Just opened my pool...yikes, it looks awful!

[Bama Rambler]

Your best bet at this point is to get a HTH 6-way kit from walmart and begin shocking your pool like you should. You would have been much closer to finishing if you had a good test kit.

Read the pool school article on how to properly shock your pool.

 

[Leebo]

I would instead suggest the fas/dpd test. Impossible to shock that large of a pool with that CYA level without one.

http://tftestkits.net/FAS-DPD-Chlorine- ... t-p47.html


Where in Ohio are you?

 

[sjdhr75]

Southeastern Ohio

 

[danivdp]

You need to keep your chlorine up and your pump/filter clean and on 24/7. And you need a good test kit so you know your actual CYA level, so you know how much chlorine you need in the pool to keep the algae from growing. All you are doing right now is letting it grow by letting the FC drop. It's only going to take longer if you don't stay on top of it.

 

[RaviePoolGirl]

Hi sjdhr75

Where are you at with the care of your pool right now? Have you purchased a FAS-DPD test kit yet? It really is necessary to adequately shock your pool.

I would not worry about your CYA at this time as you have added plenty to help hold the chlorine while you shock. You need to shock your pool.
Have you read the article on shocking your pool? You can read it here, Shock Your Pool.

Assuming a CYA level of 50, your shock level needs to be at FC - 20. You need to maintain that level until you meet three criteria.
1. CC is 0.5 or lower
2. An overnight FC loss test shows a loss of 1.0 or less
3. the Pool water is clear.

You need to run your filter for 24 hours a day until this process is done and it is best to use liquid chlorine for the shock process.

When you start to shock your pool, it is not necessary to test any level except for the FC/CC with the FAS-DPD test kit. When the shock process is complete, you can resume testing other values.

Also, your signature line should have your pool information within it so readers can help you more easily.

 

[sjdhr75]

So I'm gonna go to Walmart and buy about 50 gallons of bleach! Lol. That should do it So if I bleach it to death and keep backwashing it should clear up relatively quickly? This is my first year having to take care of the pool by myself, that was one thing my ex husband was good at

 

[RaviePoolGirl]

What about your FAS-DPD test kit? Do you have one?

 

[sjdhr75]

I have the dipsticks but I am going to stop at the pool store today and I was thinking about getting one.

 

[JasonLion]

It is very rare to find a FAS-DPD chlorine test in a pool store. You usually have to order them over the Internet.

 

[RaviePoolGirl]

Definetly get one as the dipsticks are not reliable and they do not measure high enough to know you are at shock level.

 

[RobbieH]

I saw earlier that you added "clarifier". While you go through this process, stick to the recommendations here, otherwise it'll throw off the process. Adding any other pool store chemicals is not allowed anymore!

 

[sjdhr75]

Ok no more clarifier
Walmart has the kits but they are Hth brand, are those any good?
I was going to go to the pool store to buy a automatic pool vacuum but I usually NEVER listen to their advice,lol.

 

[RaviePoolGirl]

I have no experience with HTH brand, but I am only finding that they only test OTO. That is a test for total chlorine and usually only go up to about 5ppm.

You really should get this style FAS-DPD test kit. This kit will test for both FC and CC and can test high levels of chlorine. Here is a link for one.

You may have better luck at the pool store looking for one rather than Walmart.

 

[sjdhr75]

Ok I will order one. Well I went into the pool place to pick up my Wanda the Whale vacuum (it's so cute!), well the only kit they had with drops was for chlorine and ph only. He tried to sell me the strips but I told him I had them already and wanted the drop kit. He said well these are good, all you need to test is pH and chlorine,lol. I was like wtf. I didn't buy them.