Frustrated New Pool Owner - Please help!

[dbqfitzpool]

Looking forward to some help from fellow pool owners! It is finally warm enough to swim in Iowa and we are new homeowners of a pool. We opened our pool 3 weeks ago and have been struggling to get the water crystal clear and our Free Chlorine up. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Our specs are below. We are just coming off a 2 day process of the following (per the recommendation of a local pool store): 25# Bioguard 200, 3c. Biogaurd 100, 1c. liquid chlorine with 1c. Bioguard Super Soluable daily, 1/2 bottle of PhosFree to the skimmer. I took our sample in for a updated reading today and we are STILL at the same numbers as were before doing this most recent process. You can see the bottom of the pool, yet it still appears "hazy". We've added new sand to our filter, we've brushed the walls, we vacuum daily. We added a floating chlorine dispenser - we are completely puzzled as to why our Free Chlorine remains low!!! The pool store's suggestion today was to drain the pool and start over. So I'm coming here for help! THANK YOU!

CYA: 134
Total Chlorine: 2.2
Free Chlorine: 0.3
pH: 7.3 (I know we need to up that)
Total Alkalinity: 165
Total Hardness: 238

 

[tim5055]

Welcome to TFP!!

Your free chlorine is low because it is being used consuming organics in the water.

My first suggestion is to stop going to the pool store. Their only response it to sell you something, and they have sold you a lot only now to suggest dumping the pool.

I will tell you, it didn't get his way overnight and it will take time to get in shape. But, we can teach you how to get it sparkling and keep it that way for a lot less money than the pool store.

Not much credence is given to pool store testing around here. While you would think that a "professional" would be the best, unfortunately in most cases it is quite the opposite. Between employees who blindly trust the word of chemical sales representatives and high school kids working in the pool store for the summer you end up with poor results from their testing. But, what can you do?? We base our pool care system on accurate testing and only adding what the pool needs, when it needs it. To do that you need your own accurate test kit. Order a TF100 and at least include the XL option. That will give you what you need while you are clearing the pool, and probably enough reagents for a couple of years normal use.

While you wait for it to get delivered, you have a homework reading assignment. Start with ABCs of Water Chemistry and Turning Your Green Swamp Back into a Sparkling Oasis

 

[adeleincali]

Hi, welcome and I had same problem! Your CYA is too high. I had to drain and so do you, OR you could call a Reverse Osmosis company to filter/r/o all your water. The first thing any of the pros here will tell you is get YOUR OWN TEST KIT! Someone will chime in and give you the website. Then AFTER you have YOUR OWN NUMBERS, update this post and they will walk you thru everything to get your pool in AMAZING SHAPE!!!!


AND TRUST ME, Stay OUT of the Pool Store!!! Your wallet will thank you!