High Alkalinity / Lo Ph

[AmyDawne]

Hi.
This is my first experience with a pool. The house I purchased has a 18 by 52 round above ground pool. I cannot seem to balance the pool. Most of the readings are good besides I have Hi Alkanlinity /Lo Ph. The pool is extremely cloudy but blue.
Can anyone offer any advice
Thanks
Any

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
Can you post your actual pool water chemistry test results? Hi and Lo do not mean much.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry.

 

[AmyDawne]

FAC 1
TCI 5
Alk 240
PH 6.2
TH 250
Cya 0

 

[mknauss]

OK -- how did you get those numbers? It is chemically really hard to have that low a pH and that high of TA.

Aeration will raise the pH.

If the pool is cloudy it needs to follow the SLAM Process

 

[wireform]

Amy,
Hi, possibly your not doing the TA yest properly. Look in pool school as TA testing is tricky. The TA may actually be less and you were not getting the full droplet off the tip therefore ending with more drops bringing the count higher.

 

[Richard320]

FAC 1
TCI 5
Alk 240
PH 6.2
TH 250
Cya 0

If these abbreviations stand for what I think, you have 4 CC. That, combined with cloudiness, tells me something's growing in the water. The pool may not be green yet, but it's not far away unless you do something about it. High alkalinity won't cause cloudiness, nor will it cause any health problems. All it will do is tend to push the pH up, which is what you want.

I must echo what Marty wrote, asking the source of those numbers. If they're from the pool store, they're probably wrong. And even if they're right, you won't be able to depend on their testing during a SLAM Process, which is your next step.

 

[AmyDawne]

Actually these are wrong. The test strips I was using are left over from last year. They are no good. I used a new package and it changed all levels to just fine. Just gotta figure out the cloudy

 

[mknauss]

Sadly, test strips are not fine. They are inaccurate, non repeatable, and do not test to the accuracy you need.
To clear your water you will need to follow the SLAM Process.
Your issue is, you live in Canada. And it is difficult and expensive to get a proper test kit in Canada.

We can guide you on getting a proper test kit. Or you can drain the bulk of the water from the pool and start over. That will most likely clear things up but this will all occur again without a proper test kit to manage your water chemistry.

 

[AmyDawne]

So here is the whole story. After the winter and the water unfroze it’s was green. Someone told me to use green to blue so I could see the debris at the bottom. It turned blue but I could not see the bottom. So I shocked the pool and followed instructions that I found online.

I can see tiny little white particles floating all through the water

 

[AmyDawne]

Ok I will take a look at the Slam process

 

[mknauss]

If that is the HTH Green to Blue stuff it is Cal Hypo followed by flocculant.

Can you vacuum to waste? The white particles may be calcium.

 

[AmyDawne]

Yes I’m gonna try to vaccumm it to waste. I stirred up the pool today so I will have to wait for it to settle again

 

[mknauss]

OK -- once you get the bulk of the floc out, then you would be best to drain the pool to 12-18" from bottom and start over.

Never use floc. More mess than it is worth.