new home, old water?

[asummer17]

Hi TFP,

Only been in home for about 6 months, summer's here and cant get water to stay clear. Pool store says its nitrates. I shock, pool turns cloudy, add floc and clarifier which didnt really help, backwash a lot of white water, pool gets a bit better, then after a couple days no chlorine and once I add shock, cloudy again and process repeats.
Thoughts are old sand, old water, nitrates? I have a test kit on order, otherwise clueless with an unusable pool.
Any advice is appreciated!

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
What test kit did you order?
You need to follow the SLAM Process.
While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running.
I suggest you read ABC's of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Pool School eBook.

 

[aussieta]

do you know how the previous owner was chlorinating
just by looking at equipment eg salt chlorinator, or by half a bucket of bucks left behind