New Pool Owner

[bznstah]

Hello all,

I've been a pool owner for 1 month, and I have been treating my pool based on the recommendation of the local pool store and I've been spending well over $150 every visit. Even with the excessive amount of supplies from the pool store, I still can't get my pool water crystal clear (my goal). I started researching and I found this forum and I'm hoping to get some help. Please see the pool stats below.

• The size of your pool in gallons: 40,000
• If your pool is an AG (above ground) or IG (in ground): Inground
• If it's IG, tell us if it's vinyl, plaster/pebble, or fiberglass: Vinyl
• The type filter you have (sand, DE, cartridge): Sand
• List other known details of the pump - Horsepower, Single speed, 2 Speed or Variable Speed: Single speed (as far as I can tell)
• List what test kit you use to test your water: This one from Amazon
  • Chlorine: Below 0.6 (Basically none)
  • Bromine: Below 1.3 (Basically none)
  • pH: ~7.2 (Most likely lower)
  • Total Alkalinity: Low
  • CYA: Low
  • Pictures:

    https://imgur.com/JNSm3Ip

    -

    https://imgur.com/VJ9PFOt

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum!
You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit, see Test Kits Compared. I suggest the TF-100 Test Kit ™
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.

 

[frogabog]

Welcome! It's sad to hear that you've spent all that money and your pool is still so green. Clearly the pool store just took your money hoping that you'd come back and spend more when it didn't work. I wouldn't trust them ever again.

There's lots of good information here in the forums, plus the links @mknauss posted are super helpful. If you follow the recommendations here, you WILL have a sparkling crystal clear pool. Read Pool School. You won't be disappointed.

Please don't let the pool store convince you that you need to spend more money on things that are clearly not working. Right now, the only thing you need from the pool store is liquid chlorine (pool store chlorine is 11-12%, iirc) and potentially some stabilizer. You're going to need a lot of chlorine. You can do bleach (6%), but that just means twice the bottles so it's usually easier to use the higher strength chlorine.

Your test kit unfortunately is woefully inadequate. With your pool being super green, I'd suggest ordering the XL version of the TF-100. You're going to be testing a lot while performing SLAM. Read the SLAM article a few times so that you understand the process properly. There's some awesome new videos that help explain it all too.

Check out the Pool Math app which will tell you how much of anything to add to your pool, and if you subscribe, it will keep logs for you as well.

Questions... do you actually have a bromine pool? If not, don't bother reporting it. There's no bromine in a chlorine pool. Did the previous owner tell you *anything* about how they cared for the pool in the past?

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

It is really that green?? Or is that the reflection of the trees on the water? Can you take pictures from another direction?

 

[bznstah]

Thanks for the replies. I ordered the TF-100 kit last night and will be purchasing lots of liquid chlorine today and start dumping until I receive the kit. Based on PoolMath app 3 128oz gallons a day. Once I receive the kit, I'll post again with accurate readings and start the SLAM process.

Yes, the pool really is that green. I had some rain and the algae took over. So did the frogs.

 

[IceShadow]

Thanks for the replies. I ordered the TF-100 kit last night and will be purchasing lots of liquid chlorine today and start dumping until I receive the kit. Based on PoolMath app 3 128oz gallons a day. Once I receive the kit, I'll post again with accurate readings and start the SLAM process.

Yes, the pool really is that green. I had some rain and the algae took over. So did the frogs.

I would recommend summarizing your pool info in your signature, which you can edit here: https://www.troublefreepool.com/account/signature

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

Thanks for the replies. I ordered the TF-100 kit last night and will be purchasing lots of liquid chlorine today and start dumping until I receive the kit. Based on PoolMath app 3 128oz gallons a day. Once I receive the kit, I'll post again with accurate readings and start the SLAM process.

Yes, the pool really is that green. I had some rain and the algae took over. So did the frogs.

Well, the good news is that I opened my pool to a swamp that was greener than that. And had it cleared up relatively quickly (would have been quicker but I had a compromise filter cartridge). You are in good hands. My water is crystal clear, and phenomenal after following the advice here.

 

[DoubleEcho]

Check out my first thread too, my pool was blackish/green when I took the cover off. At least 3-5 years of it being closed with a simple tarp on top. Buy the TF-100 and take the advice here, it is absolutely possible to get your pool clear!

 

[mknauss]

Depending on your pool type and cost of water, you may consider a significant water exchange to reduce the organic load you have to deal with.

 

[bznstah]

I received my TF-100 kit and tested for the first time. The pool is looking a lot cleaner after dumping 3 128oz bleach jugs at night since posting (4 days), but now I plan on starting the SLAM process for crystal clear water hopefully.

https://imgur.com/a/qnaVaQv

My current results of the test are the following:

• pH: 7.5
• FC: 1.5
• CC: 1
• TA: 120
• CYA: 90
• TC: 0.5

I believe the CYA is too high to start the SLAM process, I was thinking about letting my pump run on the "waste" setting to get the water level lower and then refill it back up and see if that brings down the CYA level. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mknauss]

You should drain/exchange about half your pool water volume.

I would not do that using the pool pump. What type of pool do you have? Please fill out your signature.

 

[IceShadow]

His pool info is in the OP, but yes, please put it in your signature instead - see ours for examples. (If viewed on a mobile web browser, turn phone to landscape/sideways to see signatures.)

You should be able to drain, but be sure to leave at least 12" of water above the shallowest part of your pool to prevent the vinyl liner from shifting. Also, be careful with your water table - if it is high you will want to do a water exchange without a drain to make sure the shell doesn't come out of the ground from hydrostatic pressure.