Clear Water, Green Bottom

[weilerfamily0906]

Hi Everyone! New to the forums here...my husband and I purchased a house in February with an inground pool. The pool was not covered because the sellers wanted people to be able to "see" the pool, though I'm not sure how having it covered would have distracted from that.

It was nice and blue most of the months leading up to the summer. My husband has been doing a great job maintaining it. We went away to NY for memorial day and our area of NC had lots of thunderstorms during that time....we came back to a green pool. Now, I grew up with an inground pool and knew that there were times it would turn greenish and dad would simply shock it back to clear blue. Husband read the pool school on here, etc, and shocked it....since that time, we have gone from green to cloudy and back.

What's confusing me is....the water itself is clear! We took it to a pool professional yesterday who tested the water for us....said everything chemical wise was fine, and we just need to shock it and maintain the chlorine, backwash the filter for a couple of minutes daily until we see an improvement...

We put in 5 lbs of shock along with a "yellow klear" (i think?) that was recommended. I definitely see a difference, but green algae still settled on the bottom. Should we be brushing this, vaccuuming it up....?

I'm just so discouraged. It's almost July and we haven't been able to fully enjoy this pool ...and I'm 7 months pregnant and would love nothing more than to just relax in the cold water!!

Any help is appreciated! More details about the pool itself can be given, just not sure what to provide here....

 

[JohnN]

Shock (the way we use it) is a process, not a product. To successfully follow the shock process, you will need your own test kit, either the TF-100 or K-2006. You can find a link to the shock process and test kits in my signature. Until you get that, it will be hard to help you.

 

[duraleigh]

Welcome to the forum. :lol: You need to shock the pool properly which is a process.

read "The ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry" up in Pool School. Then read "How to Shock Your Pool". If you follow precisely that l;ast article, your pool will clear.

 

[Casey]

It would also be helpful if you put your pool specs in your signature so we can see what you are working with and a location in your profile so we know where you are.

 

[weilerfamily0906]

I understand that shocking is a process, I just am not sure what else to call the 5 lbs of product we added to the pool....it was called "shock" to me by the pool professional (not a pool store employee). I've read pool school and also the how to shock your pool article...My question or my intent with posting was to see if anyone could explain why I would have clear water but green settling on the bottom. Maybe I am not having success with this because I'm not approaching the right problem.

If the water is clear and the green "stuff" just sits on the bottom, I'm wondering if I would "help" the process along by brushing this "stuff," vacuuming it up, etc. Like I said, I've noticed a definite difference in the pool (went from a grass green color to an almost transparent green), and I'm just wondering if, since it can take a few days for filter to clean up the green stuff, if there's something I should be doing to help it along.

We will be getting the TF test kit ASAP, just want to see if the money we just spent on the "shock" was wasted or if I'm simply skipping a step....

Thanks!

 

[weilerfamily0906]

It would also be helpful if you put your pool specs in your signature so we can see what you are working with and a location in your profile so we know where you are.

Thanks for the suggestion I will update the profile part ASAP!

 

[duraleigh]

I'm wondering if I would "help" the process along by brushing this "stuff," vacuuming it up, etc.

That is an essential part of the shock process and is outlined in the article.

 

[jcowart]

When they say it's a process it means bringing up the free chlorine and holding it there. What you added was called shock. That is a product name. Pool store "shock" can be dichlor, trichlor, cal-hypo, or sodium hypo. The first two add CYA that can add to the problem. The third adds calcium that can also add to the problem. The last is what this site recommends. At the pool store it's sold as liquid chlorine or liquid "shock" and is 12.5 to 10%. House brand bleach is the same stuff but is around 8.25%. When you get your test kit post your numbers and you will get more help. This site teaches you more about learning your pools personality and then you can only adjust what "your" pool needs. After a slight learning curve it gets very easy to keep a clear pool and you may never have to "shock" again.

And yes..... Brush brush brush..... Look at it as your pools teeth.

 

[weilerfamily0906]

When they say it's a process it means bringing up the free chlorine and holding it there. What you added was called shock. That is a product name. Pool store "shock" can be dichlor, trichlor, cal-hypo, or sodium hypo. The first two add CYA that can add to the problem. The third adds calcium that can also add to the problem. The last is what this site recommends. At the pool store it's sold as liquid chlorine or liquid "shock" and is 12.5 to 10%. House brand bleach is the same stuff but is around 8.25%. When you get your test kit post your numbers and you will get more help. This site teaches you more about learning your pools personality and then you can only adjust what "your" pool needs. After a slight learning curve it gets very easy to keep a clear pool and you may never have to "shock" again.

And yes..... Brush brush brush..... Look at it as your pools teeth.

Thank you so much....this was very helpful...the shock we added yesterday was the trichlor and so now I understand - we are probably hurting more than helping! I'm reading and rereading to learn about the CYA and the whole ABCs of chemicals so that I fully understand...one more clarification, if you don't mind...when you say it is "12.5 to 10%"...basically I'm just looking for something labeled "liquid chlorine" with that percentage on it or using regular household bleach, correct?


Again, as I sit here posting I also have other tabs open, my husband and I both reading up on it. Sometimes just helps to have people clarify, so thank you!!!

 

[jcowart]

[one more clarification, if you don't mind...when you say it is "12.5 to 10%"...basically I'm just looking for something labeled "liquid chlorine" with that percentage on it or using regular household bleach, correct?

Yes it will say sodium hypochlorite. Pool store stuff is 12.5 to 10%. Clorox used to be 6% but they now make it 8.25% in a smaller bottle. It is the same stuff. In fact where I am from I can see that the pool store stuff and walmart brand is made at the same place. Just a different label. It has the same julian date code on the bottle. The pool store might try to sell you a 5lb tub of TA Up for $18. Did you know you can do the same thing with a .49 box of baking soda. Read pool school, take a break then read it some more. It really does get easy.....

 

[weilerfamily0906]

[one more clarification, if you don't mind...when you say it is "12.5 to 10%"...basically I'm just looking for something labeled "liquid chlorine" with that percentage on it or using regular household bleach, correct?

Yes it will say sodium hypochlorite. Pool store stuff is 12.5 to 10%. Clorox used to be 6% but they now make it 8.25% in a smaller bottle. It is the same stuff. In fact where I am from I can see that the pool store stuff and walmart brand is made at the same place. Just a different label. It has the same julian date code on the bottle. The pool store might try to sell you a 5lb tub of TA Up for $18. Did you know you can do the same thing with a .49 box of baking soda. Read pool school, take a break then read it some more. It really does get easy.....

OK great....thanks so much!! My husband and I are getting a handle on it...we ordered the TF test kit and once that's in, we will take this process step by step, and i'll read up on using the bleach and baking soda. I appreciate your help greatly!

 

[jcowart]

OK great....thanks so much!! My husband and I are getting a handle on it...we ordered the TF test kit and once that's in, we will take this process step by step, and i'll read up on using the bleach and baking soda. I appreciate your help greatly!

Well the baking soda part was just a statement. Shows how people can get whats called pool stored. You may not need to adjust your TA. Once you get your test kit and good numbers, then you can go from there. http://www.poolcalculator.com will be your new friend. Plug in the numbers and make your adjustments. At the bottom of the page you can see what adding different things will do to your chemistry.