Sorry in advance if this seems long winded. Didn't want to leave out any details. We just purchased our very first pool. We went with the 18X42 above ground using the cartridge filter that came with it. After alot of consideration we decided to go with salt water. We made this decision based on not having to use a load of chemicals. Well we haven't been able to enjoy our pool yet. First i must say that we used well water fill our pool. Straight from the well not going through our water softener. Halfway filled water started to turn green. Once completely filled water was green. We added 3 1/2 bags of salt as per manual said 150 lbs. Ran the filter for 24 hrs so salt could dissolve. Then turned on salt water pump. Manual says standard running time is 4 hrs. Well after 4 hrs seem like water was no better. So i read the manual for swg and it said to boost it. so i boosted it. it's on hr 22 and it seems like it only got worse. well i read plenty of the forums today and read i should get a better testing strip kit so i went out and bought one. my results came out to alk. 210 ph 8.2 free cl 1 hrd 150 and cya 60. i am assuming salt level is ok bc our swg has a built in salt level monitor. what do i do to get my pool ready to go? also do i need to do a chemical shock or let the swg boost shock it?? PLEASE HELP US!!! I am seriously thinking of calling it quits and returning everything. My kids will be so disappointed though. Thanks in advance.
Frustrated New Owners
- Thread starter mla211
- Start date
Welcome to TFP!
Are you seeing a clear transparent green? Or a murky cloudy green?
A clear transparent green means metals in the water, and you need to add a startup dose of sequestrant.
A cloudy/murky green means algae, and you need to shock the pool manual (see the instructions in Pool School).
Also, your alkalinity (TA) is quite high, as is your PH. You should lower your PH to 7.2 as soon as practical (before shocking, if you need to shock). After that, any time the PH gets up to 7.8, lower it to 7.2 again. In the longer run you should read about lowering TA in Pool School.
Are you seeing a clear transparent green? Or a murky cloudy green?
A clear transparent green means metals in the water, and you need to add a startup dose of sequestrant.
A cloudy/murky green means algae, and you need to shock the pool manual (see the instructions in Pool School).
Also, your alkalinity (TA) is quite high, as is your PH. You should lower your PH to 7.2 as soon as practical (before shocking, if you need to shock). After that, any time the PH gets up to 7.8, lower it to 7.2 again. In the longer run you should read about lowering TA in Pool School.
i would say that it is a cloudy green. so does this mean shock with chemical shock or will the boost shock with the swg work?
Using the SWG will significantly shorten cell life. It is best to turn off the SWG and just use bleach.
SWCG will NOT bring your FC level up to the needed ppm. They are intended to maintain FC only.
You mentioned test strips. Not a good thing. We recommend a test KIT for ensuring proper levels in your pool. You also mentioned a CYA level of 60 per strips. When did you add the CYA?
You mentioned test strips. Not a good thing. We recommend a test KIT for ensuring proper levels in your pool. You also mentioned a CYA level of 60 per strips. When did you add the CYA?
Did you use any pucks for initial chlorine, or dichloro?
If you did neither, then the strips are obviously wrong.
So, do yourself a favor, and go to Walmart, or your local hardware store that has a pool section, and pick up:
A) a jug/bottle of isocyanuric acid, usually labeled stabilizer or conditioner.
B) an HTH (or store brand) 6 way test kit. This will get you started.
Item C) Go to that link in my other post or in JohnN's signature and order a proper test kit.
The test kit you order is actually a must for your shock process, as you will be needing chlorine levels much higher than even the 6-way kit can measure.
Oh, While you are at Walmart, you need to pick up at least 3 jugs of unscented basic great value bleach.
If you did neither, then the strips are obviously wrong.
So, do yourself a favor, and go to Walmart, or your local hardware store that has a pool section, and pick up:
A) a jug/bottle of isocyanuric acid, usually labeled stabilizer or conditioner.
B) an HTH (or store brand) 6 way test kit. This will get you started.
Item C) Go to that link in my other post or in JohnN's signature and order a proper test kit.
The test kit you order is actually a must for your shock process, as you will be needing chlorine levels much higher than even the 6-way kit can measure.
Oh, While you are at Walmart, you need to pick up at least 3 jugs of unscented basic great value bleach.
i have the aquachem 6 way test kit i picked up at lowes. that is what i used to get the results i have posted earlier. i never used any tablets or anything. my husband did just run to walmart and pick up the ph minus to lower my ph levels.
Hmmm...... pH minus......Did you send him for Muriatic acid? Or the dry acid product.
While he is there, have him pick up the bleach.
That Aquachem test kit, is it strips or a bunch of little bottles of liquid?
While he is there, have him pick up the bleach.
That Aquachem test kit, is it strips or a bunch of little bottles of liquid?
I am fairly sure the AquaChem test you are talking about are test strips, the 6 way HTH kit at Wal-Mart is a better quality drop based kit, but is still not a good substitute for one of the suggested kits mentioned above or in my signature. It is our general opinion that the only half way decent test on the strips is the pH test, the rest of the results are basically useless.
I suggested the HTH 6-way drops based because it does have the liquid CYA test which IS the same R-0013 from the K-2006 and TF-100. The rest are OTO etc.
he got the hth ph minus from walmart. according to the aquachem smart strips app i have to add 8 lbs of ph minus. was that too much?
Probably. As has been said here, the strips are highly suspect in what they tell you. At the very least, you need a 2-way drops based kit if for nothing else but the pH test section.
Try this: Yes, I know it will waste a couple of strips. Take two samples of your water. Use two new strips. I'll wager that the results will differ, even by a little bit of shading.
Try this: Yes, I know it will waste a couple of strips. Take two samples of your water. Use two new strips. I'll wager that the results will differ, even by a little bit of shading.
Most pH tests only show reading from about 6.3 - 8.2, so anything above 8.2 will likely read as 8.2. Having said that it is best to make pH adjustments in smaller steps. I would also suggest using poolcalculator for dosing suggestions. Having said that 8 pounds sounds like WAY too much, it is much more likely you need something on the order of 1.5 pounds. I would suggest adding 1 pound and reset, as you may still getting a reading of 8.2 if it was really much higher
Ike
p.s. by chance did you add an extra 0 to your pool size?
Ike
p.s. by chance did you add an extra 0 to your pool size?
grrrr. i'm just so over this pool thing already. i'm gonna see how my ph levels are tomorrow. will get some bleach while i'm out and see for a test kit.
Welcome! 
You'll get it sorted out sooner or later - sooner if you use a decent test kit - and in a month will be laughing at how frustrated you got and how easy it really is.
You'll get it sorted out sooner or later - sooner if you use a decent test kit - and in a month will be laughing at how frustrated you got and how easy it really is.
no i just checked and it says 5800 gallons. but i just read on the app and it says never put more than 40 ounces at a time. what do i do? i already put the entire amount??? will it affect my liner?
mia211,
I'm sorry if I cause you this frustration.
If there was a better way to keep a pool clean and clear, I've yet to find it.
I made those suggestions because I've been there. My first year with this pool we had to drain and refill 3 times because we followed pool store type advice, looking at the labels on the HTH and other brand pool chemicals. Just like a pool store, green water? Algaecide. Cloudy water? Clarifier. Oops, that made it worse. What now? Oh Flocculant! Nothing worked. So, drain and refill. Repeat several times.
Then I found another pool forum, which gave me the basics. Last year, I had to go through the shock process twice, because I didn't have a good test kit. They recommended the Taylor K-2006. NO more shocking, because I could tell when something was going wrong, and knew what needed to be done.
This year, I found this forum, and couldn't be happier with how my pool is doing. Pool School has as much info than the other forum, in a lot more detail.
Pool has been open since late April, and you can read the lettering on a quarter thrown in the middle of the pool. No eye stinging. No green hair (I'm reddish blond).
The info and techniques are here, just waiting for you to apply them.
I'm sorry if I cause you this frustration.
If there was a better way to keep a pool clean and clear, I've yet to find it.
I made those suggestions because I've been there. My first year with this pool we had to drain and refill 3 times because we followed pool store type advice, looking at the labels on the HTH and other brand pool chemicals. Just like a pool store, green water? Algaecide. Cloudy water? Clarifier. Oops, that made it worse. What now? Oh Flocculant! Nothing worked. So, drain and refill. Repeat several times.
Then I found another pool forum, which gave me the basics. Last year, I had to go through the shock process twice, because I didn't have a good test kit. They recommended the Taylor K-2006. NO more shocking, because I could tell when something was going wrong, and knew what needed to be done.
This year, I found this forum, and couldn't be happier with how my pool is doing. Pool School has as much info than the other forum, in a lot more detail.
Pool has been open since late April, and you can read the lettering on a quarter thrown in the middle of the pool. No eye stinging. No green hair (I'm reddish blond).
The info and techniques are here, just waiting for you to apply them.
no charlie you haven't caused my frustration. just reading some ppl's comments when doing research before we got our pool it didn't seem like it was going to be this big of a pain in the ... i knew we would have to do some maintaining but the whole purpose of getting the swg was for less maintenance and less money spent. all it seems like we r doing is spending money left and right and not getting the outcome we would like to achieve. and just when i thought i was doing the right thing getting the aquachem test strips instead of just using the ones that came with my swg it appears that they have only caused me to maybe mess up my pool. so i apologize for being so frustrated.