Flying blind! Need help and support. So stressed.

[Tatum4701]

I don't see my signature displayed anywhere. Here's my pool info:

6450 gal, AG 18' 48", Cartridge Filter, Summer Waves Skimmerplus Filter Pump (115 W 1.4 Amps), Summer Waves SWG, Clorox Pool and Spa Salt Essence Test Strips

I filled up my pool 12 days ago. Added 4 bags of salt on day 2. Turned on the SWG on day 3. Noticed the filter getting gunky about day 8. Lots of "dirt" on the bottom of the pool day 8+. Realized the SWG might have a bad cell, and exchanged it. Began hosing lots of algae regularly out of the filter cartridge. Noticed white things floating on water surface on day 8. Shocked the pool on day 9. Began vacuuming up algae off pool floor. I added 19 oz of 14.5% muriatic acid and 2 lbs of cyanuric acid on day 11.

The test strips have been saying

250 Total Hardness
0 TC (1 the morning after the shock)
0 FC
7.2, 7.8, currently 7.2 pH
120, 180, 240, 180, 120 currently TA
0 Stabilizer

I just realized my test strips expired in 2018. I'm going to order a testing kit, but it won't arrive for a few days.

Visibly the water has remained clear throughout. It might have a slight yellow tinge, if viewing it from an angle, that I noticed about day 10.

I'm super frustrated, and not sure what to do in the meantime. TIA.

 

[tim5055]

Welcome to TFP. I do hope you orders one of the recommended test kits.

You say you "shocked", what did you use? The exact item and amount.

Test strips are worthless even when in date. TA doesn't move like you say yours has been moving.

Have you added any stabilizer at all? While your at it tell us everything you have added to the water after filling.

We will help you get this fixed!

 

[Tatum4701]

I ordered the Taylor K-2006C kit, so that will arrive by the 16th, hopefully sooner.

Everything I've added to the water is in the original post, in order. Here's more info about the specific products:

I shocked the water with Clorox Pool Shock XtraBlue 6 in 1 Formula. I used 1/2 a lb of it.

The cyanuric acid I added yesterday was 2 lbs of Clorox Pool Stabilizer. The calculator said to add 4 lbs 1 oz, but I began with half of that, then was going to retest and add the other half. I broadcast it, then swept and swept and swept to get it to dissolve.

 

[tim5055]

Well, your original problem was not having CYA (stabilizer) in the water. CYA acts as a "sunscreen" for chlorine. Without it in the water the "half life" of chlorine is less than an hour. So, even if you had 10ppm of chlorine it would go away like this-

10 Start
5 1 hour
2.5 2 hours
1.75 3 hours
.85 4 hours

It goes away quickly and even the biggest and baddest salt water chlorine generator can't keep up with the loss. You cell was probably OK, it just couldn't keep up.You have been basically running your pool with no chlorine.

Your "shock" is Dichlor which is almost 50% CYA. The 1/2 pound you added was about 5ppm of CYA. The 2 pounds you added will add 37ppm, so you are at 42.

Stop, no more stabilizer until we get the algae killed.

For now you are pouring liquid chlorine into the pool each day until you get your test kit. 1 64 oz bottle with the pump running. You will do this until you get your test kit.

Until then, start reading the article about the SLAM process. When you get your test kit you will adjust your pH to 7.2, and SLAM your pool.

While you wait for it to get delivered, you have a homework reading assignment. Start with these:

ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry

There are several items things every pool owner should know about swimming pool water. We share details on the basics of Pool Water Chemistry.

www.troublefreepool.com

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com

How to Chlorinate Your Pool

Before chlorinating your pool, you should know these simple tips. Learn the best way to add chlorine to your pool.

www.troublefreepool.com

SLAM - Shock Level and Maintain

We’ve all had to deal with a green pool. Clear algae from your pool with a SLAM! Read here to use shock level and maintain to clear your pool.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Tatum4701]

Thank you!

 

[Mdragger88]

Also it sounds like you broadcast the stabilizer directly into the pool. That may bleach your liner. In the future we recommend putting the desired amount of stabilizer in a tube sock, tie a knot in it & hang it infront of a return then just squeeze it every now & then until it dissolves. Please never pour it down your skimmer or broadcast it. It also takes days for it to show up on the cya test.

 

[Tatum4701]

I just read the mustard algae article. Could my algae actually be pollen?? It's been in the mid to upper 80s, and windy. The filter has been getting filthy, with slimy stuff in it, seed pods, and sometimes bugs. It rinses out clean with a hose.

The walls and floor of the pool felt slimy a few times, but this wipes or brushes clean easily. Nothing has grown on the walls. There's just been lots of "dirt" looking stuff that we've vacuumed off the bottom of the pool twice now. It wasn't very much the second time we vacuumed, and there's just a bit now that is on the bottom again.

The Pool Calculator said 40 oz of 6% bleach, so that's the amount I went. Is there a reason to use 64 oz?

 

[tim5055]

I just read the mustard algae article. Could my algae actually be pollen?? It's been in the mid to upper 80s, and windy. The filter has been getting filthy, with slimy stuff in it, seed pods, and sometimes bugs. It rinses out clean with a hose.

The walls and floor of the pool felt slimy a few times, but this wipes or brushes clean easily. Nothing has grown on the walls. There's just been lots of "dirt" looking stuff that we've vacuumed off the bottom of the pool twice now. It wasn't very much the second time we vacuumed, and there's just a bit now that is on the bottom again.

The Pool Calculator said 40 oz of 6% bleach, so that's the amount I went. Is there a reason to use 64 oz?

Entirely possible that you are just seeing pollen, many people see it in the spring and fear the worse.

As far as chlorine, how are you calculating that you need 40 oz? Where are you starting and where do you say you need to get to?

The problem is that until you get your test kit you are flying blind. I'd rather have a little too much chlorine in the pool, even if you loose it to the sun than too little and allow algae get a foothold.

 

[Mdragger88]

Unfortunately if there was ever a time that your chlorine was below the minimum your water likely grew something. A swg maintains chlorine levels & isn’t really meant to make up for a large demand or from 0. When i put your-#s in pool math it says add 67 oz of 6% bleach - with a calculated cya of 42 you round up to 50 & that gets u to a fc level of 5ppm. are you sure you’re putting all the info in? Also you’re just biding your time w/5 ppm daily until you’re test kit comes so it doesn’t get worse then u can post all your #’s & we will help u clear that pool up??

 

[Mdragger88]

The app is great PoolMath - Trouble Free Pool

 

[Tatum4701]

Oh, I made a mistake and with the CYA level. I had it at 1, and a target FC of 3 (in the Pool Math app).

The filter did not getting nearly as dirty today as it has been, which seems like a good sign!

But for the first time today my son's eyes got very red. It's really hard not to make a connection to it being caused by the bleach. I added the 40oz of bleach last night at 10pm, and we probably got in the water today at 11am. I added 40 oz again tonight, just because I'm kind of nervous about making it worse. Is more bleach for sure the way to go?

My SWG calls to be run 23 hours a day, so we've been doing our best to try to keep it on, but it will only run for 10 hours at a time, then manually has to be turned on again. We have been running the pump continuously.

 

[IceShadow]

You're probably getting CCs as the chlorine is sanitizing your pool. It's hard to know until your kit is in and you can test.

If you want to be safe I'd avoid swimming rather than avoid the liquid chlorine. CCs are irritating to the eyes and smell like that classic chlorine pool smell, but the answer to them will end up being more chlorine. (Free chlorine will break down CCs too.) But until you have your kit and post results we can't know exactly what you need - so you're just adding chlorine to avoid things getting worse until you get your kit and can work from real information.

 

[Tatum4701]

That's exactly what all the articles I keep reading and re-reading on here say. Thank you for the confirmation. I'll go ahead and add more.

 

[IceShadow]

If you don't have visible algae right now I'd probably just do 3ppm of chlorine instead of 5ppm. Is your SWG on? That could be adding more too - I would turn that off until you're able to test the water, too.