Hi everybody! Alright, so I've got a bit of a long story/process to tell you about here, and I **know** you're not going to be thrilled with all of it, but bear with me! First let me just say that reading through the forum has totally saved my pool. We've got an 18x36 IG pool (approx 30,000gal) with a Hayward sand filter (takes 300lbs of sand, dunno if that's important to note) that has looked like a dang lake for the last two years.
Last year my mom and I spent a TON of money on **** from the pool store, and still couldn't swim in the darn thing...wound up closing it still looking like a lake. This year, we started down the saaaaame ridiculous road. Look, I'm an unemployed veteran and single mom...I don't have the money to go throwing around in a pool store for no results, so I started scouring the internet...then I came across this site, and the heavens opened up, choirs of angels began to sing, and rays of light started shining down upon my laptop. SO...basically I told my mom we're not doing jack at the pool store anymore...I had a plan, and I was gonna clear this water up myself.
Before I go any further, I know you're going to scold me because I'm operating without a reliable test kit...yes I plan to get the TF-100, but as my mom just recently lost her job too, it's a bit low on my priority list (please don't yell at me! LOL)...anyway...I went to Target and bought 20 bottles (128oz) of bleach, and started the SLAM process. I knew I was at a disadvantage because of my test kit issues, but I figured that if I kept plugging away, something was bound to happen. This was two Fridays ago...I've been bleaching and bleaching, keeping my chlorine super high (I think), brushing the heck out of the pool, and vacuuming it religiously, as well as keeping the filter running 24/7, and backwashing it daily. I've been rewarded with a BLUE, albeit cloudy pool (actually, the pool went blue for me on Saturday...so in just over a week, I went from gross to blue and cloudy).
Now, considering where I started, with absolutely DISGUSTING, dark green, almost swampy water (seriously, it stunk to high heaven every time I would backwash), I could not be more ecstatic with my results. Now it's just a matter of clearing up those clouds. I'm at the point now where, when standing in the shallow end, I can see the color of my feet at the bottom, and a vague outline of said feet...I THINK I can almost make out a bit of the liner down there, but it might be wishful thinking. It's definitely been getting slightly better every day, and I'm still chlorinating the **** out of it, but I added a little bit of DE tonight (following the instructions I read in Pool School) to see if that'll make a difference for me.
Now...I apologize for not being able to give you all of the numbers that you typically request, but given the glaring success I've had in the last week and a half, I'm just going to say that for now, my levels are/have been sufficient to kill the s*&! out of that stubborn algae I had. So...I guess my question is...if I continue vacuuming/brushing, considering the track I'm currently on and that I'm seeing some small improvements daily, do you think the DE might help me in clearing up these clouds a bit, at least so I can see what, if anything, might be left in the deep end of my pool? Outside of the question, I sincerely want to thank you guys for all of the information on this site...I would still have a lake (and a lot less money!) if it weren't for you.
Whew...sorry for the novella there, but I wanted to give you as much info as possible. Also, I'm attaching a picture of what I started with (it's so embarrassing! Ew!), and will take an updated picture to show you all tomorrow morning.
Last year my mom and I spent a TON of money on **** from the pool store, and still couldn't swim in the darn thing...wound up closing it still looking like a lake. This year, we started down the saaaaame ridiculous road. Look, I'm an unemployed veteran and single mom...I don't have the money to go throwing around in a pool store for no results, so I started scouring the internet...then I came across this site, and the heavens opened up, choirs of angels began to sing, and rays of light started shining down upon my laptop. SO...basically I told my mom we're not doing jack at the pool store anymore...I had a plan, and I was gonna clear this water up myself.
Before I go any further, I know you're going to scold me because I'm operating without a reliable test kit...yes I plan to get the TF-100, but as my mom just recently lost her job too, it's a bit low on my priority list (please don't yell at me! LOL)...anyway...I went to Target and bought 20 bottles (128oz) of bleach, and started the SLAM process. I knew I was at a disadvantage because of my test kit issues, but I figured that if I kept plugging away, something was bound to happen. This was two Fridays ago...I've been bleaching and bleaching, keeping my chlorine super high (I think), brushing the heck out of the pool, and vacuuming it religiously, as well as keeping the filter running 24/7, and backwashing it daily. I've been rewarded with a BLUE, albeit cloudy pool (actually, the pool went blue for me on Saturday...so in just over a week, I went from gross to blue and cloudy).
Now, considering where I started, with absolutely DISGUSTING, dark green, almost swampy water (seriously, it stunk to high heaven every time I would backwash), I could not be more ecstatic with my results. Now it's just a matter of clearing up those clouds. I'm at the point now where, when standing in the shallow end, I can see the color of my feet at the bottom, and a vague outline of said feet...I THINK I can almost make out a bit of the liner down there, but it might be wishful thinking. It's definitely been getting slightly better every day, and I'm still chlorinating the **** out of it, but I added a little bit of DE tonight (following the instructions I read in Pool School) to see if that'll make a difference for me.
Now...I apologize for not being able to give you all of the numbers that you typically request, but given the glaring success I've had in the last week and a half, I'm just going to say that for now, my levels are/have been sufficient to kill the s*&! out of that stubborn algae I had. So...I guess my question is...if I continue vacuuming/brushing, considering the track I'm currently on and that I'm seeing some small improvements daily, do you think the DE might help me in clearing up these clouds a bit, at least so I can see what, if anything, might be left in the deep end of my pool? Outside of the question, I sincerely want to thank you guys for all of the information on this site...I would still have a lake (and a lot less money!) if it weren't for you.
Whew...sorry for the novella there, but I wanted to give you as much info as possible. Also, I'm attaching a picture of what I started with (it's so embarrassing! Ew!), and will take an updated picture to show you all tomorrow morning.