Still green......

[mhk.kohler]

Bought house at beginning of August, pool turned green a week later. We had been adding algaecide, Burnout 73 and Smart Shock, but its still green.

Wondering if a SLAM is our best option but the stabilizer (CYA?) is really high. Is there another way to fix this without refilling the water? At a CYA of 150, its saying to refill 73% of the water.

Just bought 4 - 128 fl ox of sodium hypochlorite 12.5%

Using test strips, the results are:

pH 7.2
FC 0
TA 120
Stabilizer 150

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum! :handshake:

Test strips do not tell you much. Your CYA may or may not be too high to SLAM Process.

This forum advocate’s pool owner water testing using a proper test kit. Order a TF100 test kit. It is properly sized for the residential pool owner.

The only other real option for a test kit is a Taylor K-2006-C. Be careful comparing prices because the K-2006 comes in sizes, designated by a letter. The basic K-2006 has .75oz bottles. You need to get the K-2006-C to get the larger bottles that you want.

I also have the SpeedStir. It makes testing much easier.

While you are waiting on your test kit add liquid chlorine/bleach to put 5 ppm FC into your pool each evening.

Let us know when you get your test kit and post up the results.

I suggest you read Pool School - ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry and consider reviewing the entire Trouble Free Pool School book.

 

[mhk.kohler]

Status Update:
The pool is no longer green, but is still cloudy, now.
Received the TF-100 Test Kit.
First test results:
PH: ~6.8
FC: 2ppm
CC: 1.5ppm
CH: 250ppm
TA: 160ppm
CYA: >100 (dot became invisible approx. halfway to the 100 line. Examining how to drain and refill to bring stabilizer to a normal level. Removed the tri-chlor pucks, using liquid chloring 12.5% for now.)

 

[AimeeH]

Status Update:
The pool is no longer green, but is still cloudy, now.
Received the TF-100 Test Kit.
First test results:
PH: ~6.8
FC: 2ppm
CC: 1.5ppm
CH: 250ppm
TA: 160ppm
CYA: >100 (dot became invisible approx. halfway to the 100 line. Examining how to drain and refill to bring stabilizer to a normal level. Removed the tri-chlor pucks, using liquid chloring 12.5% for now.)

Welcome Congrats on your new great testing kit. Sounds like you grasp what your course of action needs to be. You definitely still have something festering. Draining to get that CYA down is a good first step.

 

[mknauss]

Use Step 8 in Pool School - CYA to see if you are between 100 and 200 ppm CYA. If over 200 ppm, then a nearly full drain/refill is needed.

If you have high ground water, you may need to be careful draining your pool.

You can exchange some water without draining.

If you place a low volume sub pump in the deep end and pull water from there while adding water in the shallow end (through a skimmer or into a bucket on a step so you lessen the water disturbance) you can do a fairly efficient exchange. That is assuming the water you are filling with is the same temperature or warmer than your pool water. If your fill water is much cooler than your pool water, then switch it. Add the water to the deep end (hose on bottom) and pull water from the top step.

The location of the pump and fill hose may change if you have salt water, high calcium, etc.
In my pool, with saltwater and high calcium when I drain, I put the pump in the deep end and hose in shallow end. The water in the pool weighs more per unit volume than the fill water from the hose.

Be sure to balance the water out and water in so the pool level stays the same. Also be sure your pool pump is disabled during this process. Once started do not stop until you have exchanged the amount of water you wish.