Cloudy Pool and my numbers from the Pool Store

[peggles0224]

Okay... I have a cloudy pool that seems to be clearing somewhat. Here are my numbers. I have done some adjustments on my own, and I think I done it somewhat well, as the numbers show, however I'm still off and need to know how much stuff (baking soda) to add to raise Alkalinity... And if I do that will that balance my PH and I won't have to touch it?

FC: 4.9
TA: 75
Total Hardness (above ground pool ... do I need this?): 44
PH: 7.7
CYA: 30

Even though it's cloudy, I can swim in this right?

[CarlD]

"Cloudy" can mean you have been chlorinating with Cal-Hypo, in which case it may be safe to swim.

"Cloudy" can mean you have algae--in which case your chlorine will be consumed living it unsafe to swim.

Are the clouds white and milky or gray and green?

Don't bother with TA or CH . Both are fine, especially with a vinyl pool.

Your pH is a bit high-you may want to lower it to the 7.2-7.5 range.

I would also strongly recommend you raise your FC level to 15--shock the pool.

You can use bleach, or liquid chlorine. Since your pH is a touch high and your CYA at 30 is good, but on the low side, you can use either Di-Chlor or Tri-Chlor to raise your FC level....both are acidic and will addl CYA. I personally prefer to use Di-Chlor--it's not as acidic, but adds more CYA.

But bleach or LC is our preferred method for chlorination.

Carl

[peggles0224]

My pool numbers show green algae: none; black algae: none and I'm not using any of the hypo stuff you mention. just chlorine. But when I backwash i see slightly dingy water coming out. I get it's kind of milky grey. I have been keeping the chlorine high for two days now ... i put chlorine in at night and by the morning the chlorine reading isn't as high, so not sure if it's the sun or something eating it up. what about the hardness number? does that matter?

[peggles0224]

well, i know why the water is cloudy... i think it is plain dirty... i got in the pool and it was slimy around the edges... Thought someone vacuumed it, but probably wasn't the case. So i stirred up the dirt and put more chlorine in... and will put more in tonight to keep it shocked.

[CarlD]

I think you need to boost your chlorine to shock levels, run your pump 24/7, backwash everyday, brush your pool walls and pool bottom everyday and vacuum to waste everyday untill your pool is clear. I think you have algae. I don't know of any numeric test for it, especially one that test for green versus black algae.

[aylad]

Peggles,

I answered all those same questions in this thread http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=10104. I'm going to lock the other one, so that people trying to help you can condense all their responses into one thread. In the future, please try to keep all the questions about one pool problem in the same thread.

Thanks

Janet

[blessedbeingmom]

A slimy feeling on my pool liner was the definite precursor to the algae outbreak we had not that long ago.

[Watermom]

Blessedbeingmom is right. If it feels slimy, you've got an impending algae bloom. Do as Carl advised above and shock the pool. Run your pump 24/7 while you are working on this problem.