I have yet to have clear water in my Intex 16' x 4' above-ground pool. I used well water and have vacuumed to waste most of the sediment that got in there due to running pump too long first time, put in all appropriate start-up chemicals (using salt instead of chlorine), then had a lot of rain. We took sample to the pool store on Saturday - needed to raise alkalinity and calcium plus shock treatment. Still green (running filter cartridge pump 24/7) so we shocked it again on Monday night. Lighter in green color now but still green! Tried metal sequestrate last night and a little lighter this morning. Filter is brown every time I clean it (every 12 hours) and today I noticed some brown around edges of bottom of pool. Could be from where I added metal treatment last night around the perimeter of pool. Any great ideas??? First pool and I have yet to swim in it. It has been up a month now. Thanks for any advice!
I have yet to have clear water
- Thread starter Irishgal
- Start date
Sounds like you've thrown everything in but the kitchen sink 
Do you have a salt water generator? Please post us up a full set of test results so we can help diagnose your problem. Welcome!
Do you have a salt water generator? Please post us up a full set of test results so we can help diagnose your problem. Welcome!
Welcome to the forum!
Is the water murky cloudy green or is it clear with a green tint to it?
As a rule, we don't trust pool store testing, we rely on our own. However, please post whatever you got from the pool store and we can try to help.
If you're interesting in truly taking control of your pool, start reading Pool School (link in the upper right corner of every page) and order a good test kit (either TF-100 from TFTestkits.net or Taylor K-2006 from online).
Is the water murky cloudy green or is it clear with a green tint to it?
As a rule, we don't trust pool store testing, we rely on our own. However, please post whatever you got from the pool store and we can try to help.
If you're interesting in truly taking control of your pool, start reading Pool School (link in the upper right corner of every page) and order a good test kit (either TF-100 from TFTestkits.net or Taylor K-2006 from online).
OK - let me give you the ugly kitchen-sink details:
Filled with well water - bought vacuum that works with pump to remove sediment by vacuum to waste.
Needed to add clarifier to help with sediment removal.
We took a sample to the pool store. Clarifier did help ALOT! Vacuum to waste drained excess water and we think got all the silt out. Free chlorine 2.8, total chlorine 3.0, ph 6.7, alkalinity 18, calcium 19. So after vacuum we added alkalinity increaser 7 lbs and calcium 10 lbs and a cup of shock treatment. Then told to run pump alone until water clears up - 24 to 48 hours and then turn on salt system.
It is a lighter shade of green now so we are running the pump for another 24 hours as she said it could take 24-48 hours to clear the water. We did test the water at this point and the results were ph 7.8; free chlorine 5; alkalinity 120; and stabilizer 30-80 (using test strip kit).
Monday still light green so pool store advised to vacuum and then shock. Did that - still green next day.
She gave me the metal stuff last night and now a less cloudy but still green tint to the water. Bringing a sample to her tonight to have it tested.
Am I missing anything you need to know? Just let me know. Truly appreciate your help. My daughter is due back from her dad's at the beginning of August and I would really like to be able to let her swim in her birthday present - lol!
Filled with well water - bought vacuum that works with pump to remove sediment by vacuum to waste.
Needed to add clarifier to help with sediment removal.
We took a sample to the pool store. Clarifier did help ALOT! Vacuum to waste drained excess water and we think got all the silt out. Free chlorine 2.8, total chlorine 3.0, ph 6.7, alkalinity 18, calcium 19. So after vacuum we added alkalinity increaser 7 lbs and calcium 10 lbs and a cup of shock treatment. Then told to run pump alone until water clears up - 24 to 48 hours and then turn on salt system.
It is a lighter shade of green now so we are running the pump for another 24 hours as she said it could take 24-48 hours to clear the water. We did test the water at this point and the results were ph 7.8; free chlorine 5; alkalinity 120; and stabilizer 30-80 (using test strip kit).
Monday still light green so pool store advised to vacuum and then shock. Did that - still green next day.
She gave me the metal stuff last night and now a less cloudy but still green tint to the water. Bringing a sample to her tonight to have it tested.
Am I missing anything you need to know? Just let me know. Truly appreciate your help. My daughter is due back from her dad's at the beginning of August and I would really like to be able to let her swim in her birthday present - lol!
So it sounds like your water is green but cloudy, which means algae. This is from not enough chlorine in the water. The problem is that we can't tell you how much chlorine to put in the water without knowing your CYA level, and 30-80 just isn't good enough. Pluse, those test strip results are pretty much worthless.
The best advice I can give right now is to buy a good test kit. Trying to fix a pool without knowing good test results is like saying you want directions for that road trip but you don't know where you live. Once we have numbers we can trust, we can help you clear your pool with nothing but laundry bleach. Without good test results, at best we'd be guessing. More likely it would just be more throwing stuff in (along with the kitchen sink).
The best advice I can give right now is to buy a good test kit. Trying to fix a pool without knowing good test results is like saying you want directions for that road trip but you don't know where you live. Once we have numbers we can trust, we can help you clear your pool with nothing but laundry bleach. Without good test results, at best we'd be guessing. More likely it would just be more throwing stuff in (along with the kitchen sink).
Did you add any chlorine? Not the bag of "shock", actual chlorine. You should be able together rid of the green murky water using mainly bleach and filtering.
It sounds like your pH is fixed, calcium does NOT matter in a vinyl pool. So, you need some bleach/chlorine. I would not use any solid forms of chlorine or shock until you get a reliable CYA reading.
how much bleach? Use the poolcalculator.com application, enter your gallons at the top, settings at the bottom and then see how much bleach you need to get from 1 to 4 ppm chlorine.
It sounds like your pH is fixed, calcium does NOT matter in a vinyl pool. So, you need some bleach/chlorine. I would not use any solid forms of chlorine or shock until you get a reliable CYA reading.
how much bleach? Use the poolcalculator.com application, enter your gallons at the top, settings at the bottom and then see how much bleach you need to get from 1 to 4 ppm chlorine.
I need to learn the terminology like CYA - but I'm guessing that is the stabilizer? I like the idea of fixing it with laundry bleach but like I said, I used shock stuff on Saturday and again on Monday night. Not really cloudy as just has a green tint to it. I can see the bottom clearly which is why I was able to notice the brown around the edges of the pool this morning after adding the metal stuff last night. What would be your recommendation for a good test kit to help a newbie like me?
I went to poolcalculator.com
I'm hoping you meant FC - 1 to 4 told me to add 31 oz of 6% bleach for my pool which is around 5,000 gallons. Do I just dump it in or dribble around perimeter and is standard laundry bleach 6%?
I'm hoping you meant FC - 1 to 4 told me to add 31 oz of 6% bleach for my pool which is around 5,000 gallons. Do I just dump it in or dribble around perimeter and is standard laundry bleach 6%?
Pour it in slowly in front of the water return with the pump on, this will disperse it without a high concentration harming your liner. You'll probably need to do this daily to keep your chlorine level up. A good test kit will tell you how much you have in the pool already. In the pool calculator what did you set your CYA level too, it makes a huge difference as to how much bleach you need. Read through pool school at the top to get a better idea of what's going on with your pool.
This may mean you have iron in the water and will need to use a sequestrate to clear it.
I don't know - if CYA stands for stabilizer - my last test showed around 30 (in 30-80 range but closer to 20 color on test strip). I did use metal sequestrate last night - helped somewhat. I will post results from water test tonight along with recommendation from pool store and wait for advice before doing it. I will also stop off and buy some more laundry bleach. Will it say 6% on the jug? If I can't find 6%, can I use different amounts of higher/lower % bleach?
Most bleaches are 8.25% now, it is still just fine as long as there is nothing else in it. No scents, no splashless, etc.
When you go to the pool store, listen to their recommendations but please don't buy anything. Let us know what they tell you, some of us get a kick out of the stuff they try to push. If you tell them you use bleach they will probably tell you all about the horrible things it does to your pool and how the SuperNatraFrog3001 is the best way to go :blah: . Just nod and smile politely and get out of there, let us know those test results, and we will help you get yourself on your way to clear water.
I have to ask, is your salt chlorinator working correctly? When it's on is it flashing any warnings? Are there bubbles coming from the return when it is supposed to be running?
When you go to the pool store, listen to their recommendations but please don't buy anything. Let us know what they tell you, some of us get a kick out of the stuff they try to push. If you tell them you use bleach they will probably tell you all about the horrible things it does to your pool and how the SuperNatraFrog3001 is the best way to go :blah: . Just nod and smile politely and get out of there, let us know those test results, and we will help you get yourself on your way to clear water.
I have to ask, is your salt chlorinator working correctly? When it's on is it flashing any warnings? Are there bubbles coming from the return when it is supposed to be running?
You may be able to get 6% bleach, but most stores sell 8.25%. The pool store may have 12.5%, which they call "liquid chlorine" or "shock". They all work the same, it is just a matter of different amounts to add to the pool, and how long they last in storage. Just don't get anything that is "splash less" or scented.
I updated my signature so you will know basics about my pool. Let me know if I need to add anything. Lady at pool store is actually very nice and not pushy. She gave me clarifier and metal sequestrate for free - on two separate occasions. She understands I'm on limited budget and knows what I am using - BBB I guess you would say. We haven't been using the salt chlorinator yet because of water being green. But when we did have it on, there were no warnings at all. There are air bubbles along the side of the pool though - is that what you mean?
Change the order - they loaded wrong but dates will show you which is from this morning and which is from last Saturday.
Wow! Just looked at TF 100 website. I have limited budget and have already spent so much on the pool, sand, and three weeks of chemicals. I will definitely invest in one of these as soon as I can, but are there any less expensive alternatives. I know you don't trust the pool store, but it is a computerized test and she is not pushing stuff on me at all. Let me know your thoughts on this. I am stocking up on BBB though - already have 12 lb bag of baking soda and 1/2 gallon of bleach (will definitely need more though). Now all I need to get is the Borax!
Oh, by the way, my location is Black Mountain, NC. It hasn't shown up yet but I put it in profile.
The kicker is my sample water to take to the pool store tonight is clear as can be!?!?!
The kicker is my sample water to take to the pool store tonight is clear as can be!?!?!
Now it is showing up (location) - sorry for randomness! I get it from my daughter! LOL!
Skip the borax and get the TF.
I know is sounds like a bunch of money but it will save you at least this much in gas, time and the wrong chemicals. once you get the kit, you can safely manage your pool with bleach and simple grocery store purchases. I waited a year to get mine. I struggled with green. I drove 20 minutes each way to the local pool store (LPS) and followed their directions "because the computer said so..." Then I would come home, add the stuff they told me I needed, run the pump, take another sample, drive back... lather rinse repeat and my weekend is shot.
Today, I can test my pool is less than 5 minutes, in my swim suit. I know with near 100% accuracy that I need to add 50 oz of chlorox and my pool will stay absolutely crystal clear. I do this everyday (try to) and it stays perfect. If I want/need to re-test, I can do it within 30 minutes and be done within 35 minutes.
I know is sounds like a bunch of money but it will save you at least this much in gas, time and the wrong chemicals. once you get the kit, you can safely manage your pool with bleach and simple grocery store purchases. I waited a year to get mine. I struggled with green. I drove 20 minutes each way to the local pool store (LPS) and followed their directions "because the computer said so..." Then I would come home, add the stuff they told me I needed, run the pump, take another sample, drive back... lather rinse repeat and my weekend is shot.
Today, I can test my pool is less than 5 minutes, in my swim suit. I know with near 100% accuracy that I need to add 50 oz of chlorox and my pool will stay absolutely crystal clear. I do this everyday (try to) and it stays perfect. If I want/need to re-test, I can do it within 30 minutes and be done within 35 minutes.