Stats:
33,000 gallon vinyl in ground pool
Sand filter - new sand as of May 2024
Located Eastern Shore of MD
Last summer, we brought our pool back to life after it had sat for years with the previous home owners. Compared to this summer, it was easy.
The pool was uncovered over the winter. We began to clear it in the beginning of May and after initially shocking it with liquid chlorine, water quickly went from swamp green to cloudy teal. We used 4 gallons of the liquid shock over a 2 day period. An employee at the pool store told me I did not need to keep shocking and we could balance it. So we did. A few days later, the pool is green again. Green like we never touched it.
I told the pool store and they said the employee should have never told me to stop shocking it. So they had me get more shock. Nothing could bring the pool back. We tried more shock and also tried Yellow Out and Swamp Treat. Nothing. Finally the pool store suggested HTH Green to Blue. This was the only thing that finally worked. Pool was back to blue but very cloudy. The store told me to add Clarifier - it did nothing. At that point the pool was perfectly balanced except it could not hold chlorine.
We had a birthday party so the pool was shocked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (day after the party). Pool looked ok except for the cloudiness. By Thursday it started to look a little green so I went to the pool store Friday and got more shock and they told me to use Pool First Aid to get rid of the cloudiness since it won’t hold chlorine. By Friday at 7 PM, the pool was back to grass green. As green as the very beginning before I touched it. I put 4 gallons of shock in Friday night and Saturday morning it looked the same. I did not do the Pool First Aid. I brought another water sample to the store due to concerns of ammonia. Ammonia test was negative. Phosphates and Nitrates are also not the issue.
Yesterday they told me to shock with 2 gallons and then 1 hour later use Dual Action Algaecide (3/4 of the gallon). They said 12 hours later it should be cloudy and I would be able to then add the Pool First Aid.
This morning the pool is basically the same. It is disgusting and I am ready to close it for the summer. I have spent weeks fighting it and was able to get 2 days of swimming out of it. Hundreds of dollars in chemicals and the pool looks like it has never been touched.
In summary:
•Last three water tests the water is balance but chlorine is low
•Tested for phosphates, ammonia, and nitrates and they are not the issue
•The pool was vacuumed and all debris removed before the party on 6/15.
•Only things that have worked is the Green to Blue and constant shock. But we cannot determine why it won’t hold a chlorine level.
•Pump is working, backwashes dirty water.
•Our liner is old and faded so pool won’t ever look beautiful blue.
Why won’t the chlorine level stay elevated enough to prevent it from turning green? I shocked with 3 lbs granular on 6/14, 2 lbs 6/15, and 3 lbs 6/16 and by Thursday 6/20 it started to turn green. The pool store told me the last thing we can do is send my water to a bio lab for testing.
33,000 gallon vinyl in ground pool
Sand filter - new sand as of May 2024
Located Eastern Shore of MD
Last summer, we brought our pool back to life after it had sat for years with the previous home owners. Compared to this summer, it was easy.
The pool was uncovered over the winter. We began to clear it in the beginning of May and after initially shocking it with liquid chlorine, water quickly went from swamp green to cloudy teal. We used 4 gallons of the liquid shock over a 2 day period. An employee at the pool store told me I did not need to keep shocking and we could balance it. So we did. A few days later, the pool is green again. Green like we never touched it.
I told the pool store and they said the employee should have never told me to stop shocking it. So they had me get more shock. Nothing could bring the pool back. We tried more shock and also tried Yellow Out and Swamp Treat. Nothing. Finally the pool store suggested HTH Green to Blue. This was the only thing that finally worked. Pool was back to blue but very cloudy. The store told me to add Clarifier - it did nothing. At that point the pool was perfectly balanced except it could not hold chlorine.
We had a birthday party so the pool was shocked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (day after the party). Pool looked ok except for the cloudiness. By Thursday it started to look a little green so I went to the pool store Friday and got more shock and they told me to use Pool First Aid to get rid of the cloudiness since it won’t hold chlorine. By Friday at 7 PM, the pool was back to grass green. As green as the very beginning before I touched it. I put 4 gallons of shock in Friday night and Saturday morning it looked the same. I did not do the Pool First Aid. I brought another water sample to the store due to concerns of ammonia. Ammonia test was negative. Phosphates and Nitrates are also not the issue.
Yesterday they told me to shock with 2 gallons and then 1 hour later use Dual Action Algaecide (3/4 of the gallon). They said 12 hours later it should be cloudy and I would be able to then add the Pool First Aid.
This morning the pool is basically the same. It is disgusting and I am ready to close it for the summer. I have spent weeks fighting it and was able to get 2 days of swimming out of it. Hundreds of dollars in chemicals and the pool looks like it has never been touched.
In summary:
•Last three water tests the water is balance but chlorine is low
•Tested for phosphates, ammonia, and nitrates and they are not the issue
•The pool was vacuumed and all debris removed before the party on 6/15.
•Only things that have worked is the Green to Blue and constant shock. But we cannot determine why it won’t hold a chlorine level.
•Pump is working, backwashes dirty water.
•Our liner is old and faded so pool won’t ever look beautiful blue.
Why won’t the chlorine level stay elevated enough to prevent it from turning green? I shocked with 3 lbs granular on 6/14, 2 lbs 6/15, and 3 lbs 6/16 and by Thursday 6/20 it started to turn green. The pool store told me the last thing we can do is send my water to a bio lab for testing.
You obviously have algae, and everything the pool store has done, said, and sold you is making it worse. That's the simple truth.
