Hi, we have the intex ultra frame 18 X 9 X 52 deep with a sand filter and the intex Krystal clear salt water system. Pool has only been up for 1 week and water is now green. Test strip says chlorine and PH are good - alkalinity is HIGH and calcium hardness is low. What should we do to get rid of the green? The Krystal salt water is on boost right now and my husband was running it for 10 hours though I think it should run all the time. We have backwashed the sand filter twice. Not sure what to do but I have company coming for a week and I know they will want to swim. Any tips would be most appreciated!!! Also the sides are now slimy too so tips on how to clean the sides and filter as well as recommended scrub brush and vacuum would be wonderful as well!
Intex 18 X 9 X 52 in high alkalinity low hardness
- Thread starter Godwinmm
- Start date
Depending on the cost of your water the best solution is a drain scrub and refill at this point. An Intex filter will not do the job and Intex admits it.
Here is some good reading for you
Pool School - Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools
Here is some good reading for you
Pool School - Guide for Seasonal/Temporary Pools
Not sure what you are talking about with regards to the sand filter. Perhaps you are thinking of the Intex cartridge filters, the Intex sand filters are perfectly adequate.
The reason your pool turned green is because you did not maintain the proper chlorine level to prevent it. Do you have your stabilizer aka cyanuric set to the proper level? Then maintain your chlorine level properly based on the CYA/Chlorine chart found in pool school.
You can actually suspend the use of your SWCG for now and use bleach as your chlorine source for your SLAM process. That is what I would recommend. Your SWCG may show a false "high salt" reading during the SLAM process using bleach, however you can switch back once you are able to let the chlorine return to a "normal" level.
Going forward make sure you maintain proper CYA and chlorine levels and you should not end up with a green pool again. Also make sure to keep your SWCG plates clean. Depending on your water chemistry they may scale up occasionally which will reduce the amount of chlorine they produce in a given time period.
BTW you are going to want better water testing kit for the SLAM process and going forward.
Welcome! 
You've just discovered there's a whole lot more to pool chemistry than dump in some salt and turn the generator on.
You need some immediate steps. You either
To SLAM, you'll need a proper test kit capable of reading far above what a simple colormatching 2-way test kit can do. It'll set you back a chunk o'change, but it will also help you in preventing this from ever happening again.
Anyway... there are two links for you to read. No, make it 3. Add ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
If you want some lighter reading...Recovering my old inspirational links The newest ones are last. Just look at the pictures, read any interesting stories, and do what they did.
And while you decide which route to take, add half a jug of plain unscented 8.25% household bleach to the pool every day. It won't clear it; but it should prevent it from getting worse.
You've just discovered there's a whole lot more to pool chemistry than dump in some salt and turn the generator on.
You need some immediate steps. You either
- Drain the pool and start over
- Perform the Shock Level And Maintain Procedure
To SLAM, you'll need a proper test kit capable of reading far above what a simple colormatching 2-way test kit can do. It'll set you back a chunk o'change, but it will also help you in preventing this from ever happening again.
Anyway... there are two links for you to read. No, make it 3. Add ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
If you want some lighter reading...Recovering my old inspirational links The newest ones are last. Just look at the pictures, read any interesting stories, and do what they did.
And while you decide which route to take, add half a jug of plain unscented 8.25% household bleach to the pool every day. It won't clear it; but it should prevent it from getting worse.
I just saw your response and you are correct!!! There is a lot I have to learn! Well I never added the stabilizer from the beginning so my Taylor kit came today and my cya is zero, the FC is 1.5 and the cc is 1.5. Alkalinity is still high and ph is normal calcium hardness is low. When you say add half a gallon of bleach daily, do you mean as maintenance also? I didn't know how much bleach to add. The pool is pretty clear now because I've been doing the bleach about 1/4 gallon every day. Just not sure if I now add stabilizer to get the cya up from zero. And not sure how much bleach to add to get FC up either. Thank you for responding to me I'm sorry I didn't see it.
Forget dumping a fixed amount in. You have a test kit now! You can add precisely what you need.
So... there's still the algae question. And you have 1.5 CC. Those point to a SLAM.
High TA, who cares? Lowering pH will take that down some, as will adding CYA, since it is, after all, an acid. Low CH is no problem in a vinyl pool. Worry about high CH, not low.
So, next step... plug pH and TA numbers into poolmath and get the acid dose to lower pH to 7.2, Add that.
Then measure out enough CYA granules to get to 30 CYA into a sock, tie it up, and set it in the skimmer or dangle in front of the return jet.
Then reach for the bleach. For now, target 10 FC. Check it again in a couple hours and from that point on, use 12 as the target, because you will have some CYA in there. You're SLAM Processming!
Welcome to the forum!
Here is how I hang a sock of CYA in my Intex Ultra Frame:
Squeeze the sock often and it will dissolve quickly, and the level can be tested 24 hours after it has all dissolved.
Nice to have you here with us!
Here is how I hang a sock of CYA in my Intex Ultra Frame:
Squeeze the sock often and it will dissolve quickly, and the level can be tested 24 hours after it has all dissolved.
Nice to have you here with us!