Desperately Need HELP...started pool on pristine blue

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kanders

0
Jun 3, 2018
19
Grand Island NE
So i was one of those people who bought a pool thinking i was going to fill it with water and swim! WRONG. I had no idea what i was doing and after talking with a guy at Walmart he referred me to the local pool store where now that i have done lots of research i believe i fell for the crud! I just put up and filled my pool 12 days ago and have had nothing but cloudy water since the 3rd day at first it was barely noticeable but i could tell the water wasn't as clear as it should be and it is just getting worse! I have taken samples to my pool store to have it checked several times over these 12 days, the first time they said everything was fine and to continue as normal and filter filter filter and make sure i was soaking 1 filter in bleach and water while one was in the pool and to swap swap swap every other day, the second time my pH was high at 8, they gave me muriatic acid told me to pour 1/4 of the jug in and continue on, the third time they said everything was fine but maybe i needed some new filters if that didn't work in another week or so they said my phosphate level was high and i would most likely need to treat the phosphates. I started doing my own research as my instinct was just telling me something was off something wasn't working and if i didn't figure it out now i was afraid i was going to have a swamp in no time! The 3 things that made me realize i may have a bigger problem than i thought or that the pool store was telling me is 1) i went to swap the filter a few days ago and there was a blue/very light green goo covering the entire filter 2) i got in to brush and vacuum my pool for the third time this week ( all 3 times i vacuumed no less than 2 hours at a time) as i thought i had a bunch of sand/dirt on the bottom and when i brushed the water turned a noticeably cloudier very very light green/blue and i noticed the sand/dirt on the bottom would puff up cloud away as soon as i got close to it and disappear but if i left the pool and came back 30min or so later there it was back on the pool floor!! I went and bought Clorox test strips ( i know after reading pool school and lots of forums here that i need a WAY better test kit, but right now that is not an option as i have literally about drained myself on this pool, chemicals, filters, and had to have sand delivered to level my pool as it was 6-7in off when i originally set it up, filled it, and had to drain tear it down and start over after leveling) so i figured these strips were better than nothing. I read that cal-hypo shock was the best shock to use if dealing with an algae problem (not 100% sure if algae is my problem but im assuming that's what was on my filter and the bottom of the pool? or maybe the stuff on the bottom is pollen??) so i went and bought new shock that was cal-hypo as the stuff from the pool store is sodium dichlor-s-triazinetrione and it says not to add that in big amounts but now im reading that i shouldn't use cal-hypo shock with PB as it will cause cloudy water? I already have cloudy water!! I tested the pool water and this was my results:
Total Hardness- 500
TC-0
FC-0
pH-6.8
Total Alkalinity- the color was between the 120-180 shade?
Stabilizer (CYA)-0
I went and bought stabilizer, cal-hypo, and chlorine tablets. I added 1.5lbs of the stabilizer to reach 30 via the sock method around 8pm last night. I have had my filter running since approx. 4pm yesterday and i am due to swap my filter out! Should i not swap my filter right now? I retested my water around 11am as all the stabilizer was fully dissolved around 4am this morning (i have not slept much through this process as i am worried about my pool and have been trying to pay close attention to it) and got the same results stabilizer still read 0. What do i do next? I only added the PB to my pool one time and was due to add again this sunday but do not want to continue using this product. I am at a loss and beyond ready to give up but that's just not an option 1) my kids would be so disappointed as would i and 2)my hubby would kill me if i just tore this thing down after the amount of money and work we have already put into it ( ontop of the chemicals, sand for leveling, filters, the cost of the pool itself we also had to put up a fence due to laws that my hubby so kindly put up himself!) Somebody please help me it cant be this stressful and difficult to maintain a pool ALLL the time is it? I know i will need to tend to my pool every day but not like this, this isn't fun! Everything i keep reading is either misleading, contraindicating something else i already read or did and im just stumped!!
My pool is a:
summer waves elite 16x48
vinyl linear ABG
Non-SWCG
Cartridge filter regular Pump
 
Hi, welcome to TFP! Do not use any more cal-hypo, as your calcium is a little high in the total hardness reading. Also do not add anymore pristine blue, it will add copper to your pool and you don't want that. Your CYA should be good. Check it again in 24 hours and see if it registers on the test. Keep in mind that test strips are terrible at reading CYA, so until you can get a good test kit assume your CYA is 30. Use the poolmath to determine how much chlorine you need to reach SLAM Process levels. Use liquid chlorine, either plain unscented bleach without fabric protectors, or liquid chlorine from the pool supplies section of any big box store.

What kind of vacuum/pool cleaner do you use? Does it connect to the filter system or a water hose?
 
Yeah, I got sucked into using Pristine Blue as well. I only used it twice, but I equate using it to swimming in bath water that you dump shock into once every two weeks to try and sanitize the water. I was sold on the "only need to do maintenance every two weeks". Shoulda known there are no shortcuts.

The best thing you can do is order a good test kit (The TF-100 is great, think it is a version of the Taylor K2006) and SLAM the pool. There are lots of great resources here explaining how to use the test kit(s) and what chemicals to add.

To get off the Pristine Blue, I added nothing other than 1/2 gallon of bleach a day until I had a good test kit, then aimed for a CYA of 40 and that gave me a SLAM FC goal of 16 FC. I held that over a weekend and passed the OCLT. My pool sparkles now, all I do is test PH and FC daily and the full range of tests once a week. I do tend to vacuum and brush the pool every other day (I live out in the country, so lots of bugs and other stuff gets into the pool). Unfortunately it takes some maintenance to keep the pool sparkling, but it isn't that bad.

Not sure what test kit you have, but get a good one and just follow the SLAM procedure and pass an OCLT and your pool will be trouble free!
 
Thank you for the quick reply! I will not be adding anymore PB!! I just have the vaccum that came with my pool it can be connected to the filter or the garden hose. I have done it both ways and neither way has really shown a significant difference. Do i need to do the full recommened 44oz of bleach on the poolmath to reach SLAM? or am i not slamming right now just adjusting the chlorine? Can i pour the bleach directly into my vinyl liner pool and how long do i wait to retest after adding the bleach? How long do i need to stay in the SLAM and keep my chlorine that high? Once i reach my SLAM goal of 12 how long do i keep it there before letting it fall and how much bleach should i add to maintain it at the 12? Do i repeatedly add the 44oz for a couple days?

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The only needing to maintenance every two weeks is what sold me as well :/! I just have a cheap Clorox test strip kit at the moment i need to find a cheaper alternative to the expensive taylor kit recommended as i just dont have the extra funds for that one right now after all this! Thank you for the quick reply im really hoping i can take control of my pool and start to enjoy it!!​
 
GREAT on the test kit!!! Till that arrives, "I" would add about 2#'s baking soda, one shot, for the time being AND about 1/4 to 1/3 gallons of bleach each day (based on the size of your pool and a CYA of 30) till your kit arrives and you can get TRUE readings from "your own" tests. The goal is not to let your pool get any worse until your test kit comes in.

P.S. Personally, I would shoot for the 1/3gal per day to keep FC levels elevated until your kit comes in.
 
One more thing to look at...
It does sound like you are going to right direction getting your chem levels where they need to be. On the other hand, if you are cleaning the bottom of the pool only to have stuff show right back up it may be a good idea to make sure and check that you have adequate turn over rate for your water. If you have good flow, make sure that your cartridge filter is able to pick up some of those smaller particles. (I think many can grab as small as 3-5 microns but I could be mistaken about this)

Good Luck!
kanders said:
"i brushed the water turned a noticeably cloudier very very light green/blue and i noticed the sand/dirt on the bottom would puff up cloud away as soon as i got close to it and disappear but if i left the pool and came back 30min or so later there it was back on the pool floor!!"
Cartridge filter regular Pump
Click to expand...
 
Is the baking soda to raise the pH? I have 2 test kits that are cheapo's that i have been trying to use one has the liquid reagents and the other is the test strips when i do the test strips it reads my pH at 6.2 and a couple times i have got a 6.8 but the reagents liquid test shows at 7.6! So im not sure what my pH really is! The test strips also read me at 1 for FC and TC and the reagents read at a dark yellow which is 4-5 or higher! I will deff add the bleach every day though to stay on top of that im just not sure i should add anything t adjust the pH until i know for sure what it is!? thank you for the advice thought i truly appreciate it!
 

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I was in my pool again today and put my kids goggles on to go down under and get a good look at the stuff on the bottom of the pool and i slowly put my fingers over it to see if i could feel a texture and i am almost positive it is indeed sand that has just sunk to the bottom and my vacuum just doesn't have a strong enough suction to get it up. I ran my filter for over 24 hours after adding the stabilizer and it did a great job of getting all the junk (bugs, cotton, debris,) but those things are usually on the top layer of water if not just below the surface. I guess im not sure what turnover rate means or how i go about checking that?
 
I would trust the liquid test over the test strips. Test strips are affected by heat, humidity, and age. It is not unusual for them to go bad. Baking soda raises TA more than it raises pH. Since your liquid kit gives a good pH reading I would trust it until your new kit arrives.

The pump/filter combo that comes with these types of pools are notoriously under powered for vacuuming. Your options are to upgrade the pump and filter, or buy an above ground pool robot, or buy a small self contained vacuum. You may be able to get better results with the vacuum you have if you change to a freshly cleaned cartridge before and after vacuuming.
 
Just wanted to check I have been brushing and vacuuming the pool and since switching to bleach and adding 1/3 of the jug a night my pool is already so much cleaner and clear I'm shocked.....anyway I'm still using these test strips until my kit comes just to see and my FC is 3 and my TC is 5, is this a good thing?
 
Also just wanted to let everyone know I realized when I was brushing my pool before I was not turning the pump on until I was done....I have now been turning the pump on and letting it run 30min and then going out and brushing, vacuuming and then letting the pump run for a few hours afterwards and this seems to have made a world of diff!! Not sure if I should have been doing that all along but I am deff learning as I go!! Thank heavens for this site!!!!

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Will do thank you!
 

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