Worst swamp of the season ?

[Leexiiee]

Hi wonderful community,

I am a new pool owner and my pool is atrociously green. I can't even see the bottom of the pool because its so opaque. I've read a lot in the past couple of days and started the SLAM process without big improvements. Its a vinyl low salt water pool, 24' x 4' so around 45 000L.

On saturday my water test reading was:
Ph: 7,4
CYA: 48
Calcium : 94
alka :115
FC : 13

My pump as been running 24/7 for almost a week and nothing changed. I'm starting to wonder if my filter is broken or not sufficient ?

Can i hope for a clear pool for the season ? Should i drain everything and start over ?

 

[Newdude]

Can i hope for a clear pool for the season ?

Absolutely. See SLAM Process. Its a process and not a one-and-done.

Should i drain everything and start over ?

With the cost of chlorine, it's not only easier but cheaper to drain and not battle the swamp. If your draining options are good and fill water is reasonable cheap/available, I'd drain.

Also please forgive my terrible manners. Welcome to TFP !!!

 

[mknauss]

Welcome to the forum.
You can drain, but with a vinyl liner pool, you must take precautions. See Draining - Further Reading

You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit. I suggest the TF-100 or Taylor K2006C. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols. As you live in Canada, getting a kit can be problematic. If you live near the USA border, you can order a kit and have it shipped to a mail drop at the border and drive over to pick it up.

While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.

 

[Leexiiee]

Absolutely. See SLAM Process. Its a process and not a one-and-done.


With the cost of chlorine, it's not only easier but cheaper to drain and not battle the swamp. If your draining options are good and fill water is reasonable cheap/available, I'd drain.

Also please forgive my terrible manners. Welcome to TFP !!!

Thank you so much for you warm welcome. I've been following the SLAM process since last wednesday without a whole lot of improvement. I've been testing my water at the pool shop but handling it with the SLAM method.

 

[Leexiiee]

Welcome to the forum.
You can drain, but with a vinyl liner pool, you must take precautions. See Draining - Further Reading

You need to follow the SLAM Process. To do that, you need a proper test kit. I suggest the TF-100 or Taylor K2006C. A proper test kit is needed to get the accurate water chemistry results needed to follow the TFP protocols. As you live in Canada, getting a kit can be problematic. If you live near the USA border, you can order a kit and have it shipped to a mail drop at the border and drive over to pick it up.

While you are waiting on your test kit, add 5 ppm FC worth of liquid chlorine / plain bleach to your pool each evening with the pump running. This will replenish the FC lost each day to the sun and also inhibit any algae in the water from growing further.

Would it be okay to test the water at the pool shop and folllowing the slam method ? I have some test strips but i understand its not the most accurate way to test.

 

[mknauss]

Would it be okay to test the water at the pool shop and folllowing the slam method ?

It is just not possible. You need to be testing the FC every 2 or 3 hours and adding more liquid chlorine. And they cannot test to the level of FC you need to.
To be honest, I would not trust the water chemistry results you posted. Without your own proper test kit, you are flying blind in a snowstorm.