I have a 18' x 48" Bestway (generic Intex) metal frame AG pool. I use an Intex pump & SWG with it. Used a mesh leaf cover all winter, which worked brilliantly.
However, after pollen season here and some bad storms, the water went from blue to green and I have not been able to remedy it. I am ordering the chemical test set recommended on here because the one Leslie's sold me last year only tests chlorine & pH levels.
Here's my issue: water was green and test showed no chlorine so I added 1 lb of shock (which has been what they had me do in the past). Ran filter for 24 hours (without chlorine generator), still green. They had me add another 1 lb, still green (and cloudy).
So Sunday, I went to Leslie's for a full water work-up. 1st they told me they can no longer analyze my water because they are showing chlorine is over 10 and because of that, none of the other tests will work. They told me to get rid of the extra chlorine and they can only run a water analysis then.
The guy then asks me if I have a vacuum (I do, but it doesn't fit the new pump so I'll have to buy one). He tries to sell me a $300 battery-operated one and says that they do not sell or support anything Intex (meanwhile, they have 2 Intex pools on display...).
Then, I mention that this process is usually easier since we switched to saltwater 2 years ago. He told me that was never noted in their system and they only support full-size saltwater pools and that their water analysis readings cannot handle the salt levels used in Intex pools. He tells me good luck, but that they cannot help me.
I call BS. When I had a "regular" chlorine Bestway pool, they were more than happy to sell me $500 of chemicals at a pop. Now that I can use $50 of salt every year and a minimal amount of everything else, they suddenly cannot help me.
So long story short: threw away the Intex skimmer because it kept airlocking the pump and was a POS. I will have to figure out a solution to that AFTER I fix the water.
Drained the pool down to the pump outlets (which helped skim it anyway) and got the schmutz off of the bottom with the hand skimmer. Filled it up ONLY to the top of the highest inlet and the pump is running. (My plan is if I can't fix this by the weekend, I'll drain it and start completely over and actually level the thing too since DH installed it like 6" out of level).
No pics at the moment because it's dark out but I'll post one tomorrow. Any ideas where to begin and how to plan forward would be a huge help since Leslie's Pools abandoned me... I"m in GA so I'm hoping at the moment that the added water + hot sun will burn off excess chlorine... I am also reading up on Pool School - but bear with me because I also have a huge physics test Tuesday so I'm sorta busy with that too!
Bestway 18' x 48"
Intex SWG pump: System flow rate of 1,650 GPH; pump flow rate of 2,000 GPH
pH around 6.8 - 7.0
chlorine above 10
However, after pollen season here and some bad storms, the water went from blue to green and I have not been able to remedy it. I am ordering the chemical test set recommended on here because the one Leslie's sold me last year only tests chlorine & pH levels.
Here's my issue: water was green and test showed no chlorine so I added 1 lb of shock (which has been what they had me do in the past). Ran filter for 24 hours (without chlorine generator), still green. They had me add another 1 lb, still green (and cloudy).
So Sunday, I went to Leslie's for a full water work-up. 1st they told me they can no longer analyze my water because they are showing chlorine is over 10 and because of that, none of the other tests will work. They told me to get rid of the extra chlorine and they can only run a water analysis then.
The guy then asks me if I have a vacuum (I do, but it doesn't fit the new pump so I'll have to buy one). He tries to sell me a $300 battery-operated one and says that they do not sell or support anything Intex (meanwhile, they have 2 Intex pools on display...).
Then, I mention that this process is usually easier since we switched to saltwater 2 years ago. He told me that was never noted in their system and they only support full-size saltwater pools and that their water analysis readings cannot handle the salt levels used in Intex pools. He tells me good luck, but that they cannot help me.
I call BS. When I had a "regular" chlorine Bestway pool, they were more than happy to sell me $500 of chemicals at a pop. Now that I can use $50 of salt every year and a minimal amount of everything else, they suddenly cannot help me.
So long story short: threw away the Intex skimmer because it kept airlocking the pump and was a POS. I will have to figure out a solution to that AFTER I fix the water.
Drained the pool down to the pump outlets (which helped skim it anyway) and got the schmutz off of the bottom with the hand skimmer. Filled it up ONLY to the top of the highest inlet and the pump is running. (My plan is if I can't fix this by the weekend, I'll drain it and start completely over and actually level the thing too since DH installed it like 6" out of level).
No pics at the moment because it's dark out but I'll post one tomorrow. Any ideas where to begin and how to plan forward would be a huge help since Leslie's Pools abandoned me... I"m in GA so I'm hoping at the moment that the added water + hot sun will burn off excess chlorine... I am also reading up on Pool School - but bear with me because I also have a huge physics test Tuesday so I'm sorta busy with that too!
Bestway 18' x 48"
Intex SWG pump: System flow rate of 1,650 GPH; pump flow rate of 2,000 GPH
pH around 6.8 - 7.0
chlorine above 10