Hello all.
I've just recently found this site and have tried to follow what tips I've read. I'm sure there are still somethings I could be doing but figured I'd post where I'm at today.
For the longest time, after opening the pool, I couldn't even get the water free of algae. It constantly maintained a green color. I eventually had a new cartridge filter installed, and that helped a lot.
Since then (the last 4-6 weeks or so) I have been fighting with chemistry and keeping the water clear (and walls and steps free of stains) since we opened the pool about 2 months ago. My total and free chlorine levels are very often 0 when I test, and that's with a floating tab dispenser and an inline dispenser (opened all the say up) after my filter.
TBH, I've done so many different things I can't remember all of the exact steps and timing. Will summarize what's been happening the last couple of days though.
The pool was starting to get a little cloudy a few days ago, so I shocked the pool, added some clorox an hour or 2 later, and added some fresh water (1-2 inches). After a day or so, the cloudiness went away, but my steps and walls started to show staining. My test results at that time were:
Total Hardness: between 250-500
Total Chlorine: 10 (highest reading on chart)
Free Chlorine: 20 (highest reading on chart)
PH: 7.2
Total Alk: between 80-120
Cyanuric Acid: between 100-150
After a day of the chemistry staying about the same and the stains not going away, I added some citrus-based stain remover. After 24 hours, the stains were gone and the pool looked great! But my test results were not so great:
Total Hardness: 250-500
Total Chlorine: 0
Free Chlorine: 0
pH: 6.2
Total Alk: 80-120
Cyanuric Acid: 0
After a day or so, as has been the pattern, things will start to get cloudy again and the cycle will repeat.
I should note that this was the first time I recall the Cyanuric acid being so low. It was originally a little high when I got my new test strips, but has for the most part been hanging around 100. Even then, I would get 0 ppm chlorine readings.
After this last test, I did add some stabilizer, soda ash, and liquid chlorine. But I suspect my chlorine will be 0 the next time I test.
As I mentioned earlier, I was talked into buying a bunch of chemicals at the pool store. That was before finding this site though. As a result, I have a ton of chemicals that I'd like to use up if it can help me get things balanced out. If any of those chemicals are doing me more harm than good, I'm happy to chuck them in the trash.
A few other useful pieces of info:
- We moved into our home in October of last year - so this is our first year with this pool.
- When pool was shut down for the winter, it was not covered. As a result, we started the spring season with a big clean up in order to get all of the leaves out.
- It is a smaller pool... guessing no more than 10,000 gallons.
- I have owned a pool in the past. It was a larger pool I had installed. All I ever did for 3 years was backflush and shock on a weekly basis, and keep chlorine tabs in the dispenser... so this pool is puzzling me.
Given some of the posts I've read and with these big swings in chemistry, I wonder at this point if my only option is to drain and start over again. Hoping someone can provide me some guidance. Thank you!
I've just recently found this site and have tried to follow what tips I've read. I'm sure there are still somethings I could be doing but figured I'd post where I'm at today.
For the longest time, after opening the pool, I couldn't even get the water free of algae. It constantly maintained a green color. I eventually had a new cartridge filter installed, and that helped a lot.
Since then (the last 4-6 weeks or so) I have been fighting with chemistry and keeping the water clear (and walls and steps free of stains) since we opened the pool about 2 months ago. My total and free chlorine levels are very often 0 when I test, and that's with a floating tab dispenser and an inline dispenser (opened all the say up) after my filter.
TBH, I've done so many different things I can't remember all of the exact steps and timing. Will summarize what's been happening the last couple of days though.
The pool was starting to get a little cloudy a few days ago, so I shocked the pool, added some clorox an hour or 2 later, and added some fresh water (1-2 inches). After a day or so, the cloudiness went away, but my steps and walls started to show staining. My test results at that time were:
Total Hardness: between 250-500
Total Chlorine: 10 (highest reading on chart)
Free Chlorine: 20 (highest reading on chart)
PH: 7.2
Total Alk: between 80-120
Cyanuric Acid: between 100-150
After a day of the chemistry staying about the same and the stains not going away, I added some citrus-based stain remover. After 24 hours, the stains were gone and the pool looked great! But my test results were not so great:
Total Hardness: 250-500
Total Chlorine: 0
Free Chlorine: 0
pH: 6.2
Total Alk: 80-120
Cyanuric Acid: 0
After a day or so, as has been the pattern, things will start to get cloudy again and the cycle will repeat.
I should note that this was the first time I recall the Cyanuric acid being so low. It was originally a little high when I got my new test strips, but has for the most part been hanging around 100. Even then, I would get 0 ppm chlorine readings.
After this last test, I did add some stabilizer, soda ash, and liquid chlorine. But I suspect my chlorine will be 0 the next time I test.
As I mentioned earlier, I was talked into buying a bunch of chemicals at the pool store. That was before finding this site though. As a result, I have a ton of chemicals that I'd like to use up if it can help me get things balanced out. If any of those chemicals are doing me more harm than good, I'm happy to chuck them in the trash.
A few other useful pieces of info:
- We moved into our home in October of last year - so this is our first year with this pool.
- When pool was shut down for the winter, it was not covered. As a result, we started the spring season with a big clean up in order to get all of the leaves out.
- It is a smaller pool... guessing no more than 10,000 gallons.
- I have owned a pool in the past. It was a larger pool I had installed. All I ever did for 3 years was backflush and shock on a weekly basis, and keep chlorine tabs in the dispenser... so this pool is puzzling me.
Given some of the posts I've read and with these big swings in chemistry, I wonder at this point if my only option is to drain and start over again. Hoping someone can provide me some guidance. Thank you!
