New to Pools, trying to fix a green pool

[Sal512]

Hey all, I bought a home which has a pool about 4 weeks ago. I found out about this site last week and this is my first post here.
I have read the rules and poolschool etc, Created my signature which might need tuning

The pool turned green around 5/1/2015. It was fine before that. I did some google searches, found the 'green to oasis' article from this site but could not understand most it being a newbie.
So I went to the pool store, they asked me to get a sample and tested my water.

Test result from 5/4
FAC -0
TAC -0
Salt -1800
CH - 210
CYA -0
TA - 90
pH - 8.0
Temp - 70

They sold me a bottle of 'Green to clean' and 3 rounds of 'Chlor Brite' . That is 2 pounds per round. After doing this the green pool began to turn blue and I was happy.
But it rained again next day and it started to turn green again. Store tested water and asked me to add 140 pounds of salt, which I did. This brought the salt up to 2500.
I have been running to the store, testing and adding stuff. They have asked me to 'backwash', but I am not sure how to do that.

Below is my test result from yesterday 5/16
FAC -0
TAC -0
Salt -2500
CH - 200
CYA -70
TA - 120
pH - 8.0
Acid demand -2
Copper - 0
Iron -0
Phosphates - 1000

Store has recommended adding 24 Fl oz of Muriatic Acid. Then after 4 hours add 'chlor brite' 2 pounds. I have not done that yet.
I have been reading some posts here trying to learn. Please tell me what should be best course of action to get this pool back.
I think I need to clean the filter, because algae might be in there. can someone tell me how I should do that. Thanks

 

[Richard320]

Welcome!

Time to get off that pool store merry go round.

Step One: order a proper test kit. The kit you want is next to impossible to find in stores. They will tell you the K-2005 is the same as the K-2006 but it's not. Or skip the reading and searching and head for tftestkits. I advise the XL option now, since your pool is in rough shape.

While you await the kit, read some of the Inspirational Threads I've collected and look at the pictures. The advice you'll get is the same they got, so you can read some of the text, too.

If you want to try cleaning your filter, here's an article. There are a whole bunch of youtube videos, too. Probably one with your exact filter so you can see what it will look like inside.

 

[Azgirl71]

Welcome to TFP! Richard has given you great advice. The best thing ever did for my pool was to buy a recommended test kit and quit going to the pool store.

 

[Sal512]

Thanks Richard. I have spa also attached to the pool. Looking at the pool right now, and the water level is alarmingly high. What should i do ? This being a salt water pool, the water dissolves the limestone which is around it, so i have to make sure the water does not overflow. I am replying from my iphone, want to attach a pic, but not sure how

 

[Richard320]

You need to drain some water off. Some pumps have a hose spigot just for that. You connect a garden hose and turn the pump on and open the faucet. Some have a multiport valve on the filter and you select "waste." And some people have to rely on a submersible pump or a siphon (if the yard slopes down) to do it. You'll lose some salt, but there's no way to avoid it. And salt is about the cheapest pool chemical you can buy it comes in great big sacks!

 

[Sal512]

I turned the multiport valve to waste , then turned the pump ON, and water began to come out from a pipe near the pump. I let it drain for 10 minutes, then stopped it as water was accumulating near the pump and close to the building. Shouldnt the pool have some mechanism to ensure water level does not rise and overflow ?

 

[Richard320]

I turned the multiport valve to waste , then turned the pump ON, and water began to come out from a pipe near the pump. I let it drain for 10 minutes, then stopped it as water was accumulating near the pump and close to the building. Shouldnt the pool have some mechanism to ensure water level does not rise and overflow ?

Some do, some don't. If you have one, it's probably in the side of the skimmer well, above the normal water level. Mine doesn't... but Southern California is not noted for heavy rainfall, either.