark green yucky pool which lightened up over a couple of weeks during which I added some stabilizer, about 2 lbs of shock per day, and then 12 pounds of baking soda and 5 pounds of borax.

THEN--the pump broke down and we took about a week or two to replace it. Since May 11 I started adding about 1 lb. of AquaChem Optimum Chlorinating granules per day.

Current 6-way strip results:

TH 250
TC >10
FC > 10
PH ~ 6.8
TA ~ 40
Sta 0

(The other day I diluted the pool water 1:6 and tested. TC was 18 and so was FC.
I turned off the in-line chlorinator a couple days ago because the FC was so high and quit adding the granules also.

I thought adding Pool First Aid would help -- NOT. I unfortunately also added AquaChem algae eliminator max.

This morning I added Scale, Metal, and Stain Control. I'm waiting to see what happens.

As far as I can tell there are very few leaves or even dead algae in the pool now. I have been changing filters every 3-7 days and cleaning them with TSP.

I want to get this pool clean by the time it warms up enough, maybe by my birthday on June 8!

What should I do?


Kate

 

[heavyweight_4u]

i havent been here long but i have gotten this much from everyone.

POOL SCHOOL my freind... Read, re-read, then read again.

And Good luck

 

[257WbyMag]

You need to get a good test kit. Please go to tftestkits.net and get either a Taylor K-2006 or a TF-100. Once you get that, we can dial in your issues a little better. This is important.

 

[Guest]

You don't say what size pool you have. I'm assuming around 11,000 gallons

Double check your CYA if it is truly zero you need to raise that by buying Cyanuric Acid. IT usually comes in a puck, this and acid are the only two chemicals you should ever have to buy from a pool store

You need CYA in order for your chlorine to last long enough to have any chance of killing algae but you ABSOLUTELY DO NOT want it to get higher than 50 I prefer 40. You need a test kit that actually tests for CYA.

CYA - Cyanuric Acid

Cyanuric acid, often called stabilizer or sometimes conditioner, both protects FC from sunlight and lowers the effective strength of the FC. The higher your CYA level, the more FC you need to get the same effect. It is important to know your CYA level so you can figure out what FC level to aim for. If you don't have a SWG or problems from extremely high amounts of sunlight, CYA is typically kept between 30 and 50. If you have a SWG or very high levels of direct sunlight, CYA is typically kept between 60 and 80. If you are using an ORP controller, keep CYA below 50.

You increase CYA by adding stabilizer. Solid stabilizer can take up to a week to dissolve, so don't retest your CYA level for a week after adding some. You can add stabilizer to the skimmer, in which case you must not backwash or clean the filter for the next week. You can also put stabilizer in a sock and hang the sock near a return. The only practical way to lower CYA is to replace water.

SO if you're truly at 0 cya you can get cya stabilizer in power form if that is absolutely not available you can get a puck of CYA (this takes days maybe weeks to get dissolved you might be able to break it up some how in the sock to release it quicker but dont get it on your hands or in your eyes!) If you get the puck you can either get a floating delivery system to put it in or if you have a delivery system on your filter you can put it in there or you can just get a pair of pantyhose or a sock and drop the puck in there and tie it to the ladder.

Your ph is very low and high FC >10 makes the test show HIGHER than it is. SO you need to raise it. Go get a few boxes of borax. ~ 144 oz if your at 11,000 gal Raise the level to about 7.5 or so using the pool calculator will tell you about what you need to put in. If you use borax it'll help minimally with the algae too and in general help with the feel of your pool water so I only use borax.


Your TA is out of wack too!! before using the BORAX use Baking soda to level that out then use borax. Still buy extra borax because you'll need it later and it isn't that expensive. For the baking soda call around to feed stores. I got a armandhammer 50lb bag for what seemed like nickles compared to the grocery store.


I wouldn't add any more of anything else unless one of the experts here tells you to.

You know you need to get your FC into the 10+ range and keep it there every hour if your cya is 0. When I go to sleep I bump it up by about 120 to 130% of target because you almost always get a huge drop at night. I'm assuming because the Clorine kills faster at night or because the algae grows faster at night, either way it takes a big hit in that time. Don't be surprised if it goes to 0 when you wake up. it took me 20 to 30 bottles of walmart bleach to get to where I am right now in three 1/2 days (i have a 26,000 gal pool).

RUN YOUR FILTER 24/7 until it is perfectly clear + 1 day.

If you can brush and vacuum every hour,backwash every time you're at 20% more pressure than when clean. Check the pressure every hour or so! If you consistently have to backwash because of huge pressure increases then put the filter on recirculate when you go to bed, you don't want to blow up the filter and pump when you're asleep.

Then you need a bottle of POP Pool Owner Patients, it should take 3 to 5 days to get that water clear again.

Here's what I just went through over the past 4 days or so.

First picture is 5/29 less than an hour ago second is 5/28 third is 5/26 and that wasn't it at its worst that day. I'm not completely out of the woods because I still see some haze in there but another day should be my victory lap. Then all I have to do is maintain it for the rest of the year with minor adjustments to PH and keeping the FC in acceptable ranges, usually 1/2 bottle of bleach every 3 to 4 days if that.

 

[k8conant]

Thanks, exceltoexcel. It looks as if you turned your pool around fast. I had calculated my pool volume at 8600 gallons (18' x 4') and that's in my signature.
I already have borax and stabilizer on hand. I believe if I turn the inLine chlorinator back on that'll also add CYA. I can't backwash but I can keep cleaning and changing the cartridges.

257WbyMap -- I'm checking for test kits.


I'm running short on POP. So I should I just keep the pump going 24/7 until it's clear? That's what I've been doing for the past week.

 

[duraleigh]

I am going to be very short and probably sound rude to you but I am trying to help by getting quickly to the source of your problems.

You do not have a good grasp of what's wrong with your pool and, worse, you are throwing things in your pool and you have no idea why you are throwing them in.

What we teach here is understanding what's wrong with your pool and then understanding what to do about it. You really can't get started doing that until you make the commitment to learn about pool water chemistry and make the commitment to buy a really good test kit so you can stay out of the pool store and manage your water correctly.

read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. That should prompt you to ask a lot of questions which we'll all help answer. Then, we'll teach you how to shock the pool properly and stop wasting money on Pool Store stuff you simp-ly do not need......but you will need your own very good kit if you want to get a correct start down this path.

 

[Guest]

I am going to be very short and probably sound rude to you but I am trying to help by getting quickly to the source of your problems.

You do not have a good grasp of what's wrong with your pool and, worse, you are throwing things in your pool and you have no idea why you are throwing them in.

What we teach here is understanding what's wrong with your pool and then understanding what to do about it. You really can't get started doing that until you make the commitment to learn about pool water chemistry and make the commitment to buy a really good test kit so you can stay out of the pool store and manage your water correctly.

read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. That should prompt you to ask a lot of questions which we'll all help answer. Then, we'll teach you how to shock the pool properly and stop wasting money on Pool Store stuff you simp-ly do not need......but you will need your own very good kit if you want to get a correct start down this path.

I did it without a good test kit but I agree a good kit would help since most of the store bought kits don't read FC, don't read it high enough, and don't read CC and some not even cya.

He can at least start by understanding CYA and FC and that it takes time and commitment

 

[simplicity]

As others mentioned, having a proper test kit is key! I keep the pump running as long as you're shocking and definitely while you're adding stabilizer - try not to backwash otherwise the stabilizer might be wasted and you'll need to test more. So clean /backwash before you start the shocking process. Also test your ph before you start shocking.

This year it took me about 3 weeks to turn my green pool pristine again...I've been using BBB for 4 years and this year just opened late and we had some really hot days in April.

Be patient and keep at it....test multiple times a day to make sure you maintain your FC at shock level as much as possible. You can stop shocking after you pass the overnight loss test and CC is less than 0.5.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

[Guest]

Thanks, exceltoexcel. It looks as if you turned your pool around fast. I had calculated my pool volume at 8600 gallons (18' x 4') and that's in my signature.
I already have borax and stabilizer on hand. I believe if I turn the inLine chlorinator back on that'll also add CYA. I can't backwash but I can keep cleaning and changing the cartridges.

257WbyMap -- I'm checking for test kits.


I'm running short on POP. So I should I just keep the pump going 24/7 until it's clear? That's what I've been doing for the past week.

YOU HAVE TO READ THE POOL SCHOOL. It'll help incredibly!


If the filter gets too clogged you're going to risk damaging your pump. If your pump has a PSI meter on it, change your filter and then write down the psi. From there remember to change the filter if it goes above 20% at night and no more than 25% during the day.Honestly I'm not the guy to do anything more than tell you that if you read the stuff here and follow it, that it works and works quickly if youre dedicated. I work from home so I can take 10 minutes every hour and test the water and make some adjustments with a quick brushing too, it means I have to work later today but so what. I have no idea about cartridges. I'll assume unless someone jumps in here it works on the same principal. Let say your psi reads 10psi. IF you see it hit 12.5 psi during a day when you can watch it change it. If your going to bed and the cartridge has needed to be changed over and over through the day you need to put the filter on recirculate so you don't damage it. I doubt you'll have to do that much, if at all, because your volume in your pool is low.

again read the pool school It's the button up to the right.

images/icons/PoolSchool-MouseOver.png

You must leave that filter running 24/7 and have FC in the pool at levels indicated here.

http://www.poolcalculator.com/

1. Make sure you enter your pool size because if you don't you'll be adding too much of everything! (Top most Orange area directly under now)


2. enter all of your data in the left column (under "NOW"). Scroll down and select in the yellow "suggested goals level" area "Use suggested goal levels from: " TroubleFreePool.com

3. press calculate

4. hover over the indented text boxes to get a tip on how many boxes,gallons, bottles of the chemical you'll need to add.

Adjust your TA first with Baking soda, wait 2 to 3 hours test ph and TA

Adjust your Ph second with borax, wait 2 to 3 hours test ph and TA again, make adjustments as needed but just get within the range don't worry about making it absolutely perfect, that will drive you insane.

Once all of that reads in the range, replug in the numbers in the pool calculator

Increase your CYA (since this will take a long time to come up just do what the calc says and move to the nest step), if it is trully zero you'll need about 3lbs but AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN MAKE SURE YOUR CYA IS INFACT 0!! Heck, grab a very clean water bottle and take a sample to your pool store to be double sure of the reading if you have a junky test kit. It's a complete pain to lower it, you have to basically empty your pool, there is no other realistic way to remove it. I suggest getting the CYA to 40 not 50 because going to far up is a big huge pain though your pool is so small you'd have a better time of it.

Adjust your FC . you'll find that in this section of the pool calculator, its blue near the bottom of the table. Should be 10 if your cya is 0 15 if your cya is 40.

Suggested FC Levels SWG: Normal: to Shock: Mustard Algae Shock:
Suggested target FC levels based on the current CYA level for outdoor pools.
Note: Be careful if your CYA is really and truly zero!

Keep that FC at that point testing every single hour until it stops fluctuating every hour. Then go to two hours testing then 4. Of course you'll sleep in there somewhere but test as soon as you get up.

I'd buy about 20 bottles of bleach for your setup. You probably won't go through nearly that much but it's better to have it on hand than not have it if the FC drops. The key is to get the FC at shock levels and keep it there for at least a day without having any FC loss at all overnight. Once that happens you're winning the fight. If you can get up in the middle of the night pfft 3am and adjust the FC if needed the first couple of days, I think that's why my pool cleared up so quickly, I only had one night of major loss.

Read below and ask questions if you don't understand it.

pool-school/shocking_your_pool

 

[k8conant]

It appears that the only thing that will help me now is to order and wait for a new test kit.

Of course, before I ever posted I had been reading the forum for weeks and had read Pool School, so maybe I wasn't quite as stupid as you think I was. Yes, I made a mistake adding algaecide because my husband insisted upon it. Then I thought I must have green water from copper and/or iron because there was no visible sign of algae (no slime in the pool or on the filter) and the FC and CC levels had not come down below 10 for over a week.

Sorry if I bothered you all.

 

[Isaac-1]

It is a learning process and you are getting there, we know we ask for a lot on faith, but if you read the success stories you will see we were all where you are at once point.

Ike

 

[k8conant]

I just ordered the Taylor K-2006 and estimated delivery is 4 June.

A side conversation on good vs bad test kits has been moved to here. JasonLion

 

[k8conant]

I moved some of the relevant posts back to this thread from the other one. jblizzle

In any case, I know what exceltoexcel meant.

I intend to keep shocking my pool until it's clear even though I won't have the "good" test kit until next week.
I vacuumed thoroughly this afternoon and will do so again tomorrow.
I will use a good dose of POP.

More later.

 

[k8conant]

To the original poster... You are doing fine. If you want to try to get ahead by adding bleach you can do so, but please understand that too much of anything can be bad also so measuring and then adjusting is the preferred model.

I've read on this forum that one cannot really add too much chlorine. Is that true? I really don't want to go back to the dark green muck while waiting for the test kit!

 

[jblizzle]

You can certainly add too much chlorine, which could start to damage the pool and/or equipment. This is why the shock process is what it is, to greatly reduce the likelihood of causing damage.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

What kind of test kit do you have now?

Sent via Tapatalk...

 

[k8conant]

What kind of test kit do you have now?

Sent via Tapatalk...

I was using 6-way test strips.

 

[zea3]

It appears that the only thing that will help me now is to order and wait for a new test kit.

Of course, before I ever posted I had been reading the forum for weeks and had read Pool School, so maybe I wasn't quite as stupid as you think I was. Yes, I made a mistake adding algaecide because my husband insisted upon it. Then I thought I must have green water from copper and/or iron because there was no visible sign of algae (no slime in the pool or on the filter) and the FC and CC levels had not come down below 10 for over a week.

Sorry if I bothered you all.

No one thinks you are stupid and you are not bothering anyone. The majority of us have been exactly where you are right now and we know that all the information we throw at you can be confusing, especially since we don't give the same advice a pool store gives. That's why we stress going back and re-reading pool school. Your new test kit will help you clear your pool and keep it clear. We will be happy to help you learn how to use it when it arrives.

Bottom line is the pool needs chlorine and lots of it. We recommend liquid chlorine since it does not add any other chemicals to the pool that may have adverse effects (such as adding too much CYA or Calcium). You can use plain, unscented grocery store bleach or liquid chlorine from the pool store. Your test kit will tell you how much and how often to add chlorine during the shock process.

Don't worry about the algecide, it didn't cause any harm, it just doesn't do any good once the pool is green. It can help make the pool more resistant to algae if you tend to let the chlorine drop below recommended levels on a regular basis. The best way to prevent algae is to keep the chlorine at the recommended level for your pool. Once you pool is clear we can help you determine the recommended level for your pool.

Hang in there and soon you will develop sparklypoolitis! We're here if you have any questions.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Re: Get test kit / bad test kit

What kind of test kit do you have now?

Sent via Tapatalk...

I was using 6-way test strips.

Ah... Those tend to be horribly unreliable. I have used then only to have fun and learn what the reliability is. On a few items it works out as reasonably accurate but imprecise to the point that it isn't useful for the methods used here.

That said with no other options I'd use imprecise strips before I'd just guess... And I would order a kit asap!

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[k8conant]

My test kit was just delivered. I'll be testing shortly and let you know what results I get.