Impatient kids! when is it safe to swim?

[mom2jath]

I am new to your site but I can tell I am going to love it! Kids are dying to swim. Pool not clear!
Chlorine doesn't want to stay up. People at pool store said anytime but I am not sure.
Please Help!!

24ft above ground 4ft deep living in KY.

FC-0-3
PH 7.2
TA-30-50
Stabilizer-20-40

 

[jblizzle]

Welcome to TFP!!!

Your pool is large enough that you should really have one of the Recommended Test Kits. Pool store testing is worth what you pay for it and the results you posted just have way too large of a range.

Generally, you are safe to swim when:
1. FC > minimum for your CYA
2. FC < shock level for your CYA
3. CC at or < 0.5
4. Water is clear (you can see the bottom)
5. pH is in range (for comfort)

The problem is we have no idea if you have met the first 4 given the information you provided since the FC is between 0 and 3 ... clearly 0 is too low.

Here is the table to see the required FC levels: pool-school/chlorine_cya_chart_shock

Take a read through Pool School and you will get a much better idea of the methods we recommend. Within a few hours you will know more that the pool store employees.

 

[ps0303]

One key thing you said was that the pool wasn't "clear." I would stay out until you can clearly see the bottom. Make sure it's clear enough to see the entire bottom of the pool AND your chemicals are in the the correct range. Seems like to me the numbers you posted, except for the PH, are suggested ranges that the pool store gave you.

 

[Charlie_R]

Seems like to me the numbers you posted, except for the PH, are suggested ranges that the pool store gave you.

Or the pool store used cheap out of date test strips.......

 

[Smykowski]

If the pool is not clear, it's either debris, or the remnants of algae. However, there's no way to tell without your own, reliable test results.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Do you have any kind of test kit of your own?

I always like to wait until you've passed the OCLT before saying it's safe to swim, but since you don't have a FAS-DPD kit you can't run the OCLT so I'd at least wait till it will hold FC and is clear.

Are you running the pump 24 hours per day?
Which pump and filter do you have?

 

[mom2jath]

ok put bleach and shock in last night. this morning
PH-7.2
FC-10
TA-60
stabilizer-30-50 all via Aquacheck strip

pool still cloudy almost looks like a residue on top
I have a Hayward powerflo XL pump with a sand filter

 

[Bama Rambler]

What have you been using in the past to chlorinate the pool?

Have you used any algaecide in the pool?

Keep the pump running.

You would really benefit from a good test kit.

 

[mom2jath]

We have had this pool 3 years. It has never kept chlorine well. We have only ever used shock from the pool store and as long as it looked clean and clear
we just didn't worry about the chlorine because it seemed impossible to keep it up. When we took the cover off it was a green swap so we used an entire bottle of algaecide recommended by the pool store and the next day it was clean but cloudy. The pump is running constantly.

going to order a test kit.

 

[Bama Rambler]

Some Algaecide commonly causes residue or foam on a pool when it's used. It'll filter out with time.

Do you know how large your sand filter is?

 

[jblizzle]

Want is the ingredient in the magic powder "shock" you are using? There are different kinds that have different side effects.

I would certainly not just call it safe even though you can not maintain FC. I would suggest some more reading in Pool School while waiting for the test kit.

 

[ps0303]

The best thing to use on a green pool is just your basic liquid chlorine. No need to buy that algaecide but that's water under the bridge now.