I'm a brand new pool owner and opening for the first time. I'm learning quick (sometimes the hard way). I uncovered the pool Saturday to find a BLACK SWAMP. I think the last owners knew it wasn't going to be their problem and closed it (in 2015 BTW) with leaves in the bottom. I also lost some but not a lot of leaves when removing the cover.
I leaf netted as much as I could find without being able to see anything. I took a sample to the pool store (grrrrrr.). They gave me flock, algecide, and shock and sent me on my way (minus $100). I did the two day routine they provided, vacuumed to waste, backwashed, changed my DE media, etc, leaf raked, skimmed, vacuumed, repeated, etc.. I took a new sample on Monday night and came out with the same protocol and chemicals (minus the flock). That's when I found this site. Since last night, I have been adding bleach (5.25%) by the gallon using the pool calculator. I have also three tablets in a 'floater' (from the pool company, of course) which I get the feeling aren't doing anything.
The pool has definitely been getting better. It went from BLACK (Sat-sun) to brown/green (sun-Mon) to green/turquoise (Tues/wed.). Lots of foam on the surface. The samples the pool store analyzed showed very little CYA (2-3) so I've been trying to maintain 10 ppm chlorine. I can get it there but I can't keep up! I got it up to 10 ppm FC last night and it was close to 0 this morning. I since got it back up and it's down again. The pool has also been getting foamy on top.
All i have right now is test strips from the previous owner. I ordered the Taylor kit (6000, I believe) recommended in Pool School but won't have it for a week!
I figure i need to vacuum again to remove organics off the bottom? Should I add stabilizer to help the chlorine last, or is the chlorine loss more due to the algae and organics that are left (I'm in upstate NY and it has been cool and cloudy mostly since I uncovered but the next several days will be warmer (75ish) and much more sun? Should I be concerned with Ph and TA yet? The numbers have been around 6.2 Ph and 40-60 TA thus far. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
I also had a plumbing leak underground which was fixed today so I've been needing to add about 1,000 gallons a day of new water. (I'm on public water supply of good quality). That's probably helped 'dilute' the dirtiness. Anyway, the leak is gone now.
Thanks in advance!
I leaf netted as much as I could find without being able to see anything. I took a sample to the pool store (grrrrrr.). They gave me flock, algecide, and shock and sent me on my way (minus $100). I did the two day routine they provided, vacuumed to waste, backwashed, changed my DE media, etc, leaf raked, skimmed, vacuumed, repeated, etc.. I took a new sample on Monday night and came out with the same protocol and chemicals (minus the flock). That's when I found this site. Since last night, I have been adding bleach (5.25%) by the gallon using the pool calculator. I have also three tablets in a 'floater' (from the pool company, of course) which I get the feeling aren't doing anything.
The pool has definitely been getting better. It went from BLACK (Sat-sun) to brown/green (sun-Mon) to green/turquoise (Tues/wed.). Lots of foam on the surface. The samples the pool store analyzed showed very little CYA (2-3) so I've been trying to maintain 10 ppm chlorine. I can get it there but I can't keep up! I got it up to 10 ppm FC last night and it was close to 0 this morning. I since got it back up and it's down again. The pool has also been getting foamy on top.
All i have right now is test strips from the previous owner. I ordered the Taylor kit (6000, I believe) recommended in Pool School but won't have it for a week!
I figure i need to vacuum again to remove organics off the bottom? Should I add stabilizer to help the chlorine last, or is the chlorine loss more due to the algae and organics that are left (I'm in upstate NY and it has been cool and cloudy mostly since I uncovered but the next several days will be warmer (75ish) and much more sun? Should I be concerned with Ph and TA yet? The numbers have been around 6.2 Ph and 40-60 TA thus far. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
I also had a plumbing leak underground which was fixed today so I've been needing to add about 1,000 gallons a day of new water. (I'm on public water supply of good quality). That's probably helped 'dilute' the dirtiness. Anyway, the leak is gone now.
Thanks in advance!