Newbie - pool turned green

[sawantss]

About a month back, I moved in this house with pool, and I had no clue. The pool has been untreated for this whole time and we used it a few times. It has noticeably started to turn green over the past week. I have gone through the chemistry related pool school.

Currently I am pondering over if I should get professional help to get it balanced and then maintain it thereafter or to SLAM it myself.

I will receive my TF-100 test kit the day after tomorrow, meanwhile I tested the water with PoolTime's ClearPoolExpert test strips. The numbers look off the chart:

Total Hardness: somewhere between 250-500
Total Chlorine: 0
FC: 0
Ph: 7.8 to 8.4
TA: 120
Stabilizer: 100

First off all can I rely on these results and start a stop-gap process before I receive TDT-100? Am I right that too high stabilizer should be my biggest concern here since that would require draining? The pool is probably a 25000 gallon one. It has a sand fileter that I have backwashed already.

As far as Slamming it goes, I would try and reduce the TA + PH before beginning to add chlorine. I plan to brush the surface once a day and let the old Polaris cleaner run for a couple of hours.

 

[Texas Splash]

I like that term ... professional help. We've all been bitten by those. Welcome to TFP! No, don't do anything until the TF-100 arrives then post those numbers. We'll help you from there. Be sure to update your signature now with all of your pool and equipment details. We'll refer to that later. Include your test kit too. Hang tight. YOU can do this.

Pool Care Basics Archives

Your one-stop shop for all things TFP to include: ABCs of Water Chemistry, Recommended Chemicals/Levels, Test Kits, Troubleshooting, and much more!

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[Texas Splash]

 

[sawantss]

Thanks for the prompt response. I will hang tight and update the signature.

 

[IceShadow]

You can add about 5ppm of FC daily until your kit arrives to get a jump on the water

 

[sawantss]

I used 8% 160 floz bleach as today's 5 ppm. Is typically Costco the best place to buy bleach? It is awkward to buy so much of bleach. I wondered if there were many green pools at the beginning of the pandemic .

Are there any other more concentrated and hence cost effective alternatives that do not have side-effects?

 

[mknauss]

Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, typically carry 10% liquid chlorine.

 

[sawantss]

I received the test kit and these are the revised numbers:

FC 0.5
TC 1.0
Ph > 8.2
TA 240
CH 1000 (tested again 925)
CYA 70 (Tested again +/- 5 )
CC 0.5

CH is very high and CYA is high as well. Am I looking at draining the pool? The prospects are scary since draining the pool seems to come with its own risks. Any advice? Thank you.

I wonder if since the pool equipment are very old anyways, shall I push on for this season and slowly with water being replaced, CH should go down. It appears that the previous owner used chlorine tablets, that could have contributed to the high CH?

 

[mknauss]

Run a full suite of tests and follow the SLAM Process

 

[sawantss]

Run a full suite of tests and follow the SLAM Process

I am sorry, I had hit send too early by accident. Added rest of the numbers.

FC 0.5
TC 1.0
Ph > 8.2
TA 240
CH 1000 (tested again 925)
CYA 70 (Tested again +/- 5 )
CC 0.5

 

[mknauss]

Time to drain. With a CH of 1000, you will fight scaling.

 

[DLip]

Maybe try a partial drain? 1/3 could get you close to the top end of acceptable levels depending on the CH of your fill water.

Don’t hire a “professional” - you got this!

 

[Bperry]

Maybe try a partial drain? 1/3 could get you close to the top end of acceptable levels depending on the CH of your fill water.

Don’t hire a “professional” - you got this!

Yep, could drain 12” of water and refill, unless the fill water is also high CH.

 

[mknauss]

Full drain. If CH is 1000, time to drain the whole thing.