Cloudy pool, algae covered floor, no chlorine...

[DoePooled]

The 1st 2 products are both Cal-Hypo, just different strengths. Both add chlorine, but also add calcium which can build up and cause scale over time. Don't buy any more and I would not use it unless you test your water yourself and your calcium is truly low or at least at the low end of your target.
The 3rd product is CYA (also called stabilizer). It protects your chlorine from the sun, but like most things in your pool there is a target range. Too little and the sun gobbles up your chlorine, too much and it will tie up all of your chlorine and not let it zap the cooties in your pool.

Once you get your test, compare your results to the ideal ranges:

What Are My Ideal Pool Levels?

Use our tool to find ideal chemical levels for any swimming pool. Check TFP recommended levels on pH, free chlorine, cyanuric acid, and more.

www.troublefreepool.com

I went to the link and compared results. I posted my numbers above somewhere. I have no idea what to do with these numbers yet LOL

I'm not quite understanding something. The powder is calcium hypochlorite, but so is the liquid chlorine. It's just the liquid has a lower concentration of the same chemical. I'm not understanding why the liquid is recommended over the powder, when they're both essentially the same thing. Maybe you can help me understand this? Thanks!!

 

[BenB]

The powder is calcium hypochlorite, but so is the liquid chlorine

Liquid is sodium hypochlorite. Not the same

 

[Texas Splash]

I'm not understanding why the liquid is recommended over the powder, when they're both essentially the same thing. Maybe you can help me understand this?

Doe, stick to the liquid. Unlike the other forms of chlorine, it won't add other byproducts. The Cal-Hyo increases your CH level (calcium) and you don't need that. Plus, the liquid is easier to dose and IMO more predictable. You have three main things to do right now:
1 - Increase the CYA to 30 via the sock-soaking method of stabilizer.
2 - Lower the pH to about 7.2 with muriatic acid
3 - Increase teh FC to "12'" with liquid chlorine and maintain that FC level of 12 as best as you can until you pass all 3 SLAM criteria.

Let's keep it that simple for now. Don't worry about any other tests. If you have any questions about those three, let us know.

 

[Texas Splash]

A couple items that may also help you:

Adding CYA:
To increase CYA via granular stabilizer, place the required amount as calculated by the Poolmath calculator into a white sock and place in the poolside skimmer basket. For those concerned about suction flow to the pump, suspending the sock near a return jet or from a floating device will also suffice. Best never to allow undissolved granules to rest directly against the pool surface. Squeeze the sock periodically to help it dissipate. Once dissolved, consider your CYA adjusted to that programmed (target) level. CYA test readings should show a rise in 24-48 hours, however some pools may experience a longer delay to fully register. Best to confirm final CYA in about 5-7 days before adding any more stabilizer/conditioner.

SLAM Process

 

[JJ_Tex]

^ what they said. Liquid chlorine is the same as bleach with the active ingredient of sodium hypochlorite and has no calcium in it. That is why it is recommended, since it just adds chlorine to your pool.

The powered stuff you have has chlorine + calcium and another version (trichlor) contains clorine + CYA.

Free Chlorine (FC) is the most important thing for your pool right now, since that is what kills the algae. That test is the powder that dissolves and you add the drops until it turns clear. Save the smaller test kit chlorine for when you have a good handle on your pool and just need to get a rough estimate on your chlorine.

 

[DoePooled]

TC is FC+CC. The OTO TC test does not distinguish between them.

As your CYA test showed, zero, start 30 ppm CYA worth of stabilizer dissolving. For your your pool size that is 5 pounds. Split it up into several thin socks and hang in the front of returns or put a couple in the skimmer with the pump running.
Then add liquid chlorine to get to 12 ppm FC. That is 2 gallons of 10%. Then every two to three hours, test FC and add enough liquid chlorine to get back to 12 ppm FC.

Thank you!

 

[DoePooled]

^ what they said. Liquid chlorine is the same as bleach with the active ingredient of sodium hypochlorite and has no calcium in it. That is why it is recommended, since it just adds chlorine to your pool.

The powered stuff you have has chlorine + calcium and another version (trichlor) contains clorine + CYA.

Free Chlorine (FC) is the most important thing for your pool right now, since that is what kills the algae. That test is the powder that dissolves and you add the drops until it turns clear. Save the smaller test kit chlorine for when you have a good handle on your pool and just need to get a rough estimate on your chlorine.

OK thank you. I think I understand now.

 

[DoePooled]

Doe, stick to the liquid. Unlike the other forms of chlorine, it won't add other byproducts. The Cal-Hyo increases your CH level (calcium) and you don't need that. Plus, the liquid is easier to dose and IMO more predictable. You have three main things to do right now:
1 - Increase the CYA to 30 via the sock-soaking method of stabilizer.
2 - Lower the pH to about 7.2 with muriatic acid
3 - Increase teh FC to "12'" with liquid chlorine and maintain that FC level of 12 as best as you can until you pass all 3 SLAM criteria.

Let's keep it that simple for now. Don't worry about any other tests. If you have any questions about those three, let us know.

How long should I wait between applications of the three separate chemicals mentioned above, please?

 

[AK-]

There are multiple answers to you question.
My suggestion is to start with MA circulate a bit to get it well mixed and than add the CYA (using the sock method). After adding the socks you don’t need to wait to add the LC. Just don’t pour it directly over the CYA socks.

 

[DoePooled]

There are multiple answers to you question.
My suggestion is to start with MA circulate a bit to get it well mixed and than add the CYA (using the sock method). After adding the socks you don’t need to wait to add the LC. Just don’t pour it directly over the CYA socks.

I started with the CYA after reading the other suggestion. I guess adding the chlorine would be next. All I have, besides the powdered shock I already mentioned, is about one gallon of regular household bleach, which says 5.7% available chlorine. Will that work?

 

[AK-]

I started with the CYA after reading the other suggestion. I guess adding the chlorine would be next. All I have, besides the powdered shock I already mentioned, is about one gallon of regular household bleach, which says 5.7% available chlorine. Will that work?

PoolMath won’t handle 5.7% calculation well. You may need to test and adjust after each addition.

Cal-Hypo on a SLAM can drive your CH to the sky and Calcium is one of those things that once I the water it doesn’t come out.

 

[mknauss]

about one gallon of regular household bleach

That is not enough to do much. Read my response earlier. You need 2 gallons of 10% to start, and most likely 5 or more gallons a day after that for several days to clear the pool.

 

[DoePooled]

That is not enough to do much. Read my response earlier. You need 2 gallons of 10% to start, and most likely 5 or more gallons a day after that for several days to clear the pool.

OK then, I'll go into town today and get a good supply. Thank you

 

[Murky]

I joined TFP recently (about a month ago) in a very similar situation as you are - got a big green hole in the ground with my new house, spent $400+ at a pool store, made almost no progress at all, cried myself to sleep a few nights , and then found this forum. Now you're on the right track - just trust the process!

A few pointers from what *I* learned as I went through the SLAM, hope it helps you:

- When putting the stabilizer (CYA / Cyanuric Acid) in, it's better to put in LESS than MORE... and re-test, then put in a little more... if you put in too much and your CYA level ends up high, there's not much you can do about it except drain some of the pool and replace the water. The higher your CYA level is, the more chlorine you'll need during the SLAM.

- My pool is about 37k gallons (it's a big old plaster thing), and I'll tell you right now that I used roughly 120 gallons of bleach (!!!) and spent almost 2 weeks to get through the SLAM process. Be prepared with plenty of it on-hand, as letting it slip for even a half a day will require a bunch of additions to get it back to the level you need... and it'll slow the whole process down.

- Brush and vacuum every day... it speeds the process along!

- Highly recommend downloading the PoolMath app, and getting the subscription - makes it super easy to track maintenance, test results, spending, chemical adds, etc.


Good luck! Keep at it! Your pool will be beautiful soon, these people know what they are talking about!

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

DoePooled, you are in good hands. @mknauss will get you fixed up.

I do want to encourage you, while it is very overwhelming at first, pool maintenance is actually quite easy and you will soon feel much better about it once you get a handle on it! It is actually quite simple, like anything else it just takes time and practice.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

DoePooled, you asked what the difference was between the two Chlorine Tests:
- The one in the box that uses the visual comparitor block is called the OTO tester. It tests pH and chlorine up to and only as high as 5ppm and does NOT test for Combined Chloramines (CCs) which are basically the "cooties". This test kit is subjective and does not give an exact number.

-FAS-DPD Chorine tester is the one with the powder and 0871 Reagent. It tests for Free Chlorine and Combined Chlorine and can also test at levels up to 50ppm. This is the better tester to use for FC as it gives you an exact number.

As to your photo of the comparitor block I read it as 0ppm chlorine, and 7.2 pH

Maddie

 

[DoePooled]

I joined TFP recently (about a month ago) in a very similar situation as you are - got a big green hole in the ground with my new house, spent $400+ at a pool store, made almost no progress at all, cried myself to sleep a few nights , and then found this forum. Now you're on the right track - just trust the process!

A few pointers from what *I* learned as I went through the SLAM, hope it helps you:

- When putting the stabilizer (CYA / Cyanuric Acid) in, it's better to put in LESS than MORE... and re-test, then put in a little more... if you put in too much and your CYA level ends up high, there's not much you can do about it except drain some of the pool and replace the water. The higher your CYA level is, the more chlorine you'll need during the SLAM.

- My pool is about 37k gallons (it's a big old plaster thing), and I'll tell you right now that I used roughly 120 gallons of bleach (!!!) and spent almost 2 weeks to get through the SLAM process. Be prepared with plenty of it on-hand, as letting it slip for even a half a day will require a bunch of additions to get it back to the level you need... and it'll slow the whole process down.

- Brush and vacuum every day... it speeds the process along!

- Highly recommend downloading the PoolMath app, and getting the subscription - makes it super easy to track maintenance, test results, spending, chemical adds, etc.


Good luck! Keep at it! Your pool will be beautiful soon, these people know what they are talking about!

Thank you! I'm having trouble knowing if I'm doing the CYA test correctly. Is that black dot REALLY supposed to COMPLETELY disappear, or just get blurry? I don't think it even got blurry the first time I did the test, probably because I hadn't added any CYA to it yet. LOL And yes, I shake the bottle twice, and hold the test tube at waist level while dripping the mixture into it hehe.

We need a vacuum pump so we don't even have a vacuum yet. I've used the skimmer net a few times and brought up a bunch of gross slimy stuff, but most of the algae just slips right through the net. I feel like I'm failing terribly at this, even though someone else is actually dragging their feet on spending money to replace the pumps and filter. *sigh*

The pool accidentally got filled up almost to the top because one of the handles on the filter was turned and left on. Oops!!! I backwashed it down to the right level, and then it RAINED the next day and filled it back up again! I wasn't home to do anything about it last night, so I just finally backwashed it, AGAIN. Needless to say, I'm beyond frustrated. I'm ready to turn the thing into a Coi pond! I'm doing my testing now, and came here to clarify something and saw your reply. Thank you again!

 

[DoePooled]

-FAS-DPD Chorine tester is the one with the powder and 0871 Reagent. It tests for Free Chlorine and Combined Chlorine and can also test at levels up to 50ppm. This is the better tester to use for FC as it gives you an exact number.

Ok, so the first part of the test, when adding the powder, where it turns pink, or not, indicates combined chlorine, correct? And the second part, where you add the drops, gives the FC? Idk if I'm understanding this right. Thank you!

 

[AK-]

Ok, so the first part of the test, when adding the powder, where it turns pink, or not, indicates combined chlorine, correct? And the second part, where you add the drops, gives the FC? Idk if I'm understanding this right. Thank you!

No. Pink after powder indicates FC. The R-0871 dropwise indicates FC ppm (in 10ml sample multiply by 0.5 the number of drops until is turns transparent. Next comes 3 drops of R-0003, if it turns pink again indicates presence of CC and R-0871 dropwise indicates CC level (same as FC)

 

[AK-]

Thank you! I'm having trouble knowing if I'm doing the CYA test correctly. Is that black dot REALLY supposed to COMPLETELY disappear, or just get blurry? I don't think it even got blurry the first time I did the test, probably because I hadn't added any CYA to it yet. LOL And yes, I shake the bottle twice, and hold the test tube at waist level while dripping the mixture into it hehe.

We need a vacuum pump so we don't even have a vacuum yet. I've used the skimmer net a few times and brought up a bunch of gross slimy stuff, but most of the algae just slips right through the net. I feel like I'm failing terribly at this, even though someone else is actually dragging their feet on spending money to replace the pumps and filter. *sigh*

The pool accidentally got filled up almost to the top because one of the handles on the filter was turned and left on. Oops!!! I backwashed it down to the right level, and then it RAINED the next day and filled it back up again! I wasn't home to do anything about it last night, so I just finally backwashed it, AGAIN. Needless to say, I'm beyond frustrated. I'm ready to turn the thing into a Coi pond! I'm doing my testing now, and came here to clarify something and saw your reply. Thank you again!

I personally hate the CYA test. It is too trick/subjective....

You need to fill to each line without looking at the dot and then glance at the dot... if you see the dot fill to the next line... if you dont see the dot the CYA is the previous line.