Cloudy Water

[wilssm]

Hello, new to the post I have a 24ft 52inch above ground pool about three weeks ago I opened the pool to find that over the winter cover had ripped an let in all kinds of leaves and the water was black. So to get started I shocked the pool and added algeide and ran the filter which is a sta-rite cartridge filter, after 2 days the water was a cloudy blue. After getting all my chemicals in order and running the pump the water was still cloudy. After almost 2 weeks I broke down and took the water to get tested(first time in 13years I have done this), to my dismay and buying chemicals the pool store said I needed the water is cloudy blue. I have even tried to floc the pool which helped very little but when I vacuumed the bottom the pool clouded up again. I read a post which said to get chlorine level around 5 which I did by adding bleach. As of today I added more algeide and added a water claifier. Here are my test readings.
TH 200
FC 5
PH 7.5
TA 120
CYA 30-50
I have been running the pump 24/7 any help will be grateful to get this water clear.
Wilssm

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

Your numbers actually look good, but your chlorine is too low to kill any risidual algea if it's still alive.

Do you know what your CC are, if any?

Do you have your own test kit?

I would start by hosing off your cartridge to clean it, if you have not already done so. That could be an issue as to why it's still cloudy.

Assuming you still have algea to kill (another possible source of why it's still cloudy), add 3 jugs of 6% bleach, clorox or Wal-mart brand. That will bring your chlorine to shock level (16ppm). If that number holds overnight, your algea is dead and you can let the chlorine level drop over a couple of days. Continue to run your filter 24/7.

If your level drops more than 1ppm overnight, you still have algea alive and you need to keep the 15-16ppm shock level of chlorine in your pool until it holds overnight.

It just takes time to get the cloudiness out, and if your cartridge is clogged, that will be difficult to do.

Feel free to post any other questions if you are still unclear about anything. Don't worry if you feel overwhelmed, you sound very experienced with the pool but beginning to doubt what the pool store has been telling you....