Hi, I'm new here and to pools and I need HELP!

[Autofx]

Hi everybody, my name is Rich and I just bought a house that has an above ground, oval, vinyl lined pool. It has a Proline cartridge filter that I cleaned yesterday and the amount of stuff that came off of it was amazing. We went away for a week as soon as we moved in, and I came back to an algae bloom. Now I'm trying to recover but it's not going well.
I was hoping to get the pool ready for a housewarming tomorrow that a bunch of kids will be attending but it doesn't look like that's happening.
Here are my levels right now:
FC: 2.5 ppm (Combined: 1 ppm)
pH: Low (off the chart, 70 drops base demand to get pink)
TA: goes immediately pink, never turns green
CH: 100 ppm
CYA: High (off the chart)
I've been reading post after post and using the pool math calculator but I was hoping to get some actual specific advice instead of forging ahead blindly any further. I've added 72oz chlorine and brought the FC up from 0. I've added 12 pounds of borax but I can't get the pH to come up, because of the TA? And poolmath says to do an 80% drain because of the CYA. The water looked fine until this morning, and now it's cloudy.

Is there any hope of getting to normal levels without draining my pool?

Thanks in advance,

-Rich

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
How are you testing your pool water chemistry?

With an elevated CYA, you will need to get that down to 50 ppm or so and then manage your pH and follow the SLAM Process
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[Autofx]

Ok thanks, I'll read up on that. I'm testing with a Taylor K 2006 kit

 

[mknauss]

Thank you -- you have a great test kit. Your statements 'off the chart' concerned me you were using test strips.

100 is the limit of the CYA test, so you have to do a diluted test. Mix 50% pool water with 50% tap water. Use this mixed sample as your test water. Multiply the result by 2 for your CYA level.

 

[Autofx]

So as I read the link to the SLAM process, it looks like the first thing tha needs to be addressed is the high CYA, correct? So I need to replace 80% of the water according to the calculator. I think I remember reading that it is never a good idea to drain a vinyl above ground pool that much - am I making that up? Can I just open the drain on the filter and run a hose into the pool until the CYA tests within normal range?

 

[Autofx]

Thank you -- you have a great test kit. Your statements 'off the chart' concerned me you were using test strips.

100 is the limit of the CYA test, so you have to do a diluted test. Mix 50% pool water with 50% tap water. Use this mixed sample as your test water. Multiply the result by 2 for your CYA level.

Ok great, thanks - I'll do this right now

 

[mknauss]

So as I read the link to the SLAM process, it looks like the first thing tha needs to be addressed is the high CYA, correct?

Once you get an extended reading on CYA, then you can see how much water to drain.
It is best to only drain 1/2 to 2/3rds of your pool volume with an above ground pool. So it may take you a couple drain and refills.
You can use a siphon to drain. Look and see where you can drain that much water too.

 

[Autofx]

Ok thanks, with the new reading of 140 ppm CYA the calculator says to drain 66% so I guess that's what I'll be doing, and then I'll start the SLAM process. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions. Thank you so much for your help

 

[mknauss]

Sounds good. Once you get the new water in, test the pH and TA. If still low, add baking soda to get TA to 70 ppm. Then check pH.

 

[Autofx]

Ok will do, thanks

 

[Autofx]

I've done 2 partial drains, about 25-30% each time and refilled from the hose and I'm still at 80 ppm CYA. Unfortunately the test uses a lot of reagent so I ran out and ordered a 16oz. bottle on Amazon, that'll be here Wednesday. That gives me time to deal with my new problem - after taking the cartridge out today to clean it, I replaced it and filled the filter back up.....and the air bleed valve won't close all the way. So now there's a fairly steady stream of water shooting out. I have the filter off and the line to and from the filter closed for now.
The valve unscrews but doesn't come all the way off, is there a trick to get it off so I can replace it or maybe replace an O-ring that wiggled off?