For the past few years, I've been maintaining a pool I hardly used primarily through shock, chlorine tabs, and dutifully breaking down and cleaning my DE filter every 4 months. I put a little acid here and there if pH is > 7.8. My pool has been always been consistently clear with times of slight greening when forget (or am too lazy) to diligently do any of those three things.
I am having a party Saturday (4th of July, Go USA!) so I had my water tested at Leslies (I don't like to go there a lot but my kit was way out of date). It was clear and algae free before I tested it.
FAC 1
TAC 1
Calcium Hardness 840 (High)
CYA 100 (High, understand that it actually may be >100)
TA 170
pH 7.4
Copper 0
Iron 0
TDS 2200
Phosphates 100
The CYA was high at 100. I am in California so I was concerned about partially draining and refilling the pool. They recommended Bioactive which has mixed results but I took the $50 gamble since the draining was the only other answer. I followed instructions and added to skimmer but the very next day my water is cloudy. It is never cloudy. I added acid because Total Alkalinity was already high so I thought maybe the Bioactive introduced extra alkalinity. Nope. I added some flocculant/clarifier in hopes that the stuff would drop down to the bottom. Nope. Now I am not sure how to proceed. I am hesitant to go back to Leslie's to retest since they'll probably suggest a thousand different kinds of expensive snake oil kits. I googled but haven't found any other instances of my situation.
Any suggestions? Should I breakdown my DE filter and clean? Did the Bioactive mess up my DE? I understand that if the pool is still cloudy by Saturday I need to cancel my pool party since it is a risk for the swimmers but I would like very much not to do so.
Some additional info: CYA 100, TA 170, Calcium Hardness 840 (this seems high but I don't know what to do about it)
I have a link open to the TF-100 test kit everyone recommends. I
18K gallon pool
Above Ground
Plaster
DE Filter
CA Water Restrictions
I am having a party Saturday (4th of July, Go USA!) so I had my water tested at Leslies (I don't like to go there a lot but my kit was way out of date). It was clear and algae free before I tested it.
FAC 1
TAC 1
Calcium Hardness 840 (High)
CYA 100 (High, understand that it actually may be >100)
TA 170
pH 7.4
Copper 0
Iron 0
TDS 2200
Phosphates 100
The CYA was high at 100. I am in California so I was concerned about partially draining and refilling the pool. They recommended Bioactive which has mixed results but I took the $50 gamble since the draining was the only other answer. I followed instructions and added to skimmer but the very next day my water is cloudy. It is never cloudy. I added acid because Total Alkalinity was already high so I thought maybe the Bioactive introduced extra alkalinity. Nope. I added some flocculant/clarifier in hopes that the stuff would drop down to the bottom. Nope. Now I am not sure how to proceed. I am hesitant to go back to Leslie's to retest since they'll probably suggest a thousand different kinds of expensive snake oil kits. I googled but haven't found any other instances of my situation.
Any suggestions? Should I breakdown my DE filter and clean? Did the Bioactive mess up my DE? I understand that if the pool is still cloudy by Saturday I need to cancel my pool party since it is a risk for the swimmers but I would like very much not to do so.
Some additional info: CYA 100, TA 170, Calcium Hardness 840 (this seems high but I don't know what to do about it)
I have a link open to the TF-100 test kit everyone recommends. I
18K gallon pool
Above Ground
Plaster
DE Filter
CA Water Restrictions