Cloudy ,Cloudy,Cloudy... for a week now.

[uwinsome]

Hello all,I live in Virginia Beach and I have an issue in trying to get my pool crystal clear. I have been doing the BBB method for years and this year it seems to take longer and to get my pool ready for the summer. I have vacuumed and cleaned all and any debris from the pool and now it is just cloudy and I have put over 20 gallons of bleach (Wal-Mart) for the past two weeks.It has been raining on and off for the two weeks . If anyone has constructive solutions please reply . Thank You

My pool is AG 24'round 5ft deep
and my readings are from smart test pool and spa test strips
CL 3
TCL 3
ALK 120
pH 8.0
Hard 50
Im using a BaquaPure 2.0 Hp pump with cartridge filter.

[Watermom]

The one reading you didn't list is one we need and that is a CYA reading. What have you been using for chlorine? Did you have an algae bloom? Test strips are pretty unreliable and inaccurate. You would be doing yourself a favor if you bought a good test kit. We recommend the Taylor K-2006 or 2006C. See the Amazon link in my signature below. If Amato Industries is not listed as the seller, wait a day or two until they restock. Some other sellers are sending the K-2005 instead which you do not want.

Are you sure your pool is 5ft deep? I have never seen or even heard of a a 5ft deep 24ft AG. Could it be 52 inch walls instead?

That is a mighty big pump for a 24ft AG. Sometimes a too big pump forces stuff through the filter with so much force that the filter doesn't catch it.

[uwinsome]

Thanks for your response. I don't see CYA ? I have been using WalMart grest value bleach 6% . I will get a new test kit ,but was looking for help in the interim. Maybe the pool is 52inches tall ,that sounds right. If I run the pump on "low" do you think that will make a differance/help ? So do you think the pump makes the pool cloudy ,or is there any suggestions to help clear the pool?

[Watermom]

Do you have a reputable pool store in the vicinity that can test your CYA for you? Just don't let them talk you into buying a bunch of stuff. They will try! I think running your pump on low may help with the filtration. Having too big of a pump is a problem we frequently see. People assume a bigger more powerful pump should be better, but the opposite is usually true. A smaller pump with a bigger filter works better than the other way around. Run the pump 24/7 and clean the filter as needed. You may also want to buy some skimmer socks as they may help filter out the smaller particles.

Did you have an algae bloom recently?

Get us a CYA reading and I think we can help you clear this up. And, get the good kit as soon as you are able. It will make a big difference for you.

[uwinsome]

Thanks again. Yes, I did have an algae bloom . Had it nice and improving and went out of town and came back to an algae bloom mess.
I will run the pump on low and I will take a sample to the pool store. I have to wait for the pool test kit until my next paycheck on the 15th.

[Watermom]

Ok. In the meantime until you get a CYA reading, go ahead and keep adding doses of bleach to get the chlorine up to 12ppm. I'm assuming your volume to be around 13,500. So, each quart of 6% bleach will add about 1ppm. As often as you can test and add bleach, the better. Until you are able to get the good kit, go to Walmart and buy a cheap OTO/Phenol red kit (yellow and red drops.) It will only read chlorine levels to 5 but you can force it to go higher with a dilution method described here:

Testing Without a Good Kit (http://poolsolutions.com/gd/how-to-test-your-pool-without-a-good-testkit.html )

Once we know the CYA, we'll tweak the recommendation for the shock level if needed.

[uwinsome]

Back from the pool store, My CYA is 4 and the reading shows no chlorine . I added a couple of Trichloro tabs 99% to the skimmer and added CYA as well . I will add 4 gallons of Bleach and go from there. It is 4:00pm and lots of sun.

[Watermom]

Well, there is no way a pool store can differentiate a CYA reading of 4. It is just not that precise and it also usually cannot detect levels lower than 30. So, we'll assume basically 0. How much CYA did you add and how did you add it? If you have some trichlor pucks in the skimmer, make sure you keep your pump running 24/7 while they are in there.

Go ahead and get some bleach in there. A pool with no chlorine can turn green FAST!

[uwinsome]

0 was the CYA strip reading then he tested it on a machine. I broadcasted / sprinkled a 1/2cup of the CYA throughout the pool and 1/2 cup in the skimmer. The other readings where right on ....

[Watermom]

First of all, if there is still CYA laying on the pool floor, vacuum it up and let it dissolve in the filter. Secondly, keep your pump running 24/7.

Maintain the chlorine level at 12ppm as consistently as you can as I outlined in post #6 above. Test as many times per day as is possible --- no such thing as too often --- and each time, add enough bleach to get back up to 12. When you can go from sundown one day til sunup the next without losing more than 1ppm of chlorine, then you can let the cl drift down and keep it between 3-6 all the time.

Add about 3.5 lbs. of CYA to a sock and hang it in front of a return jet or slowly add it to the skimmer so that it won't clog the pipes. Then run the pump 24/7 for at least the next 4 or 5 days to get it all dissolved.

Your pH is a little high. You can use a little muriatic acid to lower it a little. Add about a pint slowly in front of a return jet. Wear gloves, glasses, stay upwind of fumes and pour close to the water surface to avoid any splashing. After a couple of hours, retest pH and add more if needed until the pH is somewhere between 7.2-7.8. Do NOT test pH when the chlorine is high or you will get a falsely high pH reading. Test it before adding chlorine.

[uwinsome]

Thanks again for all of your advice and instruction. I am a Flight Attendant so I am away for days at a time with no one to care for the pool . I bought a floating despenser to keep the tri tabs clorinating the pool and the pump running on low when I am away and my water is Sparkling.... I use the BBB method and I am pleased .

[Watermom]

Thanks for the update. If you are going to use the trichlor pucks, you'll need to keep an eye on your CYA as the pucks will continue to add CYA. Every week or two, test it and when it gets to about 50, you'll need to discontinue using them. They are also very acidic, so you'll also need to watch your pH to make sure it doesn't get too low.

[uwinsome]

Understood, thank you. I will nwatch the numbers and I have stoped using them for a week noe and things are looking good. I only use 1 gallon bleach every 10 days and things are going fine