Cloudy Pool Water - Could use some help

[bcooper27]

Hello everyone....

I live in NE Pennsylvania and just opened my 24' above ground pool (13K gallon) this past weekend. I've decided to use the BBB method and see how things go and could use some help with some cloudy water. Here are my readings from just about 30-mins ago (I'm using the Taylor kit I just purchased):

FC = 6.0
CC = 0
PH = 7.2
ALK = 110
Calcium = 280
CA = Over 30 - using the test kit I did the test and filled the tube with the water/solution and I can still see the black dot on the bottom when I fill the tube to the very top (which is 30)

When I opened the pool the other day my CC was 2.8 and my FC was zero. So I added about 3-gallons of 6% bleach (Walmart brand) to the pool yesterday and it looks like that helped clear up my CC issue. I know the FC is high but I'm not sure what is causing the cloudiness of the water. Here are some other things to note:

1. I have a sand filter and just backwashed it today to clean it out.
2. When I opened the pool there was a lot of white tissue-y looking stuff floating around, especially after I put in the plastic stairs. I don't see any of that floating anymore though.
3. When I say cloudy I mean I cannot see the bottom of the pool. I can probably see 1/3 of the way down but the water is blue.

I went to the local pool store and he said to use a clarifier (which I added a few ounces last night) but doesn't appear that that changed anything. One thing I have not done since I opened is vacuum. Not sure if that would help or not.

Any ideas how to get my pool back to sparkling clean water?? :) Had loads of issues last year at the end......darn pool was constantly losing chlorine and it was a pain. I've normally used 3" pucks in the floater (which I removed) and I also use the "Chlor Brite" to shock (which I did initially put a 1-lb bag in when I opened it up.) Needless to say I'm learning as I go here and could use some help in getting a good clean pool and a good consistent routine down for maintaining it.

Appreciate the help and all of the info on these boards.

-Brian

[Watermom]

Hi Brian and welcome. Glad you got a good test kit. That is going to make everything much easier for you.

If you could still see the black dot on the cya test when the vial was full, then that means your cya is less than 30, not more than 30.

What is in "Chlor-Brite" --- meaning ingredients?

If you just shocked the pool yesterday, the cloudiness is probably due to dead algae that needs to be filtered out. If it was my pool, I think I'd go ahead and keep it at shock level for another day and also run the pump 24/7 while trying to clear this up. Not sure about the floating white stuff. Let's give it a day at high cl and lots of filtering and see what that does for you. If still cloudy after a few days and still no CC, you might try adding a little DE to your sand filter. There is a stickied thread about that in the pool equipment section of the forum.

Also, your calcium hardness is pretty high. I wouldn't use any cal-hypo in this pool.

Hope this helps. Repost if you have more questions.

BTW -- Al (Poconos), one of my fellow moderators also lives in NE PA.

[mbar]

I am not exactly sure what is going on, but it sounds like you may have had water mold. Water mold takes mega doses of chlorine to kill it. I would take my chlorine up to 20ppms and keep it there until it holds overnight (not losing more than 1ppm) It could also be just dead algae that will take a while to filter out, but lots of chlorine will break down the dead stuff too. So my suggestions is to add regular bleach to get your chlorine up to 20 and hold it there by testing as often as you can and adding more to keep it at 20 until it starts to hold. Backwash and keep the filter running 24/7 until you have clear water.

[Watermom]

Marie, I think you may be right about it possibly being water mold. I have heard of that before and his description of it does sound like it.

[bcooper27]

Thank you both for responding. Being so new to this stuff I really can't tell you what that stuff was floating around but there was a TON of it. Small tissue white looking stuff. That's how I describe it. :) I don't see it anymore however I don't see much anyway because it's so cloudy.

The Chlor Brite Step 2 Sanitizer is from Leslie's. The Active Ingredients is listed as:

Sodium dichloro-s-triazinetrione dihydrate = 99%
Other Ingredients = 1%
Total = 100%
Available Chlorine = 55%

I put one of those in the other day when I opened the pool. Outside of that it's only been the 3-gallons of bleach. If I want to get this size pool up to 20ppms any idea how much bleach I'll need? Part of my issue is calculating what is needed. I've read about people putting 10-20 gallons of bleach in so I'm just trying to gauge what I need to buy today.

Thanks again!
-Brian

[sturev]

Brian, here's a handy calculator... http://www.poolcalculator.com/

[Watermom]

Brian, in your pool, each quart of 6% bleach will raise the cl by about 1.2ppm. Also, it is OK to use the dichlor for awhile but it does add to the cya. For every 10ppm of cl it adds, 9 ppm of cya is added. You won't be able to use if for too long or you'll have too much cya in there. (We like cya of 30-50.) Plus, dichlor may contribute to cloudy water problems so you mught just want to stick with bleach for your daily maintenance chlorine and for your shocking and not use any more of the dichlor.

[bcooper27]

Thanks everyone for your help. I'll follow your suggestions and let you know how things work out.

Brian

[bcooper27]

Update........last night I put in (2) 182-oz jugs of 6% bleach at about 6pm and let it run for a while. I tested the water about 2-hrs later and saw my FC actually was down to 4.0 (and my test did show the presence of CC this time around.) So about 8pm I put in two more 182-oz jugs of the 6% bleach and let the pump run all night.

This morning I tested the water and this is the reading:

FC = 4.4
CC = 4.0
PH = 7.1
ALK = 90
CA = <30

The water looks just as cloudy as it did yesterday, no significant change at all.

Am I not being patient enough or did I not hit this pool with enough bleach to do the job? At this rate I should purchase a pallet of the stuff if I continue to need more. :)

As always I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks,
-Brian

[Watermom]

2 of those big bottles of bleach in your pool should add around 13ppm of cl which should be a good dose for your pool given your low cya. Keep testing and hitting it with bleach as many times per day as you can to try and keep the cl level around 12ish. The key is to sustain the high reading without letting it yo-you up and down. No such thing as testing and dosing too many times in a day. Also, continue to run pump 24/7.

Try those cl tests again. I don't think you have 4.0 cc. Remember FC + CC = TC.

Keep an eye on your pH. It is pretty low. Might want to add a little Borax to bump it up some. Maybe add 1 cup additions. Pour it slowly into the skimmer, breaking up any clumps. Wait a couple of hours and retest pH and add more if needed. Note that if your cl level is above 10ppm when you test pH, you'll get a falsely high pH reading, so do this test at a time when your cl is not high.

By the way, it is ok to add Borax and bleach at the same time. Not necessary to only add one and then wait hours before doing the other.

Repost after you redo the chlorine tests.

[mbar]

Watermold does take a lot of bleach for a long period of time. Just remember to keep it at shock levels continuously - I would take it higher than shock level if you can't test often. The more vigilant you are now, the shorter the time to clear the pool. By the time you see the tissue like strands that you described, you have a pretty good case of it and you have to use a lot of chlorine to get rid of it. It also takes a while after it is dead to clear out. Don't get discouraged - just keep up with the bleach:)

[bcooper27]

I'll check the pool throughout the day and continue to try and get this to shock level.

Only problem...I'm out of bleach so I'll need to run out for more sometime today. I know Watermom said not to use the dichlor anymore as it may be contributing to the cloudiness. I have quite a bit of the dichlor on hand........considering my CA is low would it hurt to add a few pounds of the Chlor Brite or should I avoid that for now and stick with bleach? I don't want to mess this up but at the same time I hate to wait until I can get some more bleach (which would probably be a few hours from now.) Wife is going to run to Walmart (which was cleaned out of their brand yesterday) and probably to the Aldi's for their brand as well. Will also hit the BJ's club tonight and see if I can buy in bulk.

-Brian

[Watermom]

Since your CYA (not CA) is so low, go ahead and use the dichlor one more time but then I'd switch to bleach. Bleach will not cloud the water.

Don't forget to retest those chlorine numbers and repost with them.

[bcooper27]

Just tested the water again.

FC = .8
CC = 6.6

I'm using the Taylor kit. I added the powder as directed to the water and it came up very slightly pink and only took 4 drops to bring the pink water to clear (4 x .2 = .8). Then I added the other drops to the solution to test for CC and the water turned HOT pink and it took 33-drops to bring that one to clear water (33 x .2 = 6.6).

[aylad]

If you really have a CC of 6.6 (and it sounds like you do :eek:) then at least you know the chlorine you're adding is fighting the stuff in the water. So...Watermom and Mbar have laid out your best plan--get that chlorine back up to at least 15 ppm and hold it there as consistently as you can. Brush the pool every day, keep the filter running and backwash/clean as the pressure indicates, and it will clear up. You are going to need a good dose of POPP--pool owner patience and persistence--the pool took a long time to get into its current condition, so the solution won't be overnight--but the solution WILL work if you apply it.

Janet

[bcooper27]

Thanks Janet. My thoughts were the same.....sounds like the bleach is fighting the good fight which is the reason for the high CC. The little ones really want to get in the pool soon so I'll load up on the bleach and get back to work. :)

Thanks!
Brian

[Watermom]

Are you using the 10ml or the 25 ml sample of water when you test?

I'm also trying to understand why yesterday your CC was 0 and now it is so significant? Something just isn't adding up here.

[aylad]

Just remember that the chlorine is killing the bad stuff--but the filter is what will remove it from the pool, and often takes up the most time. So keep an eye on your filter pressure and clean it as necessary. The payoff will be worth it!! :)

Janet

[sturev]

I agree with Watermom... since it's only turning slightly pink when you put two scoops in, there's a possiblity that you might have really high levels (it's possible that it's getting bleached out). Try putting 3 scoops in and see if it turns bright pink.

[bcooper27]

I'm going to retest the water now and use 3-scoops. I'm definitely using the 25ml sample when I test.

I'm no chemist but my thoughts were that by putting (4) big bottles of bleach in yesterday and then finding out today that my CC was quite high that the bleach was in there killing something. Let me retest now and I'll post the results in a few minutes.

Definitely going to owe you all big time on this one. I'll need addresses and lists of your favorite summer beverages. :)

-Brian

[bcooper27]

Ok, I just rechecked the CL levels and they are the same:

FC = .8ppm
CC = 6.6ppm

I used (3) scoops of the powder this time and the pink color was not any brighter than before when checking FC. When I went to check the CC by putting in the 5-drops it turned BRIGHT HOT PINK right away.

I think I'm going to jump in the family truckster and head out for some bleach. :)

[Watermom]

Alright then. Bleach it is. Time to hammer!!

[bcooper27]

Ok, here's what I did and the results so far. At 2pm EST I put in (6) 96oz bottles of 6% bleach and (1) 182oz bottle of 6% bleach. I just tested the CL levels after two hours (actually tested them twice) and this was what came up:

FC = 1.0ppm
CC = 11.0ppm (yes, ELEVEN POINT ZERO!)

???

[Watermom]

Can you list step-by-step exactly how you are running these tests for us to look at, please.

EDIT: This is not a new pool, right? Do you know what your CYA level was when you closed the pool last fall?

[bcooper27]

Sure can.

1. I take a sample of water from the pool using a bottle at about 1-foot deep.

2. I rinse the tube from the Taylor kit and fill it with pool water to the 25ml mark.

3. I add (2-3) of the tiny scoops of R-0870 DPD Powder to the water and swirl it around until mixed up to see if it turns pink. In most cases it is, although it's very slightly pink.

4. I then add the R-0871 drops until the pink water becomes clear, counting each drop. In this case I put in 5-drops and then it turned clear.

5. From there I take the exact solution used at the end of #4 above (which is the water plus all the drops/powder I added already) and then I add 5-drops of R-0003 (DPD Reagent) to test the CC. In this case the 5-drops made the water turn SUPER pink.

6. I then began to add and count the drops of R-0871 to see how many it takes to bring the pink water down to clear. In this case it took me 55 drops to make the water clear.

This is not a new pool. It's our 3rd season with it. Unfortunately I didn't have this test kit at the end of last year (or the know-how) to test CYA.

Let me know if you have any questions. And Thank You!

[Watermom]

Well, sounds like you are doing the test correctly.

We have had several people on the forum this year who have had EXTREMELY high chlorine demand upon opening. Sounds like this might be the case for you. Unfortunately, the only way to fix this is to keep slamming it with bleach all day long day after day until you can hold chlorine overnight. It gets frustrating because you think you're never gonna get to that point, but then, one day you do.

So, be patient and test and shock it with bleach as many (and I mean AS MANY) times per day as you can. It will clear. May take awhile ................ sorry to have to tell you that.

There are quite a few other threads where this has happened. Maybe read some of them to reassure you that it will work. We'll be right along with you til you get it fixed!

So, that I don't have to go and re-read this entire thread, can you outline again every ingredient you have put in this pool since you opened it, please.

[aylad]

Shock, shock, shock, shock, shock, shock............it's the only way to kill the CCs, no matter where they're from!

Janet

[bcooper27]

Well, so far since I opened the pool (this past Sunday) I've added the following:

Sunday:
1lb Chlor Brite (dichlor)

Monday:
(2) 182-oz bottles 6% Bleach
About 5-oz Clarifier (that thick blue liquid)

Tuesday:
(4) 182-oz jugs of 6% bleach

Wednesday (Today):
(6) 96oz bottles of 6% bleach and (1) 182oz bottle of 6% bleach at 2pm

(3) 182oz bottle of 6% bleach at about 4:30pm

So far that's what I've added to the pool since I opened it. I know last year we had a LOT of problems keeping chlorine in the pool. Every time we went to the pool store to check the water it was low or non-existent and the pool guy said many people in our area were having the same issue.

At this point, I'll add bleach ALL DAY if I have to to get this cleared up so I'll just keep adding, waiting an hour or two, checking the levels, and adding again. :)

-Brian

[aylad]

I'll just keep adding, waiting an hour or two, checking the levels, and adding again. :)




That's the fastest way to get it clear--the more consistently it stays above "shock" level, the faster it'll happen.

I wouldn't worry much about the clarifier at this point, just keep hitting it with bleach.

Janet

[Watermom]

Check in with us every once in awhile and let us know that you haven't filled the pool in with dirt!:eek:

(It may take awhile .............hang in there!)

[bcooper27]

At 8pm tonight I checked the water again and it's still cloudy. Here's the CL levels:

FC = .8 ppm
CC = .6 ppm (big difference from earlier today for some reason)

I added (2) 182oz bottles of 6% bleach at about 8pm as well.

I also checked the PH and it was really low so I started adding the Borax by the cup into the skimmer. I'll have to check the guidelines on how much to add as I've been so busy trying to handle the chlorine levels that now I have to learn to also balance the PH (and the other levels.)

I plan to check the CL levels again tonight between 10-11pm and possibly add bleach one more time before bed. I'll also let the pump run all night again and cross my fingers for the morning.

I don't plan to fill the pool in with dirt just yet although I think it crossed my wife's mind. She definitely has issues with buying so much bleach as she thinks people are looking at her like she has two heads. :) I keep assuring her that our patience (and lots of bleach) will pay off shortly.

Have a great night and I'll continue to check in tomorrow.

[Watermom]

How low is the pH?

[bcooper27]

I checked the water tonight and here are the levels:

FC = 4.8 ppm
CC = .4 ppm
pH = < 7.0 (I had to add 6 drops of base to bring the pH back to the 7.2-7.4 level)

I just added (2) more 182oz bottles of bleach and the rest of the box (76oz) of Borax to see if I could bring the pH back up. We'll see what the night does for me and hope for the best in the morning. :)

[Watermom]

Get the pH up above 7.0 ASAP! Below that is acidic and can damage your pool. That is actually more critical than the cl issue right now.

I'll look for your current numbers in the morning. At least your CC isn't still showing up as 11!

[CarlD]

Yes, I'd add at least half a box of Borax to start, then wait an hour and check pH again, and repeat until you get a reading over 7.

[bcooper27]

Good Morning.

Tested the water again today at 8am. Here are the results:

FC = 4.4 ppm
CC = .2 ppm
pH = 6.9 (6-drops to get to 7.4)

I just added the following to the pool:

(2) more 182oz bottles of bleach
(1) 96oz bottle of bleach
Approx 2lbs Soda Ash

Hoping the bleach will help get me to shock level which I've had a tough time reaching. And the Soda Ash (which was used instead of Borax since I have no more in stock) will hopefully help bring up the pH. The water is still cloudy though.

Gotta take another run to the store today. Need more Borax and the three cases of bleach I bought last night at BJ's are in the pool already! I have about 6-7 bottles of the 96oz bleach so that should keep me going for a bit.

At this point, I'm REALLY looking forward to getting the water chemistry balanced! :)

[bcooper27]

Here are the 10am results of water testing:

FC = 16.0 ppm
CC = .2ppm
Alk = 130 (looks like this ticked up a bit)
Calcium = 290
pH = 7.0 (only 1-drop to get to 7.2 range -- almost there)

Water is still cloudy however, unless my eyes deceive me, it looks like it's very slightly LESS cloudy. Hard to tell.

Do I keep pumping in the bleach to get this over 20ppm FC? I'm thinking yes.

I'll have to find a pool place locally that sells the Taylor Reagents. I've tested the chlorine levels so much that I've gone through my .75oz bottle of the R-0871. I did place an order last night with Amato but can't wait for that to arrive.

[bcooper27]

Here's the 1pm results of testing:

FC = 24.4 ppm
CC = 0
Alk = 130
pH = 7.0
CYA = <30 (can easily see the black dot when tube it completely filled)

At 11:15am I put in (3) 96oz bleach bottles and that definitely kicked things up to shock level. Pool water is still cloudy, although it does appear to be getting slightly better.

My wife just put in a 76oz box of borax to get that pH back up. Plus I picked up the R-0871 at my local pool store so I'm back in business testing chlorine levels. :)

The high ALK and low CYA levels concern me though. What's everyone's take on how things look for all levels? Do I keep the shock level until it clears up?

Thanks!

[aylad]

NOW you're makin' progress!! :D: You're doing all the right things, it's just a matter now of keeping the shock level as consistently as you can, and running the filter to help clear up the cloudy.

Your alk increased when you added the washing soda--it increases alk as well as pH. Your pH is still on the low side, especially since high chlorine readings will make pH results show falsely high, so I would definitely get another 1/2-3/4 box of Borax in there as soon as you can. The alk went a little higher than ideal, but it is still fine where it is. It can always be adjusted later, but I'd leave it alone.

The CYA being low is ok for now--if you raise the CYA level right now,then your shock target gets higher, and since you're already having problems achieving it, we don't want to adjust it up. So....I would leave the CYA alone, get another partial box of Borax in there, and maintain that shock level as consistently as you can.....you're definitely on the right track!!!

This is where the most important ingredient of all comes in...that POPP--pool owner patience and persistence!!

Janet

Just re-read your post and realized the Borax is already in. Give it a couple of hours and retest, make sure that it's registering.....

[mbar]

Just so you know from my own experience water mold takes a while to clear out. It really takes mega doses of chlorine as you now know:rolleyes: The other thing is to keep on with the shock levels for a while, because watermold comes back very easily if it isn't all gone (from more experience:eek:) Don't get discouraged for how long it takes for the cloudiness to go away - it does take a while to filter out, keep your filter going 24/7, and backwash as needed. You are over the worst! Congrats:)

[Watermom]

How is the filter pressure doing? Backwash when it goes 8-10 psi over clean filter pressure. You might try some skimmer socks and also adding a little DE to your sand filter. Info in this thread:

http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=3742

Sounds like you may be on the home stretch! Keep hammering it with bleach. You are doing a good job.

[bcooper27]

Filter pressure is remaining pretty steady as to where it should be. I'll keep my eyes on it and backwash if it gets too high.

I tested at 3pm and the levels were as follows:

FC = 17.0 ppm
CC = 0
pH = 7.4 (yippee!)

I put in (2) more 96oz bottles of bleach to keep the shock level. I'll continue doing that until it clears up. The good news is that I think I'm starting to see the bottom of the pool liner. :) Still a ways to go though.

I'm trying to read as much as possible to stick with the BBB method as I think it's great. I admit I neglected things the first two seasons and I'm determined to get a good process down to keep the pool in great condition. It's actually pretty fun checking levels and staying on top of things so that's good too (although my wife and kids are starting to call me "bleach boy" for some unknown reason!) Maybe it's the bleached stained shirt I'm wearing......which by the way was one of my favorite shirts until I forgot about how things SPLASH when you put them in the pool!

Does anyone have a routine you use during the week for adding chemicals, brushing, vacuuming, etc that they could recommend? Or maybe there's a post I haven't found yet.

I'll continue to check and post results until I'm 100% clear and good. Hopefully this also helps someone else too.

[Watermom]

I usually turn my pump on aroung 11:00 or so in the morning and also the solar panel. It runs throughout the day until the sun starts to go down and then I turn the solar panel off. As far as testing, I just spend about 5 minutes each evening when we get out of the pool checking cl and pH and adding bleach. Usually I end up adding 2 or 3 quarts of bleach. Then, I let the pump run for an hour or two and then shut it off for the night.

After I open the pool in the spring and get the levels where I want them (namely cya), I only run a full set of numbers a couple of times a season. But I have been doing this a long time and know my pool. My pool is consistently maintained thus I don't have problems.

I bought a Wanda the Whale vac this spring and I throw her in 2 or 3 times a week. Usually in the morning and let her do her thing for a couple of hours and then take her out before we get in to swim. We use our pool more in the evenings than in the heat of the day.

It takes awhile to "get to know" your pool, but as you do and you learn what works for your pool, your routine will become simple and quick as well. Good maintenance can head off most problems.

[bcooper27]

Good Morning everyone! Just wanted to check in and give you the latest on the condition of my pool. Here are the test levels from this morning:

FC = 15.0 ppm
CC = .2 ppm
pH = 7.4
ALK = 120
Calcium = 290

The FC number maintains itself overnight so that's a good thing. The pool is still not sparkling yet. Still a bit cloudy but I can definitely see the bottom. I keep wondering whether maintaining the high shock level will eventually make the water crystal clear or whether there's something else I can do.

At what level of FC is it safe to swim? I know the kids and wife are dying to get in the pool but I want it to be safe.

We're getting there. :)

[Watermom]

I just scanned quickly back through this entire thread. It appears (unless I missed it) that you haven't had a CC reading over 0.4 for 2 or 3 days now. Is that correct? Was last night the first night that you didn't lose cl overnight? If so, how much cl did you lose overnight the night before?

Did you try the DE powder and the skimmer socks? I think they might really help.
Are you running the pump 24/7?
Before you reply, retest and post another set of chlorine readings and answer the other questions. It may be, depending on your readings and some of the answers you give, that you may be ok to swim this weekend in old suits that you don't care if they fade some. But, I want to see your reply first before I make any suggestions or recommendations.

[bcooper27]

Hello...

Here are the cl readings for 1:00pm:

FC = 10.6 ppm
CC = 0

I tested the water on Thursday 7/1 at 7:30pm and the FC was 19.6 (cc=0) and I tested again Friday 7/2 at 5:30am before work and the FC was 12.4 (cc=.2). One note is that Thursday evening (at about 10pm) I did put in another (2) 182oz bottles of bleach to keep shock level through Friday since I knew I would be gone most of Friday. So if the idea is not lose hardly any FC overnight, I would say that is not happening. As you can see I went from FC of 15.0 this morning at 10am to 10.6 at 1pm so there is definitely loss there. Whether that's a function of not having higher CYA values or what I don't know.

I didn't try the DE idea yet but will definitely look into it. The pump has been running 24x7 for probably 4-5 days now. This morning at about 11am I decided to vacuum the pool for the first time as I was able to see to the bottom where there was a lot of old brown leaves clumped up. That's all clean now. I also did a backwash right after vacuuming until the water ran clean and then got the pump back on now filtering as normal.

Let me know if you have any other questions. And thank you for the help, especially on a holiday weekend. :)

-Brian

[Watermom]

So, last night was the first night with no chlorine loss. The night before, you still lost a substantial amount.

Already lost 5 today although your cya level is low so much of that is probably lost to the sun. Why don't you keep the cl high all day today and see if you go another night with no chlorine loss and see if you are still getting CC readings no higher than 0.5. If tomorrow morning shows no overnight loss and still good CC reading, then go swim tomorrow. Swimming with low cya and fc of about 10 is OK but, like I said, wear old swimsuits.

If you have big loss overnight and CC over 0.5, I'd keep it at shock levels again tomorrow and try again for maybe Monday. You do not want your family swimming in water that is not safe.

Can you go someplace today and try and get some DE? I think it might help and tomorrow is Sunday and Monday is July 4th so pool stores probably won't be open either day.

Also, tell me again so I don't have to reread the entire thread. How much dichlor in total did you put in this pool? And, in addition to the dichlor, did you buy any cya and put that in? If so, how much. When was the last time you added either dichlor or cya and when was the last time you tested cya level and what was it?

[bcooper27]

This afternoon we went to the pool place and picked up some skimmer socks and DE. I put the sock on and also added some DE per the directions. That was about 1.5 hrs ago.

The only dichlor I've added since opening was the 1lb bag which I believe was last Sunday if I'm not mistaken. Outside of that (and the clarifier which was early this past week) the only thing I've added to the pool is bleach and borax.

I did purchase stabilizer as well at the pool store as I had none in stock. However I've not put any of that in just yet. The last time I checked CYA was a few days ago (maybe Tues/Wed.) I'll check all the levels again after dinner and post them shortly after.

Thx!

[bcooper27]

7/3 - 6:15pm water test results:

FC = 9.0 ppm
CC = 0
pH = 7.2
Alk = 100
Calcium = 220
CYA = 20-30

For the CYA I filled the tube to the very top (less than 30) and I had a hard time seeing the black spot so I assumed it was in the 20-30 range.

[Watermom]

CC still 0! That is a good thing. How is the water clarity? Any improvement today? Go ahead and add some bleach tonight to take it up to about 12-15. Hopefully, it will all still be there in the morning and the CC will still be 0.

Watch your filter pressure since you added DE. You only want a 1psi rise in pressure.